Salespeople talk a lot when a strategic pause could do so much more.
Why?
Prospects need time to think and reflect.
When you keep talking it doesn’t allow this. Prospects will feel any number of things: frustration, confusion, slight, overwhelmed….none of these things feel good nor are helpful to selling.
If prospects literally can’t think about it. It’s hard for them to engage. It’s hard for them to trust you. They won’t feel psychologically safe.
Good news.
The fix is so easy. Just pause. I call it the strategic pause as it reminds me to build it into my conversations and presentations.
For a few tips to get started, consider these questions and phrases. They do two things:
- Help you to stop talking
- Allow your prospect some freedom and time to think.
Here they are:
- Let me pause here and hear from you. What’s one thing that stands out?
- How is this resonating with you so far, or have I drifted off course?
- How you are feeling about this?
- What’s one thing you’d like covered that we haven’t talked about yet?
- Does this seem like it would be helpful in your context, or am I off base?
You can even “just pause.” Don’t say anything. This opens space for your prospect to engage.
Pauses allow for engagement – this is good and necessary.
Strategic pauses create engagement – this is great and leads to sales.
[…] When you’re talking with a prospect, what steps do you need to take to find out what’s most important to them? How can you listen well? How can you be safe? […]