Just Stop Talking.

I remember when I was in college, I was told that if you wanted to be in sales, you must be outgoing, charming, exuberant. I believed it, and I did my best to be all those things (even when it seemed hard and I didn't feel charming). Then I went to one of my first sales meetings, and I encountered a very shy, very non-"exuberant girl", close to my age.

I remember thinking, "That poor thing. I bet she won't do great at sales since she's so shy. I wonder how she got hired?"

That turned out to be one of the most inaccurate thoughts I ever had. She CRUSHED it. Every year she beat the sales records out of the park and got quickly promoted.

It turns out, after many years of research and experience, that some of the best sales people are soft-spoken.

Why?

Because the best sales people don't drone on and on and on. They LISTEN. They resist the urge to fill silence while they wait for the customer to digest info. They don't assume they know what the customer wants.

Sometimes it's just nerves. If we get the vibe that someone isn't understanding or liking what we say, we keep talking. We keep explaining. DON'T DO THIS.

Instead say, "I'm getting the feeling that I haven't been clear about something. Is there anything we should revisit?"

And then PAUSE. Be silent, wait for them to reply. Silence can help you in so many ways. Silence helps on the phone, while negotiating, while presenting. Give it a try. I bet you'll get all kinds of info you never would have gotten before.

What has your experience been like? Let me know in the LinkedIn comments!

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