There are many ways that a professional salesperson can use silence to their advantage during a sales campaign. As an example, we've all heard about the value of using silence after asking a closing question, popularized by the saying, "The first one who talks loses."

Another great way to apply silence as a tactic in the sales process is to use it as a questioning technique. During a research meeting, we are trying to gain insights about the customer or prospect's business, and we want to question as effectively as possible. By doing this, we can maximize the meeting, learning as much as possible and taking the relationship with the contact to the next level. Using silence as a research meeting tactic can help make this a reality.

How? All too often, sales people ask questions in a rapid-fire sequence, barely pausing after hearing the answer to one question and asking the next one. This can give the contact the feeling that the meeting is more like an interrogation than an interview. Simply slowing down the pace and using silence between one question and the next can have multiple benefits. First, it will help you truly absorb and understand the answer. Second, it will give the interviewee the impression that you are a thoughtful interviewer, showing them that you consider their answer to the last question before you ask the next one. Getting the contact to feel that way can take your relationship with them, and the research meeting, to a whole new level.