You have a solid lead, an excellent relationship, a fabulous rapport…yet time and time again, it falls through. There are times that this is caused by extenuating circumstances, but all too often we are the cause of our own demise.
We talk ourselves out of the deal, out of the relationship, and cause strain in the impressions that we give others. Why? We fail to leverage SILENCE.
In a world of constant interaction and engagement, we struggle to find the critical nature of utilizing silence in our communications. I see this often from individuals in Sales and client-facing service industries but it extends to all of our personal and professional relationships. We position a concern, question, or statement that requires a reply and instead of allowing time for the other individual to process and respond, we jump in because we simply can't stand the quiet. The gap must be filled. When we do this, we are creating an environment of a one-man show. One in which we are the center of our universe and the other individuals thoughts or position are unimportant.
 
I often equivocate this to music. Think of the last musical composition you listened to. It doesn't matter the genre. Are there times in the piece that you recognize silence? Maybe it's not silence from all players in the piece but from certain players. How would Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 sound without any rests? Miles David in Kind Of Blue? Bruno Mars in Locked out of Heaven? What if every piece of music you listened to had every singer and musician playing constantly with no breaks? It would be overwhelming, off-putting, and lack it's unique artistry.
 
Communication in Sales, Service, and relationships is no different. Next time you pose a question or value statement to a potential client, a colleague, or even friend…STOP TALKING! Breathe… allow them a moment to process and respond. It will make a world of difference in your results.