When Should I Stop Talking?

One of the most important life lessons I've shared with people is to know when to shut up. Seriously, people talk entirely too much. They want to share their opinions, political beliefs, recipes and personal drama because they either think that others want to hear this or that we need their valuable information. 

This happens in sales also. There are sales people who give out all kinds of information about their product or service, from the features of the product to the long list of names of satisfied customers. But there comes a point in the sales process when you have to stop selling and close. And when you close you need to stop talking. 

When it comes to closing, there's an old sales adage that says, "The one who talks first loses." For example, let's say you have been working on a customer for about twenty minutes. Now it's time to close and you go with something like, "So what do you think? Would you like to start filling out the paperwork?" (It's not my favorite assumptive close, but that's a discussion for another day.) 

Now there's the awkward silence. The customer is thinking. He or she is considering all kinds of factors, like price, financing, the approval of their peers, the approval of their significant other, ancillary costs that may include insurance or storage, and a host of other things. That customer has a brain working a thousand miles an hour. What should you do?

You can try to break the awkward silence by throwing out additional information. But that means you have started selling again, which means you are going to have to close again. By doing that you have stopped the customer's thought process, which irks them. You lose!

Or you can shut your pie hole and wait. That awkward silence is working for you, not against you. And if you act casual and calm, it helps the other guy calm down too. That's to your advantage. Sure, it seems like an eternity, but it is only a few minutes. A subtle gesture on your part, like an affirmative nod to the customer with a friendly smile that says "take your time" can be the best move you make all day. You win!

I knew a guy who never could stop talking. It was the most amazing train wreck of a sales presentation I ever saw. One day I invited another sales rep to listen in from my office. My coworker looked at me and whispered, "Does this guy ever close? I can't tell because he won't shut the hell up." And just as you would expect, the guy with the gift of gab rarely, if ever, made a sale. 

There was an instance when he managed to find a client who wanted to buy the product before he walked in the door. All the salesman had to do was confirm the sale and start filling out the paperwork. He didn't even need to discuss price. It was a done deal. But the sales rep just kept selling and selling. Finally the customer said, "Are you going to take my money or what?" 

Follow the advice I have given my daughter since she was four years old. Know when to talk, and even more importantly, know when to stop talking and listen. That's why you have one mouth and two ears. 

Chris Castanes is a professional speaker who helps sales people succeed through workshops and humorous presentations. He's also the author of "You're Going To Be Great At This!", a humorous look at sales. For booking information, click here. He's also the president of Surf Financial Brokers selling life and disability insurance in several states.