Silence Can Be Golden and Good for Small Business


I heard a recent development in small business. Or rather, it was something I didn’t hear. It was Nothing. I was talking with a small business owner today and he was confident and, well, quiet. I’ve made a number of large purchases over the past few weeks and I’ve noticed that the owners and (even!) the sales guys were down-right subdued. And they let Me do all the talking — which is all I care about anyway. This is new.

And a contrast to the traditional fast-talking tycoon or used car sales rep.

Your Business Blogger once sat near Alan Greenspan with Andrea Mitchell in the President’s Box in the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. He didn’t say three words all evening.

Simply silence; not a quite a snub. And I know snubs. No, this was Alpha Male silence.

Some called Greenspan circumspect. All I heard was silence.

George Will reported on his marriage proposal to Andrea. She said that Greenspan had to repeat his marriage proposal three times before she understood what he was getting at.

Subtlety. Silence. That sells.

I was once coached by a headhunter. To keep my mouth shut. To use silence. The recruiter instructed me to use silence as a tool.

Silence…

[1,001; 1,002; 1,003; 1,004]

…commands attention.

A confident quiet, ….of four seconds…

commands.

Deveil wears PradaEconomy of words. Economy of movement. The subtle seen in the movie The Devil Wears Prada by Miranda Priestly. Meryl Streep was acting out Anne Wintour the former editrix of Vogue Magazine.

Charmaine and I previewed the movie for our three girls. Meryl/Anne was perfect.
Commanding leadership that was understated. And sociopathic.

Meryl Streep expressing disapproval would (barely) move her lips. An eyebrow raised a millimeter or so.

There seems to be an inverse ratio: Small movements/Big command.

So. If you want to command and communicate and persuade. Be quiet. Be still.

Nuance and Silence can Sell for your small business.

###

PS I didn’t get the job, although it was not the headhunter’s fault. Your Business Blogger is such a slow learner…

Full Disclosure: Charmaine once made the pages of Vogue. Described Fully Dressed.

64 Comments ▼

Jack Yoest John Wesley (Jack) Yoest Jr., is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Management at The Catholic University of America. His expertise is in management training and development, operations, sales, and marketing. Professor Yoest is the president of Management Training of DC, LLC. A former Captain in the U.S. Army and with various stints as a corporate executive, he also served as Assistant Secretary for Health and Human Resources in the Administration of Governor James Gilmore of Virginia.

64 Reactions
  1. Silence, especially during an interview, can be scary. However, as we know, silence can be golden. Well placed pauses and moments of reflection in silence can show the power of comfort in an unfamiliar setting. This is invaluable because employers want to see someone who is adaptable in any situation, because the workplace can incite unpredictable twists and turns. I once had a boss who would ask me how I was doing with my work and sit there in silence. My initial reaction was to talk until I was done and then continue to talk to fill the void. But, I learned quickly that he wanted a report of how I was doing and then for me to match his silence. This showed him that I was comfortable with the silence and comfortable and confident in the work that I was doing. Silence is golden because it allows a mutual respect and consideration for the people you are with. Don’t be like intern David who babbles until he is stopped- be confident in your statement and your work… own the silence.

  2. I enjoyed reading this short, yet concise article on the importance of silence and confidence. Professor Yoest uses silence in class to grab attention. Silence in business is underrated, yet powerful. In the situations mentioned in this article, I believe the businessmen used silence to capture confidence and character. I agree that the silent technique are useful, but I think one must be mindful when to use it to prove effective. For instance, if a salesperson at a new retail store were completely silent, allowing the brand and storefront to speak for itself, I would not feel comfortable shopping. Thus, it’s important to tailor this technique to one’s purpose and audience.

  3. Like being taught in class, silence is what gets attention. For example, imagine you are about to present information and your audience is not giving you the attention. If you remain silent and patient for a few seconds, you will naturally attract the audience’s attention. No one in the business world wants to talk to a yappy sales rep that speaks your ear off about a particular product. Let the customer be in control. However, if you are too silent that can turn a customer off. Therefore, you must learn how to sell a customer with the amount of silence you display.

