Pete Caputa made an interesting observation today about silence.

People tend to react predictably in similar situations. If you hold a door for someone, they’ll probably walk through it. If you smile at someone, they’ll probably smile back. If you create a silence for someone, they’ll probably fill it.

On a sales call, it’s not unusual to see new salespeople ask a question, then answer it themselves when the silence starts. What if the prospect is actually thinking about the question? What if the salesperson gives the wrong answer? Let the prospect answer. Remember that the person who’s talking isn’t learning a damn thing!

Here’s Pete’s original post. http://worcester.typepad.com/pc4media/2006/11/breaking_the_si.html