A sales rep once asked me:

“Is there any reason to wait on this, since you said you needed it and it would give you a quick payback?”

He was right.

I thought about it for about a second and a half. I was ready to say, “No, let’s do it.”

And then…

He jumped in.

“Orrrrr, I can hold the pricing for you until next quarter.”

I paused.

“Yeah, go ahead and do that,” I said.

There was no logical reason for me to wait.

None.

Except he gave me one.

He filled the silence before I had a chance to answer… and in doing so, he talked me out of buying.

The sale was lost.

Because by the next quarter? That “priority” had moved down the list.

That’s the power of silence.

Or more accurately…that’s the cost of not using it.

Most salespeople think their job is to keep the conversation moving.

It’s not.

Your job is to create space for the other person to think… decide… and speak.

And the moment you rush in to fill that space, you:

What happened in that story wasn’t a closing problem. It wasn’t pricing. It wasn’t timing.

It was authority. Or more accurately, the lack of it in that moment.

Most salespeople are uncomfortable with silence. So when there’s even a split second of space, they jump in. They explain. They soften. They “help.” They keep talking.

And in doing that, they interrupt the most important moment on the call: when the other person is deciding.

Here’s what high-level pros do differently.

That’s when the real concern comes out. Their why. The real motivation surfaces. The real decision starts forming.

The first answer is often automatic. The second one is intentional.

Most reps never hear it because they’re already talking.

Silence isn’t empty. It says something.

When you allow it, you’re communicating: “I’m comfortable here. I don’t need to rush. I’m in control of this conversation.”

That’s authority.

When you rush to fill it, you signal the opposite. And your prospect feels that instantly, even if they can’t explain why.

Try this on your next call. Ask your question. Pause. Let them answer. Pause again.

Don’t rescue the silence. Watch how the conversation changes.

Listen to your call recordings and be brutally honest with yourself about what you hear.

The great news is that you can fix or change whatever you don’t like (and might not notice in real time.)

If you’ve ever cringed at a recording of yourself... noticed your prospect’s energy shift... or felt like you just weren’t landing the way you should be... my just-released masterclass, Project Authority, Trust, and Confidence With Your Tone and Voice was built for that.

Most people don’t realize how much their tone, pacing, and delivery are quietly working against them.

This fixes that. Fast.

The introductory price disappears tomorrow, 4/15. After that, you can still get it… at the regular everyday price (still a great value.)

Don’t give yourself the easy out. If you’ve ever thought you’d like to sound better over the phone, this will help you accomplish that.

Check out Project Authority here, and get instant access.

Today’s Big Lesson really is that simple.

I just wish I didn’t have to learn it the hard way early in my career:

Shut up.
Get out of the way.

I asked a prospective training client, “Where do you feel your people need improvement?”

He started talking.

And these are his exact words, one after another:

I could barely write fast enough.

Then I did something most salespeople don’t do.

I shut up… and went deeper.

I asked follow-up questions on each point. Let him expand. Let him define the problem in his own words.

So when it came time for my recommendation?

I didn’t “sell” anything.

I simply handed his words back to him… with a solution attached.

A buyer of The First 20 Seconds Formula shared this:

“Art, I bought your course because I have an internet start-up business that’s going to require a lot of cold—I mean Smart—calling, and I wanted to know how to do it. I’ve done cold calling before, and it was always very painful. As a result, I find any phone calls, even to existing or former clients, difficult.

This afternoon I had to make a call to a former client. I prepared a script and called. The call went somewhat differently from the script because he started to explain something to me that I already knew. I was going to cut him off and explain I knew the situation, but then I thought, ‘Wait, he’s talking. Shut up and listen.’

The result was that we had a long conversation on his needs, and he’s willing to buy as much of our services as our contract will allow. Totally different from what I expected from the call. It helped to shut up and listen.”

Q. Art, I was wondering if you might have any tips for slowing down my phone presence.

I’ve become so comfortable on the phone that I feel like I may be overwhelming my customers with speed. I’ve even had people ask me to repeat my greeting because it breezed right past them.

If that’s happening at the start, I’m guessing the rest of my presentation might be going too fast as well. And I’ve noticed the speed also causes me to miss things instead of really listening.

A. First, record yourself. There’s no substitute for hearing it the way your prospect does.

Then, make a conscious effort to slow down. It will feel awkward at first. Most people think they sound unnatural when they slow down.

They don’t. In fact, they sound more confident, more in control, and easier to follow.

Here’s something else to do: Force yourself to pause when you speak.

Not just where the commas and periods are…but where they should be.

Add space after key points.
Pause after questions.
Pause after they answer.

That space does two things.

It gives your prospect time to process…and it signals that you’re not in a rush.

That’s what authority sounds like.

Joe shares how he went from "just talking to people" to mastering a proven sales process, and why he now views selling as a craft, not a transaction.

Listen and/watch here.

We were in Vegas last weekend, and realized the Eagles were doing their final show of their stay at The Sphere. Just phenomenal! The only thing that outdid the amazingness of the Sphere production and experience is how the Eagles, at the age most of them are, are still performing at such a high level.  Granted, Joe Walsh’ voice show some miles, but man, that guy can still pick it! Makes me think I'll probably keep doing this at a high level for another 20 years!

Rant: What is it with the scumbag "marketers" who mass-enroll people to their webinars on Zoom and GoToWebinar? And how do these platforms allow that? Does this lowest form of unethical spamming actually work for them? Am I the only one getting a few of these per day?

Speaking of Vegas, the bottles of water that are in your room at the MGM Grand will run you $18 (!!) when you get your bill at checkout. No indication of price on the bottles or nearby.  Also, a single, albeit large, can of beer at the TMobile arena for the NCAA Frozen Four hockey final--congrats Denver!-- was $22 and change with the tip they guilt you into on the screen.  Everything I’m reading about Vegas talks about how tourism is down there… hmmm, perhaps they should talk to their customers, right?

Go make it your best week ever!