  4. Silence can definitely be a good thing in small businesses. However, this is not a common trend among business people because one can often find him or herself in a situation in which the other is extremely talkative. The reason why silence can be a positive trait to have is that it commands attention. Since it is typically normal for people to talk a lot, a person can immediately distinguish someone who is particularly silent or quiet. When such is the case, it is somewhat natural to pay close attention to that person. In situations where a person is trying to get the attention of others, people often find that it is easiest to do so by being still and silent.

  5. This article shows the evolution of the attitudes of small businesses. In the past, sales men and bosses were known to be fast talking and upfront. However, this article explains how small business owners today are of few words; they are subtle and silent, which sells. The article compares this attitude to Meryl Streep in the movie The Devil Wears Prada, who would express disapproval from barely moving her lips. The hint would be noted and change was immediate. Nowadays, silence sells and persuades.

  6. I really resonated and appreciated this article, as I have a new found interest in the industry of sales recently. It is important for the salesperson to control a conversation between he or she and the buyer, in order for the salesperson to attain all the relevant information necessary in making a sale. Regardless of what the purchase is, it is typical of a buyer to research any product before they make the investment. Because of the accessibility of information that is available today, however, I feel that buyers can become overwhelmed by the overload of info. In order for a salesperson to give their customer exactly what they want, they need to be able to identify what that is. Sales is about making a pitch and selling your product, and I believe that can be done in only so many words, and your experiences correlate with those understandings. Especially in regard to a small business, they are intimate and in order for them to succeed they need to have a loyal clientele network that is built on a foundation of trust. That relationship is only possible if a small business owner takes the time to get to know his or her customers, which can only be done by listening to them.

  7. I found this article to be very beneficial and interesting. I never truly understood the importance of a few seconds of silence. It allows you to think, the person you are interviewing for to think, and it displays confidence on your part to your potential employer. I liked how you used the example of Miranda Priestly from the Devil Wares Prada, ironically I just watched this movie this past weekend. When you mentioned the disapproving look, with the slight rise of the eyebrow or the ever so slight movement of the lips, I know exactly what you are talking about. Miranda Priestly’s silence asserted her authority, and people knew that her silence either meant something was good or it was bad. Having that type of affect on people can be very beneficial for the work place. Silence shows confidence, if it is used correctly, and it allows you and the interviewer to gather your thoughts and reflect on what was just said.

  8. We live in a world where we are constantly told bigger and bolder is better. However, I agree that silence can be the key to success. During any speech a long pause captures your audience’s attention. Especially if the content isn’t too exciting to your audience. A long pause will draw them in. It shows your comfort level in knowing your content. Most presenters speak quickly in order to finish their presentations. However, when you take your time and leave subtle pauses you are showing your audience how much you truly care about the topic. It also gives you time to take in your audience’s reaction to your presentation, regain your train of thought, and properly explain your topic of interest. Who knew all this world needed was a little bit of silence in order to gain success?

  9. This article showed me a completely new way of doing business, but i do think it makes a good point. I have seen someone ramble on(including myself) during a sales pitch or a presentation. While in hind sight it would have been much better to take a couple seconds, gather your thoughts and efficiently get your point across. The other point that you made about silence being something that commands attention. I agree with that because I think that when you ramble on and fumble over your words you will lose interest from the customer or whoever it may be that you are presenting to. While instead taking a few seconds every minute or so it will keep peoples interest and will make it much easier on you. I think that commanding attention is something important for small businesses because sometimes you let your business itself do the talking.

  10. I agree that silence is a great asset to have when it comes to sales. Excessive talking may have been the best strategy in the 1960’s and 1970’s, but not in the 21st century. I feel more inclined not to make a purchase if the sales person talks too much. If your product is truly great you should not have to talk a potential customer’s head off in order to persuade them. Plus, silence is simply cool. People are intrigued by people that have that ‘alpha male silence.’ James Bond and Bruce Wayne never say anything superfluous and they mean what they say, which makes them so cool and intriguing.

  11. I like the fact that this article points out that silence can be used as a powerful tool within business. Whether you are making negotiations or selling a product, you want to cut out useless information. You do not need meaningless words to fill the air of an awkward silence. All it does is show that you are nervous with a pause in a conversation. A silent response from a listener does not necessarily mean that they are not paying attention to what you are saying. The person is most likely processing and thinking about what you have just said. Effective listening allows deals to take place and work environments to move smoothly.

