Today we are going to discuss 3 reasons you need to master the skill of pausing. Who’d have thought that not saying anything would be a difficult skill to master. But it is. Pausing is a lot more important than you might think and the mastering the skill of pausing is more difficult than you might expect but there are 3 very important reasons why you need to master it.
- Improves Credibility
- Increases Engagement
- Increases meeting to Opportunity conversion
Before we jump in I want to point out that being able pause, to regulate your disruptive or involuntary emotions is a big part of Emotional Intelligence. If you are not aware of why this matters for SDRs and Sales then you might want to check out: What Is Emotional Intelligence & Why Does It Matter for SDRs? Disrupting your natural desire to speed up when nervous for example is just one small element of Self Regulation. This is a great article which can help you to understand more about this area: Promoting Workplace Wellness Through Emotional Regulation At Work.
Improves Credibility
How can pausing improve credibility? To demonstrate this, lets firstly think about a rep who has not yet mastered the skill of pausing. Most of us, talk a little faster when we feel nervous. We also increase our pitch. This leads to us talking really fast in a high pitched voice. This automatically gives off the impression that we are not in control. We are frantic and rushing. People in general, including prospects, find it hard to trust those who are frantic and out of control.
On the flip side, we tend to more easily trust people who are ‘cool, calm and collected’. Remaining calm in a high pressure situation gives off an air of confidence. You must know what you are talking about if the pressure is on but you are not showing any signs of panic. Maybe. Or maybe you have learned to control that innder dialogue, starting with developing your ability to pause.
Increases Engagement
In life and in business, human beings like to be around people who are confident and in control. We feel safe around people like this. Within a business context, our prospects feel safer if they perceive that we know what we are talking about. Afterall, we are asking them to spend someone else’s money so they want to have the confidence that we can deliver what we promise. All of this is subconscious of course.
But if our prospect subconsciously thinks that we are confident and credible, they will automatically be less reserved and stand offish. They will be more engaged with the conversation. And what tends to happen if we have an engaged prospect? We are able to find out a lot more valuable information
Improves Meeting To Opportunity Conversion
I know as SDRs and BDRs we strive to deliver value, understand business pain and deliver a superior customer experience. However let’s be honest, we also need to hit our targets. And usually, that is easier to achieve if we can have more successful meetings that turn into opportunities.
Because being able to pause makes us more credible and trustworthy, our prospect opens up to us more. With a more engaged prospect we understand their issues better and we are better able to position our solution in a way that is appealing to them. They feel good coming off the call too therefore they are more comfortable to pitch your solution internally. Pausing improves meeting to opportunity conversion. Simple but true.
Bonus - Makes Our Lives Easier
I hate to say it but very often, we are our own worst enemies. We forget that our actions, send signals to our brain and that is what causes us to feel how we do. If we feel nervous, we speed up and start to panic. We are essentially confirming to our brain that there is a threat and we should be panicked. Therefore, our brain reinforces that and so a vicious cycle begins. If we can master the skill of pausing, we are slowing things down.
We are not only portraying to our prospect that we are in control, we are also regaining control. This essentially means we are telling our brain that everything is ok. Our heart rate slows, our panic eases and we are able to think clearly again and get on with our conversation. Apart from improving our chance of success within the meeting it also makes such conversations a little less daunting which is always nice.
Where Do I Start?
Like most skills, pausing is easy to say and difficult to do. It is not simply a case of pausing as many times as you can. Instead we must learn when and where to pause. And for how long. We also need to resist the urge to immediately speak when the other person stops talking. It can be scary to leave ‘dead’ air between you and a prospect.
It almost feels as though as soon as it is quiet, they will have their opportunity to make their excuses and hang up the phone. Trust the process. Begin by simply, allowing an extra second of silence after they stop speaking, before you start. Something incredible often happens – they continue to share valuable information, unprompted.
From there you can play around with what works for you. When I started implementing this on my calls, I was so distracted by the thought of trying out pauses throughout the conversation, I forgot to be nervous about the call itself. Yet another unexpected benefit. With time and practice, everyone will develop their own style. But I am 100% sure the effects of this technique will be positive for everyone in some way. Share your experience and top tips in the comments.
Until Next Time!