This post is not necessarily about sales, though it draws from a recent post by sales guru Jill Konrath . It’s really about any situation in life where you will win—however you define the word—by shutting up. (Parenthetically, I’m sure that many women of my generation learned from their mothers that being a “good listener” was a sure-fire route to success in the dating game.)
But, I digress…
Did you know that after most sales people ask a question they find it difficult to clam up more than 2 to 3 seconds? Jeez. That’s not a lot of time. But most of us are so uncomfortable with silence—that old horror vacui thing—that we start to chatter. Then, as Ms. Konrath notes, “You just sound like every other self-serving salesperson and your credibility goes down the drain.”
The key to success is to keep your mouth shut for the 8 to 10 seconds it takes for your prospect, boyfriend, Mom, crabby old Uncle Harold, etc. to think about your question and generate an answer. That’s right—8 to 10 seconds, which you should count using the “one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi” technique.
The next time you’re in a situation where something is at stake, ask your question, breathe deeply, and contemplate what you might lose—an honest answer, a deeper and better relationship, or a 10,000-widget sale—if you blather on.
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