The adage speaking is silver and silence is gold seems so at odds with the sales profession. You often hear, “He talks so easily, really a salesman.” And the term “sales talk” doesn't come out of the blue, either. Yet the adage does apply to the salesperson. I dare say that any salesman who keeps talking does not even get to silver and remains stuck at bronze. If his talking manages to get him across the finish line that way at all.
...Any salesman who keeps talking won't even get to silver and is stuck at bronze....
Early in my sales career, I personally found that I would have been better off remaining silent as a salesperson. Indeed, I would not have been far off the mark.
This happened:
There was a customer who was very interested in a nice used car we had on display. I had appraised the trade-in car and made him an offer. Sir made a counter-proposal which in itself was not crazy but was higher than my decision-making authority at the time. The consultation with my sales manager was short-lived. I was given permission to sell the car for the customer's proposal.
Because I thought you should be able to negotiate, I came back to my client with a counter-proposal. I suggested meeting halfway between his and my proposal and thus doing deal. Whatever arguments I made, the man didn't budge and stuck to his offer. I, stubborn as I was, even let it get to the point where the gentleman got up from the table and indicated, “You know my offer, just call me if you want to do it.” He walked away to his car.
At that time, I had a challenge. My sales director had given me the green light and wanted the car sold and I was letting the customer walk. There was nothing I could do but go after the customer and let him know that I could do the deal based on his offer. When I met the customer he was already in his car where I politely knocked on his window. After he opened the door I was able to give him the redeeming answer, “My sales manager agrees with your proposal, we would like to sell you the car at your price.” The man's reaction surprised me, for he said, “I knew that! Just prepare the papers I will come by this afternoon to sign.”
I knew that, I knew that? How could sir possibly know that he would get his price? He didn't have access to our purchase prices, the Internet to compare didn't exist yet, and my arguments had been substantiated. So how could he know?
Fortunately, by almost losing the order, I had lost my stubbornness. When Sir came to sign the papers I asked him the question of how he could know I could do the deal at his price. The answer he gave may have been the best sales lesson I have had.
Sir told me that his business regularly required him to purchase large machines for large sums of money. He said, “I learned that when the salesman keeps talking he is not at his bottom yet. He still has margin and something to give. Otherwise he would get up and leave because there is nothing left to gain. You did the same thing. You kept talking and couldn't and wouldn't stop the conversation yet. So I knew enough.” The extra discount I had to give Mr., in my experience, more than made the money. I have internalized the lesson of silence and applied it in negotiations with my clients.
I have mastered the lesson of silence and applied it at appropriate times in contact with my clients.
Are you also curious about how to turn the power of silence into gold in your own sales pitch?
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