  12. I agree with this article in that silence can be a very powerful thing, but I definitely think it depends on the persons who are involved in the conversation and whether there is background knowledge on the character of each person. For example, if during the beginning of the interview the person getting interviewed is initially quiet, it can be understandable that they are nervous or they are not a huge talker. It would not be weird if this quiet person continued throughout the whole interview as a veery reserved person. However, if a candidate in an interview begins off the interview by saying a lot then all the sudden switches and become mute, the candidate becomes very suspicious. I am not saying there is obviously something they are keeping a secret, there is just more the person doing the interview should look into about this candidate.

  13. In my experience, the little amount that I have, I have noticed that business is a lot of chatter. At one of my internships the weekly meetings seemed to be a competition of who could speak louder than the other person speaking. It was a mess and nothing got done. Everyone in the room was a young got getter who recently graduated from a M.S.M.B.A. program, they all genuinely believed that everyone needed to hear what they were saying. This article points out the major flaw in these meetings, not a single person saw silence as a powerful tool. I recognized this when my supervisor would come to the meetings, he had been with the company the longest, worked the hardest, listened well, and spoke only when silence did not work. Silence is definitely powerful in business.

  14. “Be quiet. Be still.” Not only will this grab the attention of your audience, but it will also allow you to learn so much by just listening. Yes it is important to get your point across and make your motives known in business, but it can just be as effective to be subdued. I think that a lot of people look at silence as a weakness and do not see the huge effect it can have on others. Silence as a matter of fact can make just as much noise and actually be more effective in a business, then being loud.

  15. This was very enjoyable and interesting article. Silence is key in a lot of situations but it can also be detrimental to someone. Silence is sometimes what catches peoples attention. When someone can speak in such a concise way with fewer words I think that it shows more knowledge of a topic. Silence works to small business owners today because less is sometimes better. If you’re trying to sell a product initially, say the the right words to get that potential client in your office and for a second meeting. You don’t want to sell someone on everything you have initially because it gives them no reason to come back for a follow up meeting, and then already the seller has lost a potential client.

  16. I think that this article explains the importance of silence in todays business world. In todays society everything is fast tracked and getting straight to the point is something of great importance. If the salesperson is just rambling on about the product most of the time it ends up being repetitive and in my opinion loses the consumer in the process of trying to sell the product. Also, if the salesperson ends up rambling on about the product or service that they are pitching the consumer can end up being overwhelmed and end up confused and not end up buying the service. Like the article says “silence can sell for your small business”, letting the consumer control the sale and just staying silent can help the seller listen to the consumer and better assist them in their search for the product or service they need.

  17. After have just completed a sales class last semester I can truly related to a lot of this. In that class I learned that sales has a lot to do with your personality. Silence can be a key technique in sales because it shows that you are not trying to be pushy. There is nothing worse then working with a pushy salesmen. On the other hand, you have to be smart about it. It could hurt you if you do not stay in touch with your customer. Checking in on them will help them show you are still interested in making the sale.

  18. In the business world this is a very important phenomenon. During an interview you do not want to say something that is not worth saying during an awkward silence. As a person, I am a big fan of getting to the point and I hate when people say things just to say things. Get to the point and don’t beat around the bush. Silence makes all of this a lot easier. To be good in business you should always know when to talk and know when not to talk. Silence can sometimes be bad, but overall I think that silence is much more good than bad. Silence is very powerful in interviews and in business overall. I think it is important to say something when something may hurt the company, but know when the right time to talk is and when you should really just not say anything at all.

  19. Mary Margaret Sheridan

    I think there is a lot of truth to this. People get so used to the sound of others’ voices that it can be easy to tune out. Silence makes people listen. The absence of noise can be unnerving for some people. If someone can become comfortable with using that silence, they can command the room. When a businessman is actively “selling” and talking quickly to get his points across, he can seem insincere. When someone doesn’t feel the need to fill gaps with meaningless words and chooses their words wisely, it feels more genuine. Silence is a tool that can be used to command attention and respect.

