Silence / Pause / Talk Less

In my experience prospecting calls, meetings, and pitches, there is often an inverse correlation between how much the ‘salesperson’ talks with 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 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, here are a few simple guidelines 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 a 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 too much, take a pause and breathe. It’s okay 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 direct, thoughtful questions. Ask the prospect what’s going on that has them considering something different. Ask 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—where the prospect feels safe enough to share the truth, you’re listening intently for whether you’re a good fit, and you focus on understanding and solving 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