SHUT UP

In the world of professional selling, sometimes you just have to know when to shut up.

One great time to keep mum is immediately upon sharing with your prospect the price of what you are selling. I can’t count how many salespeople have cornered themselves into a discounting scenario by saying something like, “the regular price is...” or “normally, this sells for...”, both of which imply all the customer has to do is ask for a discount and they will get it.

Another critical time to be quiet is when you ask qualifying questions. Permit your prospect enough time to thoroughly talk about their situation, the solution they need, and why they think you might have the answer.

Finally, when you are networking, you may want to consider letting others talk more while you concentrate on listening. You never know when someone might give you all the inside information you need to make the sale of a lifetime.