  20. As we learn in class, silence is a powerful tool to use to grasp the attention of your audience, it can be a tool to assert dominance, and it can be a great tool for listening and learning. Regardless, silence can be golden and good for small business. Especially in Marketing, you want to “do less” because sometimes less is more. While I was studying abroad in Spain, in my marketing class we learned about nueromarketing and we found that consumers respond more to advertisements and commercials that used no words than those that did. This is why the brand of Coca-Cola is so globally known and successful. People buy more Coca-Cola not necessarily because of its taste, but because of their experience with the Coke brand. There is something very relatable to silence that everyone can respect and I think it should definitely be used more often.

  21. This article was interesting, silence can be a technique that grabs attention. A moment of silence can also mean that the person is thinking of a way to explain or thinking of the better solution to represent. It is a useful tool, it can also show confidence when someone is silent. However, one must know when to be silent and when not to. Because not in all case silence work in a positive way. Their are situations silence can work negatively. For instant, a salesman must be talkative to sale the product to the customer.

  22. This article was interesting, silence can be a technique that grabs attention. A moment of silence can also mean that the person is thinking of a way to explain or thinking of the best solution to represent. It is a useful tool, it can also show confidence when someone is silent. However, one must know when to be silent and when not to. Because not in all case silence work in a positive way. Their are situations silence can work negatively. For instant, a salesman must be talkative to sale the product to the customer.

  23. I totally agree that silence can be a very good thing for a small businesses, even for a presentation, interviews and business meetings as well. By holding a pause of silence it shows your audience confidence, and also grabs their attention. Having a brief movement of silence is always better than having someone ramble on about something, because rambling on looses the audience interest. Keeping the audience informed and interested in what you have to say is key. I think our business professor does a great job of being silent sometimes when he wants us to answer a question or to pay more attention. Being silent can be a key factor in the business world, as long as you know when to use it.

  24. Just as our business professor tells us in class, silence is a beneficial tactic of getting peoples attention. Instead of trying to overtalk your students or co-workers, instead you give them silence and you will get their attention. Its a classic way of getting your audience to remember you. It gives you a level of confidence other people do not have.

  25. As being a student in the Catholic school’s system for every year of schooling I have received, silence has always been stressed whenever the teacher got so mad to the point where she refused to yell. As a kid I was always confused by this because during lunch time the moms, who so nicely volunteered to watch us, always used silence to get our attention and calm us down. So as a teacher would holler and all of the sudden be quiet would always confuse us. Although I was never taught how golden silence can be in order to be the demanding force in the room, I have now learned, via my business professor, how important silence can be when addressing a group. Silence can make your mark and demonstrate the power and respect you’ll receive in the room with just that simple four second pause.

  26. Silence can be used more than you’d think. First is to receive someone’s attention. Just when you thought you yelled as loud as you could to get someone’s attention and begin to give up is exactly when you catch someone’s attention. They wonder why did the yelling just suddenly stop and why things became abnormally quiet. Silence is also used in conversation. The more silent the person is the more information he/she retains. Rather than talking someone’s ear off and probably not sure of half the things you just said. Lastly, I feel as if silence is most important when you are trying to convey a message to someone. It’s a simple as not saying a word, but maybe giving a certain gesture. The person you are giving the gesture to receives your message in a more serious manner then actually trying to explain what you mean with words.

  27. As we’ve seen in class, silence can be very useful when speaking, as contradicting as is sounds. In different practices of speech, such as presentations, sales, or conversations, using silence can influence the audience. During a presentation, for example, if the speaker doesn’t have the full attention of the audience, he or she could pause for a few seconds. This abrupt change in the momentum (which we happened to cover last class) will surprise the audience, resulting in them refocusing their attention on the speaker. Additionally, if the speaker want to emphasize or convey a particular point, briefly pausing after he or she finishes his or her statement will lead the audience to interpret what was said, and will leave them with a distinct impression. This reaction is enviable in business: as we’ve learned about marketing, making your product valuable is pivotal.

