"Never forget the power of silence, that massively disconcerting pause which goes on and on and may last induce an opponent to babble and backtrack nervously." | ||
| --Lance Morrow | ||
In my first fifteen years in sales it was naturally easy to follow the rule, "He who speaks first loses," during a final negotiations with a client. I was comfortable with silence in helping my customers buy. My confidence was intact as a high performing salesperson.
I recall one time with a competitor in hiring mode, when I broke the rule and I lost.
The company I was with was rumored to be closing. Many employees, including me, were networking for possible work. One of our competitors was one I would consider working for. Rather than using the recruiting agency to secure an appointment for me, I telephoned Doug the owner.
It was just an introductory call for me, but it became an exploratory call for Doug. I was speaking confidently answering his questions.