The other day I was flipping through TV channels (yes we women sometimes surf too!) and stopped on an episode of M*A*S*H, one of my favorite old shows.

 

An injured soldier was quite the obnoxious patient, as he was totally and completely passionate about the mutual funds he sold and tried to sell to everyone he encountered.

 

He never stopped talking and the staff grew weary of his perky promotions and never-ending chatter about his mutual funds.

 

Charles and BJ, the doctors who cared for him, cleverly created a condition in his throat that would only be cured if he was completely silent. The brilliance in this is that the prescribed period of silence lasted about the same amount of time he had left in the hospital.

 

Upon discharge, Charles and BJ informed him that his throat was back to normal and he could speak again. Immediately after jumping in the jeep to return to his unit, he began chatting up his mutual funds to the driver.

 

While this is a humorous and exaggerated situation for comedic effect, there is something to be learned.

 

Today, the best salespeople are great listeners. You should let your prospect talk 80% of the time and you should talk 20%. Quieter and more introspective people can do well in sales because they are so great at asking questions. More extroverted and outgoing sales people need to learn to listen and ask more questions.

 

Remember to build the relationship first by asking smart questions about your prospects business and his or her needs after you've done your research.

 

People love to talk about themselves and their business - so let them. Listening in silence is one of the most powerful strategies you have as a salesperson.

 

BJ and Charles had it right - silence is golden.