  28. “Silence is worth more than a thousand words”. When reading this article this is the first thing that came into mind. When speaking, sometimes people say too much and not quite the right things, which is why sometimes silence works. For example, you know those times that you go into a store and the salesperson immediately attacks you and starts speaking and showing you all of these things that you don’t even like but they talk so much about it that you are practically obligated to try it on? I hate that, and if that happens to me, I’ll probably won’t go back to the store. That is why silence works. It is better to let the customer look around the store for what they want/need and answer any type of question that they have in a helpful and clever manner, that way you’ll probably make more sales. This doesn’t only apply for the business world, but also in daily life things like talking to people. Don’t talk too much, specially about yourself you don’t want to sound greedy, go with the coversation listening is key to one and if you talk too much you may not even get the point of the other person.

  29. Sometimes complete silence demands attention more than vocalizing such desire. I’ve noticed this not only in classes but also at OCS when I attended this past summer. One of people’s top five fears is silence. This indirect instillment of fear exhibits power. Exercising this type of attention grabbing is something I will practice in the fleet, thanks to the encouragement from this article. Authority is not all about getting loud and being demanding. Often the best form of getting everyone’s attention is using that golden silence. That way the audience will be zeroed in because what is about to come next could be, for lack of better words, totally epic.

  30. Michelle Bouchard

    The concept of silence as a tool of power is foreign to me but very interesting. Although it may seem like somewhat of an oxymoron, it could be the precise thing that sets a salesman or manager apart from his or her counterparts. A little bit of silence in a conversation which you want to be in command of can go a long way. This silence can allow for the listener to contemplate the offer or idea that you are placing on the table. Silence can also exude a sense of confidence that may otherwise allude the conversation. While saying everything you can about an idea or product may seem to show your expertise, silence can do the same thing in a more effective way.

  31. I agreed with this article that silence can be a form of communication. For example, when leading a group discussion in class and people are still talking if the speaker stays silent, the room will usually take note of this and quiet down. Silence does not always mean that you are being rude or shy or even do not like talking but rather can be a way to get your point across. Silence also allows for the other person in the conversation to speak and get his or her points across without constant back and forth, back and forth chatter or even pointless chatter. I believe that silence can sell if used at the right times and that silence is a good tool in business and in life.

  32. I liked what this article touched base on. At times, silence has the ability to be more powerful than words. In today’s day and age, many people are intimidated by silence and try to avoid “awkward silences” by blurting out meaningless words or phrases in order to break the silence. However, silence is needed once in a while in order to be in touch with our inner selves and to spark creative thought. When trying to sell a product or negotiating with a business partner, it is best if you keep it short and simple rather than babbling on and on. Keeping it short allows your audience to see that you know what you are talking about and are confident in what you say. The silent pause allows your audience to process your words and develop their own thoughts and questions. Silence also shows power. Like in the movie The Devil Wears Prada (one of my favorite movies!), Meryl Streep says very little but resonates a lot of power and instills fear into her subordinates by small movements and short responses.

  33. Nicolette Crisalli

    I’m a firm believer that silence is not a bad thing. Sometimes when I go out to dinner with friends we people watch and my friends will comment on the “older couple in the corner not talking.” They think how sad they must have run out of things to talk about, but to me it is that they are just so comfortable and content around each other and words do not need to be spoken. In another sense, like we do in class, it grabs attention words do not always need to be spoken in order to get people to stop and listen. The world is full of conversation and when silence occurs people are given a chance to step back and think about what they want to say or what they may have just said. Silence is about confidence, contentment, and grabbing attention.

  34. In a media flooded with Snapchat, Twitter, Vine and videos that constantly stream, silence is golden. Watching CNBC shows a ticker, video and live stream of analysts constantly discussing the current market. Silence can command a room, encapsulating the moment and allows the audience the chance to focus on the one voice or the one movement. Something as simple as a pause or prolonged movement can grasp the attention of your audience and project confidence. In preparation for my initial interviews, I plan to integrate this tactic. This allows the speaker time to formulate full thoughts and present them in a powerful and confident matter.

