How a Fear of Silence is Hurting Your Sales

Silence for a lot of people is scary or uncomfortable at best.

Most of us have grown up in a culture where background noise is designed specifically to drown out the silence.

What if I told you that this aversion to silence is actually hurting your ability to close more sales?

Fear of Silence

One Study of 580 students from 2007-2012 concluded that our fear of silence is a learned behavior from childhood.

This makes sense when you think about it. Our childhood memories are filled with lots of noise: from video games to tv shows and even bedtime stories (our curious inability to sleep without being read to).

On the extreme end of the spectrum, some people have developed a phobia known as Sedatephobia: a fear of silence.

How does this Manifest itself in your Sales Presentation

Overtalking: We have all encountered that salesperson who just won’t shut up.

The overtaking salesperson has lost more sales due to a conscious and subconscious fear of silence.

How can you self-diagnose if you are an overtalking salesperson? 

Here is a short list of questions to ask yourself:

1.     Do I feel the need to over-explain?

2.     Do I break out in a cold sweat after only 3 seconds of silence?

3.     Have you ever walked away and wondered why your client said barely two words?

The Best Cure

Understanding the power of brevity and cultivating the art of saying more with less.

One of the greatest examples of brevity is Abraham Lincolns Gettysburg Address.

Abraham Lincoln managed to inspire a nation that was ravaged by civil war. His famous speech was only 272 words. To put that in perspective this short blog is 331 words.

Best Practices for Overcoming your Fear of Silence

1.     Study brevity and implement it into your sales presentations (research Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address).

2.     Get comfortable with silence (role-play giving short and concise answers).

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