Self Help

You don’t have to dominate a conversation to be successful. Silence can sometimes be a weapon. There may be times when you’ll want to let the person on the other side just keep talking. Let him talk. He may reveal some information you may not have gotten if you had interrupted. As the saying goes, “The less said, the more heard.”

Use silence as a strategy to plan your next move, not just as a timeout between your conversations. It is simply impossible to act sincerely interested in what somebody is saying or offering if you monopolize the conversation. Let your own silence speak for you occasionally.

There are other key reasons for intermittent silence. One, it may keep you from spouting off and saying the wrong thing. Sometimes the most important things are what you don’t say. Two, by being silent, you might create the impression that you are agreeing with your opponent. That can create a little leverage for you as well as put the other side at ease. And it can afford you the opportunity to find out what he really wants.

Three, by being silent, you’re not committing yourself to any position, and you show yourself to be deliberate, not rash. Four, silence gives the other side their day in court without being interrupted, something they are sure to appreciate.