  35. Silence can be hard because it can make us feel uncomfortable in a situation. We feel the need to fill the silence with something. Silence can be very powerful. The first thought it when my mom would get mad at me and would give me the stare, “the look”. She didn’t have to say anything for me to know she was upset. She just had to sit there in silence and I knew immediately I did something wrong. Her silence was scary and I would do anything she told me to do. Silence can make the other person think and contemplate what is at hand or on the table. The other person can think about what they want to say instead of saying what first pops up in their mind. Silence can be used to your advantage.

  36. Elizabeth Gittings

    As many parents say, silence is a virtue. And as we have grown older it becomes truer each day. To me silence is an opportunity to take in what is around you and refocus. It is a break in conversation as stated in the article to create emphasis. Just as cliff hangers in shows when they end leaving you with no information but the desire and necessity to know much, silence does to a conversation. Silence not only creates this but allows a short period of time for people to take in what they are hearing and process it. This is really important because if a person continues to ramble on, one may get bored or confused by the fast communication. I agree with some of the comments above that silence can be awkward, but I also believe if you are actually having a conversation with someone, or enjoy their presence, silence can be beneficial.

  37. Using silence as a tactic to make a sale is a technique that I don’t see many people use today. When you think of a salesman someone who is normally a very fast talker comes to mind. They provide the consumer with almost too much information to handle. In my own experiences, when all this information is coming at me fast it makes me uncomfortable and in most cases I do not want to buy what they are selling. Having someone who lets me do the talking and ask the questions will have a higher chance of me wanting to buy the product. Allowing the consumer to talk a lot and ask questions also makes the salesman appear more respectful instead of someone who is trying to talk over you. Respect will then place the consumer in a comfortable situation to purchase the product.

  38. Christina Rimbey

    In the business world, silence is a valuable too. When used strategically, it can lead to better deals, better understanding of speakers, and even the chance of getting a job. Silence after an important point emphasizes that point and lets the listener know something important was just said. If you leave a gap of silence, the person you are speaking to may try to fill this silence, their talking gives you more information. Silence can also slow down an argument if it is getting to intense, it gives both parties a moment to reflect on what has been said and get their thoughts together on what they are going to say next.

  39. Madalaina D'Angelo

    Silence can be the most intimidating and powerful tool during any type of interview, evaluation, or as a way of demonstrating the upper hand or power, I fully agree with you there. Less can be more, and can inspire the customer or interviewee to think more quickly, more creatively, and makes a decision or statement a person’s own, with very little influence. Using it as a sales tactic can make a customer feel confident and assured on their choice, and using silence in a meeting or inteview setting can prove to be a risky move, because it can deliver strongly, with silence pushing a presenter to articulate themselves clearly, but also be cold and scary and stifle drive or creativity.

  40. Regardless if its in the realm of business, silence speaks volumes. As a student, I rarely have had a teacher scream to let the class know to settle down. Rather, the Professor stands at the center of the classroom in complete and utter silence “staring down” the class. This seems to have a stronger impact. The students for the most part remain attentive and quiet throughout class. On the rare occasion the Professor instructs the class to settle, they abide by his/her requests, but the silence doesn’t seem to last as long. It’s almost as if asking for the students to settle down is just a simple temporary request. But when the Professor stands in the center of the room in complete silence in a sense “staring down the barrel of the gun” it instills a sense of intimidation and lets the students know it’s time to get serious and start the class. Silence can command attention, display a sense of disappointment/punishment, and can lead to deeper thinking.

  41. I would agree that silence commands. Silence forces people to focus on you. It makes people look at your emotions and expressions. This puts you in a commanding position. From there, people will be interested in what you have to say, or in what your opinion is. That interest creates a two-way conversation, not just a one-way conversation. This allows you to connect with the customer and any time you connect with the customer, you have a better opportunity to make a sale. However, without a commanding position you cannot make this happen.

  42. Silence can be moving and silence can be scary and silence can be informative. A few examples of silence being informative would be when our business professor uses silence to attract the attention of the loud students. Or, when an interview goes silence. I believe that silence should be something that one should be comfortable with. Silence can be scary when terrifying news is awaiting to be shared or when there is a loss. Lastly, Silence can be moving when it is used for example, in a silent protest. Overall, this is a very impactful read to remind us that the hustle and bustle of the world is only so important.

