The less you’re talking, the more you’re probably winning
Not talking might be the most powerful negotiating move you’ve got. Just not talking. No pitch, no follow-up, no filler.
Maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much. Silence makes most people squirm. And when they’re uncomfortable, they talk. And when they talk, they say more than they should.
I first heard the advice “just shut up” early in my career. I was helping an acre-lot developer try to acquire a tract. We took the seller to dinner. Every time the conversation slowed down, I jumped in to keep things moving—just like you’ve probably seen plenty of agents do.
Afterward, the buyer pulled me aside and shared something he’d read in a book on unconventional negotiation:
Stop talking. Let the silence work.
Being a natural introvert, I didn’t need much convincing. I tried it out, and the results were immediate.
Fast forward a few years. That developer had become a publicly traded homebuilder. Same guy in charge of acquisitions. I was helping them with a deal in Seagoville that had gone cold. I set up a call with the seller. After introductions, I didn’t say a word. My client barely said anything either. But five minutes later, the deal was done. Big one, too.
When the seller dropped off the call, my client laughed and pointed out that I hadn’t said a single word.
I reminded him: “I’m just doing what you taught me.”
He nodded. “You did it right.”
Now, I’ll admit my way isn’t always flashy. Sometimes it doesn’t look like I’m doing anything. But if the deal gets done, isn’t that what actually matters?
Especially if you don’t have to sit through a bunch of pointless yammering to get there?
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