In the world of sales, the saying is true that says “you are master of what you keep silent and slave of what you say”. We believe that the one who speaks the best sells more, but the truth is that sometimes our most valuable ally is not words, but the silence.
Using silence strategically is a very powerful resource for closing sales and reaching advantage agreements in all kinds of situations. For this reason, in this article, I want to share with you 10 moments in which silence will help you achieve your goals.
10 moments when silence is golden
1) The trading principle
usually tired talks They begin with a round of greetings and expressions of courtesy. Immediately afterwards, instead of launching into your proposal, stay silent and wait for the potential client to start talking. Or, if you don’t feel completely comfortable, use some expression to give the floor, such as “what do you think of the proposal that I sent you yesterday?”. Thus, you give him the opportunity to surprise you by accepting your conditions before you lower them yourself.
2) When the other side of a negotiation begins to debate with himself
With these people your worst enemies, and you just have to let them talk so that they enter a spiral of bad negotiation tactics. For example, if you don’t immediately respond to an offer, the other side may end up rejecting it themselves just because they think you won’t accept it.
In short, if this specifies that the other person is not entirely convinced of what they are asking for, the best thing to do is to be patient and wait for these doubts to manifest themselves.
3) After asking a question
There is nothing more annoying than those people who ask a question as an excuse to offer their own point of view. Sometimes he doesn’t even bother to listen to the full answer before intervening.
Don’t be like them! In sales, you can learn a lot listening to all potential customers. So ask them honest questions and give them as much time as you need to fully answer them.
4) When you want to build trust
Salespeople who don’t stop talking for a second can overwhelm the potential customer and end up conveying nervousness and insecurity.
Remember that we are no longer in the times when the product and its virtues were the most important thing. instead now the focus is on the customer and their needs.
Salespeople who talk too much create pressure and make it harder for the customer to think clearly. In return, if you convey that there is no prize and let them know that you will be there when they need you, you will gain their trust in you and you will build a solid relationship.
5) When you don’t know something
Do you remember point 1, the one about letting someone talk so they can dig their own grave? Well, keep in mind that it also applies to yourself.
In our culture, silence is uncomfortable and we often rush to fill it with whatever. It is also very difficult for us to admit that we do not know something, especially if we have been asked directly. The result of all this is that if we do not know how to appreciate the power of silence, we can screw up.
In short, if you don’t have something valuable to contribute, staying silent is the best option.
6) When you want someone else to take the Merit
US President Harry Truman is reported to have said that you can get pretty much anything if you don’t care who gets the credit.
Translated into the world of sales negotiation, this means that often the smartest thing to do is be silent until the other person thinks of your solution and present it as if it were yours. Now all you have to do is congratulate him.
7) When you’re bragging and not sharing
The world of social media has created a culture of constantly displaying one’s achievements, and brands tend to fall for it. But no one likes people who won’t stop talking about themselves and bragging about being the greatest of the greatest.
If created that you are falling into this defect, it is time to stop while you rethink what you can do to bring genuine value to the conversation. Remember that the important thing is the clients, not you.
8) Right after giving a number
When you have presented a price, condition or other important detail of the agreement, it is important to pause and remain silent until the other party speaks.
Sales reps who say a number and then keep talking to justify conveying insecurity, which weakens their bargaining power and may end up leading them to relax their own terms before the other party accepts them.
9) When you want the other party to find out something on their own
Sometimes it is more interesting since a potential client arrives with a conclusion for himself than presenting it directly.
Purchasing processes, especially for high-value items, usually carry out a research. During this stage, the potential client has evaluated the arguments in favor of several options and has opted for the one that is most pleasant for him. We can help by offering them content or asking them the right questions, but for them to fully trust our brand, they have to convince themselves that it is the right solution for them.
10) When you’re losing interest
Very long stories that only interest the person telling them are another classic of failed conversations, and brands are very vulnerable to this problem. Fortunately, in the digital environment it is very easy to measure whether we are managing to generate interest and commitment in the audience or not. If you’re not generating clicks or people stop watching your videos after a few seconds, you need to put measures in place to improve the appeal of your stories.