  43. Anthony Spadaccini

    Silence demands attention when it is at points when someone thinks you are about to speak. In class we use this and we see everyones heads immediately come up and give you attention. Instead of trying to fight the noise, be silent. Being silent is not a bad thing or a good thing, around new people I tend to be silent, and take in as much info as possible. By being silent you allow yourself to retain information, and think about what the person is saying. I do this when I am at football practice, listening to my coaches and visualizing what I will need to do on the play.

  44. Silence can go a long way. I enjoyed this article, because we sometimes forget the impacts our actions can have. In this case, little movements or simple statements can truly make an impact. In the Devil Wears Prada example, the boss uses little movements in her facial expressions, like raising an eyebrow, and you immediately know that she is expressing her disapproval in something. Growing up, your parents may have given you a certain look when you were doing something wrong, and you would know right away that you were in trouble. Little actions or facial expressions can make stronger impacts over words sometimes, when they are used effectively.

  45. Silence is key when you are listening to someone but also when you are speaking to them. It can catch their attention because after they are done talking and you respond with silence, it sends a message to them. You appear more powerful because you are hesitating. I think silence is more impactful than talking on and on about a particular subject. Responding with silence or few words can almost make you sound more knowledgeable because it is more concise and thought out. I have also seen the movie the Devil Wears Prada and can agree with what was said in the article. When the intern walked into Miranda’s office, she immediately received the silent treatment from Miranda. Instead of saying anything, Miranda had simply spoken with her facial expressions and the intern had gotten an even better understanding than she would have if Miranda had spoken to her with words instead. I think the reactions of people and the way they respond to certain situations with their actions show a lot more about how they are feeling towards a specific situation rather than words. This is seen a lot in the business world when selling products to customers because most of the time you can read how they are feeling about a specific product based on their expression, not their words.

  46. Vincent Rocco Mandes

    Silence is mutually beneficial for both the businessman conducting the meeting and the clients he is meeting with. For the businessman, taking a moment of silence allows him to collect his thoughts and present them in a cool, calm, and collected manner. This action gives the clients the impression that the businessman is thoughtful, confident, and a good listener, which adds to their desire to do business with him. I think silence is beautiful when it is a result of listening. When business people stop talking and actually listen to each other during a meeting, they tune down the noise in the room and make the other business people feel like they’re being heard, facilitating stronger business relationships and more productive outcomes from meetings.

  47. Silence indeed does play a big role in communication and one’s ability to persuade others. I believe that a lot can be learned from silence in a business world. In addition, it can most certainly be used to grab attention. While reading this, all I could think about was how in elementary school, teachers would stand in the front of the room completely quiet when they wanted to gain the class’s attention. A similar technique could be used in the business world to grab attention, ultimately proving the power of silence.

  48. Silence can sometimes be just enough when dealing with business deals and sales. It is very important to not always be the one talking. Instead, silence is key to standing out. A boss, for example, can make a big impression on his coworkers by barely even speaking. The reason for this is usually because facial expressions show an accurate depiction of people. Therefore, a boss can be portrayed as a powerful human being by barely even speaking and using actions instead. Actions speak louder than words in many situations. In a sales pitch, a salesperson should not ramble on about the product. On the other hand, the salesperson should let the customer talk about his needs and desires. He or she can learn a lot and most likely sell their product when they put their customers before the sale.

  49. Silence plays an important role when connecting with people, although most people may not know. Moments of silence can come off as awkward and uncomfortable, but it grabs the attention of the person or people you are dealing with at the given moment. Intentional silence shows that you are comfortable in the situation and it command attention. These are important attributes for people in the business world who can be presenting ideas of new products, or even presenting themselves in an interview. Showing that you are in control of the situation demonstrates confidence, which is something people love to see in business. It is this confidence that comes from the silence that allows for success.

  50. I enjoyed this article very much, one often thinks a salesperson must be talkative in order to make a sale. This article pointed out that in business one can use the power of silence to persuade the buyer to purchase their product. By using the power of silence the salesperson can make sure they are in control of the conversation and shows confidence in their abilities to make a sale.

