The Magic of Silence
By practicing tactical patience, you will be able to connect to your prospect and fulfill their insatiable human need to feel important. These two discovery calls show the impact of letting your prospect do the talking.
What Is Tactical Patience?
I read an article the other day by Bill Murphy, Jr. In it, he outlines several habits you can create in order to elevate your Emotional Intelligence (EQ). While all the habits are great, one, in particular, stood out to me—tactical patience.
The definition of tactical patience is the intentional delaying of a response. This can occur in an asynchronous (think “one-way” communication such as email, social, etc.) or synchronous (think “bi-directional” exchanges such as telephone or in-person) way.
The two following discovery call examples showcase the power of delaying a response in order to engage your prospect.
Don’t Answer Your Own Questions
I was listening to a recording with a sales manager of one of his salespeople conducting a discovery call.
The salesperson spoke 80% of the time and it was apparent that the prospect couldn’t get a word in. In fact, after the salesperson would ask a question, he’d immediately follow with another question. The prospect couldn’t even answer the first question!
At one point, the salesperson asked a phenomenal open-ended question which was obviously causing the prospect to “think” about his reply. For a moment, silence kicked in.
Before the prospect could thoughtfully respond, the salesperson filled the silence by essentially answering his own question. I asked the sales manager if there was an opportunity with this prospect. He said no. I could have guessed that.
Let Them Do The Talking
Different client. Same coaching scenario. As we listened to the recording, the salesperson spoke maybe 30% of the time. He asked a brilliant question to open up the conversation and the prospect spoke for the next 15 minutes.
The key was that the salesperson intentionally waited for a response. He didn’t let the silence bother him.
And magic occurred—the prospect started speaking because the salesperson gave them the chance to speak. I asked the sales manager the same question as I did in the “bad version”—is this an opportunity? His reply—absolutely “yes”!
The difference between these scenarios is really simple. The salesperson intentionally delayed responding when the inevitable silence occurred during the conversation.
By delaying his response, he didn’t:
- Over-explain or start pitching.
- Talk over the prospect.
- Introduce another question without the first questions being answered.
He also locked into the five most important questions in every interaction with another human:
- Do I like you?
- Do you listen to me?
- Do you make me feel important?
- Do you get me and my problems?
- Do I trust and believe you?
Sometimes Silence Speaks Volumes
By practicing tactical patience, the second salesperson was able to connect to the prospect and activate the prospect’s insatiable human need to feel important.
The first salesperson? Well, he triggered his own need to feel important by talking too much.
This resulted in him losing the opportunity. Sometimes you send the strongest message by being quiet during the conversation. Message Matters.
The Improvised Sales Intelligence™️ Book of Play gives you the tools, tactics, and techniques to become a more effective and agile communicator in spontaneous sales conversations. GET THE FREE DOWNLOAD HERE.
![6 High-Probability Moments to Send LinkedIn Connection Requests Prior to an Event Events create natural relevance. Conferences, trade shows, user groups, and local meetups give you a reason to connect that does not feel forced. The mistake sellers make is waiting until the event starts or turning the request into a pitch. A better move is connecting days or weeks ahead with a simple acknowledgment of the shared event. Example: Hi Sarah, saw you’re attending the Midwest Manufacturing Summit next month. I’ll also be there and am super excited! I’d love to catch up in person at the event. In the meantime, let’s connect here on LinkedIn. You are aligning with something already on their calendar. When you see them at the event or reach out afterward, your name is no longer unfamiliar. Following an Event After an event, connection requests work best when they reference a real interaction, even a small one. A short conversation, a question during a session, or a brief introduction creates enough context. The request should reflect that moment, not attempt to convert it into a follow-up. Example: Tim, I enjoyed meeting you at the conference last week. Your take on [subject/trend/idea] was intriguing. I look forward to staying connected and to our next conversation. This reinforces continuity and professionalism without pushing the relationship forward prematurely. After a Sales Call Sending a connection request after a sales call is one of the most underused opportunities in prospecting. If the call was answered and productive, the request reinforces credibility and continuity. Example: Thanks again for the conversation today. I appreciated your perspective on how your team is thinking about next quarter. I look forward to our next meeting and sharing some ideas I have with you and your team. If the prospect did not answer, a connection request can still make sense as a light reinforcement, especially early in the relationship. It keeps your name present without escalating pressure. Either way, the request works because the call establishes legitimacy first. After a Meaningful Interaction Not all interactions happen in formal selling environments. Thoughtful exchanges in comment threads, group discussions, or brief conversations in passing all create natural moments to connect. That might mean running into each other at a non-work event, crossing paths at an airport, or chatting briefly in a line somewhere unexpected. Example: Haley, it was a pleasure meeting you on our flight to Atlanta. Thank you for your restaurant recommendations! I look forward to staying connected, What makes this work is that the interaction was real. The request simply continues it. Mutual Connections Shared connections reduce perceived risk when handled with restraint. They signal that you operate in similar professional circles, not that you have permission to pitch. The mistake is overexplaining or implying endorsement. Example: Hi Mark, I noticed that you are connected to my good friend, James, and since you are also [interested in, working in, located in] I thought it might make sense for us to be connected also. A simple acknowledgment is enough. Familiarity does the work. Profile Views Profile views signal awareness, not intent. When someone views your profile after a call, email, or content interaction, a connection request can make sense as a low-pressure acknowledgment. Example: Wendy, thank you for visiting my profile. I had a chance to look at yours, and based on your interests, I thought it might make sense for us to connect. The discipline is resisting the urge to read more into it than is there. Want the exact framework for integrating LinkedIn into a disciplined outreach sequence without pitching, spamming, or wasting time? Buy The LinkedIn Edge by Jeb Blount and Brynne Tillman today. Sales Gravy is the number one sales training organization](https://salesgravy.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/6-Moments-LinkedIn-Connection-Requests-Actually-Work-in-Prospecting-Sales-Gravy-Blog-Featured-Image-768x401.jpg)
