Have you ever asked a salesperson a coaching question, waited a couple of seconds, and then answered it yourself?
- Sometimes it’s because the answer seems obvious
- Sometimes we’re running out of time
- Sometimes the silence gets uncomfortable enough that we feel compelled to fill it.
Whatever the reason, there’s a good chance we’ve interrupted someone who was actually thinking about the question we asked.
One of the ideas in my Communication Trilogy is that salespeople need to give prospects time to think after asking a question. It’s particularly important when the question requires more than a quick yes or no, and I’ve found that the same principle applies to leadership.
Silence Is Productive
Imagine you’re reviewing an opportunity that’s been sitting in the same pipeline stage for weeks. You’ve talked about it before, and you’re trying to help your salesperson figure out what needs to happen next.
You ask, “What do you think needs to happen to move this forward?”
Your salesperson looks away, and there’s a pause. You can almost see the wheels turning, but before they’ve had a chance to answer, you jump in with, “Well, have you tried reaching out to the decision-maker?”
Perhaps that was a good suggestion. It may even turn out to be exactly what needs to happen, but you’ve changed the conversation. Instead of learning how your salesperson is thinking about the opportunity, you’re now discussing your idea.
And you still don’t know what they would have come up with on their own.
Give Them Room to Work Through It
One of the things I believe makes coaching so valuable is the opportunity to understand how your salespeople think. You get to hear how they evaluate situations, what information they consider important, and where they get stuck when trying to figure out what to do next.
Of course, that requires giving them an opportunity to work through the question.
When we consistently provide the answers, our salespeople may become very good at following our direction without becoming any better at making decisions independently. Then we wonder why they keep coming back to us with the same problems.
I’m certainly not suggesting that you sit in silence indefinitely or refuse to help someone who genuinely doesn’t know what to do. There are times when a salesperson needs direction, an explanation, or an example.
The challenge is recognizing when they need your help and when they simply need a little more time to think.
One of the techniques I recommend to salespeople is waiting a few seconds longer than feels comfortable after asking a question. It’s surprisingly useful for leaders, too, especially when you’re coaching someone who is accustomed to you supplying the answer.
I attended a train-the-trainer session where we were instructed to wait fifteen seconds after asking a question before saying anything else.
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – 11 – 12 – 13 – 14 – 15
If even reading that made you uncomfortable, you may have an issue with silence you didn’t recognize until now.
What Happens When You Wait?
Sometimes your salesperson will give you a thoughtful answer. Other times, they’ll admit they don’t know, which gives you an opportunity to explore what’s missing. And occasionally, they’ll start answering, stop themselves, and reconsider what they were about to say.
I particularly like that last one because you’re getting to hear someone work through their own thinking.
All of those responses give you information you can use to coach, and you might never hear them if you’re too quick to fill the silence.
This week’s Leadership LYNNSIGHT: During your next coaching conversation, ask a question that requires your salesperson to think and pay attention to how quickly you feel the urge to speak again.
Give them 15 seconds to think; count it out in your head.
You might be surprised by what happens when you leave room for their thinking.