The Power of the Pause

When you pause before you speak, it compels your prospect to listen, open up, respond, and engage. Pausing is one of the best kept secrets to influencing buyer behavior.

7 Places In The Sales Process Where You Should Pause

Used wisely and strategically, the pause — and the moment of silence it creates — helps you influence buyer behavior. In sales, what you don’t say can often be more impactful than what you do say.

There are seven key places in the sales process in which you should pause before you speak, allowing silence to do the work for you.

After You Say Their Name

Once your prospect hears their name, they tend to listen closely to the next 15-20 words. It’s a habit that has been honed into us from birth. By pausing before you speak, after using the person’s name, you grab their attention and influence them to engage.

After You Ask A Question

After you ask a question, give your prospect space to respond. Discipline yourself to be quiet. They will fill in the space that your pause creates, and give you the information you need to close the sale.

After A Trial Close

With trial closes and confirmation questions such as, “Does that make sense?’ or “Are you following?” pause before you speak to allow the question to sink in and allow your prospect to respond. Let the silence do its magic. Listen closely to the tone of the client’s response. If it is hesitant and unsure, stop and go back by saying, “Jeannie, I hear some hesitancy there.”

After An Objection

When you get an objection remain silent for a few seconds. First, it gives you time to process the objection and develop an appropriate response strategy. Secondly, it suggests that you are giving the objection fair analysis. This positions you as a thoughtful and respectful sales professional.

After Handling The Objection

Similarly, use the pause after you answer the objection. If you respond to a price or product objection, conclude by asking, “Does that answer your question?” Pause. Wait for the response. Listen to the tone. Evaluate it. Respond accordingly.

After You Make A Key Point

It is wise to use the pause after you mention a key feature or aspect of your product or service.  This allows that feature, fact, or offer to sink in. This creates a sense of significance.  It’s kind of like verbal underlining. The pause will often compel your prospect to comment, ask a question, or reveal buying signals.

After You Ask For The Sale

Pausing and leaving silence after asking for the sale is powerful. It is the most important place in the entire sales process to pause before you speak. The silence gives your prospect time to think and respond. It helps you avoid talking past the close and introducing objections. After you ask for the sale, shut up.

Take your prospecting campaigns to the next level, get into more doors, build deeper relationships, and close more deals with the techniques in our FREE guide, The Seven Steps To Building Effective Prospecting Sequences.