Silence / Pause / Talk Less

In my experience in prospecting calls, meetings, pitches there is often an inverse correlation between how much the “salesperson” talks and the odds of winning the deal. Talking less is a critical discipline in effectively qualifying and closing new business.

We often talk too much and too fast when we are nervous or a little too excited. Sometimes without taking control of the conversation right up front we can find ourselves overly reactive to the buyer’s requests and answering their questions from a defensive posture. Without clear structure and leadership on our end, the conversation can easily devolve into the same old song and dance.

To ensure we talk less and the prospect talks more, there are a few simple reminders to focus on in advance of any new business conversation.

Have a plan.

Create an outline of your intended structure for the call (beginning, middle, end) with clear intent for a meaningful, productive conversation. When possible, orient the prospect to your structure at the start of the conversation. Most people spend all their time on the middle of the conversation instead of the beginning (and end). Have plan for how you are starting and ending the conversation (and stay on time!).

Slow down & pause

When you catch yourself or your team member talking a bit too fast or a bit too much, take a pause. Breathe. It’s OK to pause. You can say something like, “I’m going to pause for a second, I realize we just threw a lot out there…”

Ask questions

There’s nothing more important to effective qualifying and productive conversations than asking a few really direct, thoughtful questions. Ask them what’s going on for them that has them considering something different. Ask they follow up questions to get a little deeper when you sense that there’s something more. Stay curious.

I believe one of the most important skills for anyone responsible for new business development is the ability to facilitate effective conversations. Conversations where the prospect feels safe to share the truth, where you are listening intently for whether or not you are a good fit, and where you focus on looking to understand and solve problems vs. just trying to sell stuff. Having the intent to be helpful is something you can’t fake.

When presenting or just talking with new prospective clients, stay calm. Too much excitement brings up their defenses. Talking too fast and too much gives away all the control in the buyer-seller dynamic. Talk confidently and be intentional about pausing to keep your audience’s attention. Ask thoughtful questions and follow up to more deeply understand what’s going on for the prospect. This is both simple and challenging to execute of course. The more you work to hone your craft as a communicator and meeting facilitator the more efficient and effective you will be at finding and closing more of the right kinds of new business.

Pick one thing above to focus on in an upcoming prospect conversation. Take it slow, build and refine your skills. No matter how successful you already are in sales there is always room for improvement.

Onward.

Tom