The Message You Don't Realize You're Sending Your Customers

Let me share a scenario I’m sure you can relate to.

You’ve prepared for a meeting as thoroughly as possible. You prepared a detailed proposal, rehearsed what you’re going to say, and walked through the agenda. When you arrived, you told the customer exactly what they can expect from the meeting, and they were impressed with your preparation. Your conversation is going smoothly. You have an easy rapport.

You hand over a carefully curated proposal. It’s full of sample products, images, renderings, and other information tailored to precisely what they need. They take the proposal and smile. And then…

Silence.

The customer starts flipping through the pages. After some of them, they make a small noise. You start studying their face closely, noticing when their eyebrows wrinkle, when they smile, and when they frown.

You want to know what they’re thinking. You want to ask - or better yet, explain your ideas in more detail.

Resist the urge to jump in.

Silence during a business meeting, especially one with a new customer, can be uncomfortable. It’s hard to watch somebody pour over something you’ve worked tirelessly on, struggle to read their mind, and not jump in. It’s only natural to want to break a (for you, at least) uncomfortable silence, volunteer more information (even if it wasn’t asked for), and prod for questions before the client has even had a chance to digest the information.

Patience is critical.

Try to put yourself in your customer’s shoes. You’ve just been presented with a business solution. Maybe the salesperson talked you through the ideas as you flipped through the proposal. Maybe they didn’t. Either way, you’ve been handed a lot of information, and you need a few minutes to take it in.

If somebody continually distracts you, the work stops having an opportunity to speak for itself. You say you don’t have any questions before you’ve processed the proposal long enough to determine if you have any.

The client learns just as much from your behavior as they do from your proposal.

A salesperson who waits patiently and silently, focused on their customer, but not demanding their attention sends a message. They’re sharing what it’s like to work with them: they’re calm under pressure, confident in their work, and don’t needlessly badger their clients.

On the other hand, a salesperson who is jittery and eager to jump in sends the opposite message. Are they impatient? Nervous? Are they in a rush from scheduling meetings too close together? Do they lack confidence in their abilities? Or are they trying to get me out the door because something (or someone) else is a bigger priority?

The right kind of preparation sets you up for success, but staying present and patient for your customer allows them to envision what it will really be like to work with you. So next time you’re sitting in a meeting trying to discern exactly what “hmm” and a small nod means, take a deep breath, smile, and wait.