No one likes talking to a “salesman” in the conventional sense because most people’s first thoughts are a fast-talking guy who will say Yes to everything and is just there to get your money. Be it insurance on the phone or enterprise software in-person, it is critical to counter this stereotype. In my opinion this is most easily done by saying everything at half-speed. In a big sales pitch, adrenaline will be running, the spotlight will be on you, so if you keep telling yourself to speak at half-speed, it will come out at normal speed. This was my early struggle because I feared dead time – that is the moment of silence in a meeting when no one is talking, I’ve later learned that that moment of silence after a key point is critical for the audience to reflect and internalize when you’ve said – therefore things came out a million miles per hour. Also, talking super-fast screams “geek” and when you’re trying to sell anything tech to a non-tech person, you want to do as much as possible to be “one of them.”
The other thing that one learns is that silence is one of the best ways to learn. Whenever I hear salespeople filling dead air during a call, I kick them under the table. You want to the customer to do as much talking as possible, not you.
Here’s an example: Recently, I was involved in a negotiation with a firm. They wanted our money, we wanted some specific things that they might not want to give. After 30 minutes of fencing, there was a moment of silence. My PR manager started to talk, but I stopped her with the “hush” signal. After 5 seconds, the firm, in an indirect but unmistakable fashion, acceded to our demands.
That wouldn’t have happened without the power of silence.
Another great post, Ben.
When I first started out, I found it hard because I chose to sell something I was passionate about. This was a deliberate choice so that t I didn’t feel like a sell-out and could maintain years of working to build a business. The downside I soon found was that being so passionate meant that I was talking fast, and often right over the head of my client. It took practice before I learned like you did to slow down, yet still carry the passion in my speech.