Source

  • The subtle power of uncomfortable silences

  • How to Handle Silence, the Worst Kind of Feedback

  • Comforatble silence margin: 3-4 seconds. Also, use open-ended question instead of letting people make a choice. Note that we often feel the slience longer than it actually is.
  • Uncomfortable silence actually helps the buyer guide the conversation
  • If you are losing the room, be slient for 3-5 secs, and let people zoom out. Once they are back, touch base again.
  • Pause 3-5 before and after the important points to improve the impact of critical points - try not to ramble! Similarly, before starting the presentation, stay silent for 3-5 seconds and look around the audience
  • During listening, if you can’t resist on thinking what you want to say instead of actual listening, focus on staying slient.
  • If the slience approaching 1 min, offer to come back to the point later and move on.