Power of the pause

Power of the pause

In our professional selling career we get advised many techniques to help us achieve a greater result, even when we think at first they won’t work....

Listening without speaking actually runs counter to the instincts of most sales training. It’s almost a habit for many people to interrupt. How do you feel when you’re interrupted before you finish your thoughts? Do you feel frustrated? Annoyed?

Listening carefully to customers isn’t easy but the rewards are great.

Here’s a powerful sales tip I have read about and heard many time which is superb – the pause. This means waiting, and not jumping in at the first opportunity.

Here are some reasons to pause:

•      They may be gauging your interest in their point of view, to see if you’re listening or simply waiting to jump in. When you resist the urge to jump in, you are often pleasantly surprised to hear that there’s more, and it is important.

•      Most people feel uncomfortable with silence, so they rush in to fill the void.

•      Instead of you rushing in, why not let your customer fill the void? This can often be something rewarding. An invitation to come and meet with them.

•      Your customers feel validated and important when you give them a chance to elaborate on their thoughts. This takes me back to something a former CEO of mine taught me some years back. Two ears, one mouth use them to that ratio. So we listen to allow them to elaborate and uncover buying signals.

•      Pausing gives you time to think before you respond to a question or objection.

The best way to pause is to use the most natural reason, which is curiosity. If you really want to hear what your customer has to say you will pause naturally as you wait for them to talk.

So, the next time you ask a question, pause and wait for the answer. And really listen to the answer. When the speaker stops for a moment, pause again instead of rushing in.

You’ll both win, because they get a chance to finish their thoughts, and feel like you have fulfilled this call to its maximum.

Remember ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’. Try it – I use this a lot in my daily work routine and also in my personal life. Works wonders...

If you have any more tips and techniques on the Power of the Pause, please get in touch!