  51. I really like this article, because it was something that you have taught us in class. Silence does command attention, imagine standing up in a business meeting and everyone is talking the best way to get their attention is to be silent because then they will start to look around and see what is going on. Another reason silence is important and useful is to make a point and make sure that people know that the next thing you are going to say is important. Silence during an interview would be a scary thing because as the person getting interviewed you do not know if you are doing well or not.

  52. This article was rather interesting to me because usually I feel that we have been taught to be outgoing, and speak loudly and clearly in a professional manner in order to be recognized and stand out amongst others whom we are competing against. However this article shows the power of silence and what silence can accomplish for someone. Overall simplicity is very important to the success of anything, whether it be a marketing strategy, a slogan, or logo, etc. As mentioned in a previous comment the fewer the words it takes someone to say something the better it sounds.

  53. I believe that in many situations silence does indeed command attention. It creates a type of intimidation/power factor, that can make the surrounding crowd feel as though they are obligated to stand down and listen. Obviously this depends on the situation, but in business environments where attention is needed for presentations or announcements, silence from the one projecting the message can be just as influencing if not more influencing than loud shouts for attention. I also appreciate the fact that you enforce and demand this type of behavior when we are presenting our talking points in class.

  54. Aubrey Gierlatowicz

    Silence can definitely be a scary and uncomfortable thing especially in an interview setting. It can make you feel as though the interview is going terribly and they are unimpressed with you. However, silence can also have an impact, as it grabs the attention of others and radiates confidence. In class we learned that silence is like power in the business world. Take for example shopping. When I am at a store it is unattractive when you are being bombarded by an employee with what to buy and why the product is so great. If they waited a while for you to shop around and were silent, the customer would not leave the store. In this case, silence is more powerful if you want to get a product sold.

  55. Most people believe that the successful salesmen are the ones that can talk their way into or out of anything. Interestingly enough, the exact opposite is true. The truly successful salesmen are the ones that know how to use silence to their advantage. Whether it be to attract attention, engage the audience, or dismiss an idea, silence can be deafening. It is important to use properly placed silence in order to get the correct message across. Too much silence can make things uncomfortable, just as too much talking can as well. The real skill comes in knowing when to open your mouth and when to keep it shut. As a great man once said, “it is better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool, than to open it and remove all the doubt.”In order to truly engage with your audience you have to find the happy medium with words and silence.

  56. I believe that silence can be poignant in all aspects of life, including sales. Like you said, good actors and good salesmen alike know when to speak, and when to keep quiet. To avoid the “traveling salesman” stereotype, salesmen and women must remember this in particular. I liked your example of family communication as well. These lessons are good for all aspects of our life.

  57. I enjoy how the article shows the evolution of the attitudes within small businesses. It has previously been seen that in sales men and male bosses were known to be fast talking and upfront. This article differs in the way it explains how small business owners today. It says that they are more concise and reserved, which leads them to their sales. The article compares this attitude to The Devil Wears Prada. Miranda would express disapproval from her stone cold face and not from yelling. So, today silence sells a bit more and persuades.

  58. This article made me think of a scene from the TV show “The Office”. There is a scene where the boss Michael is conducting an interview with one of his employees over raising the employee’s salary. Michael does some research and finds out that if refuses to talk first he can dominate the negotiation. All joking and hilariousness aside, silence can be a very good tool for salesmen. Carefully placed silence can show that someone is both in control and knows what they are talking about enough to not have to blabber on and on. It takes someone comfortable with silence to use it well, but if someone practices it and uses it often, it can be put to great use.

  59. Silence can often time be the loudest form of communication, silence used in the right setting can really emphasize a point. Especially in our day and age with social media and all the platforms for socializing people can often be intimidated by silence. The silence is really needed in order compose ourselves and think about our next move. Smart people take time to think about what they before they say it and silence is that period. Also, silence can come in the form of action, as Teddy Roosevelt said: “speak softly and carry a big stick.”

  60. While speaking facts and showing statistics one can make many valid points. However, it takes much more to show your confidence and your demeanor. The statement, “silence is golden” is so underrated. As professor Yoest talks about in this article silence demands attention and shows assertiveness. It also can help you get a point across that you need to make more dramatic or drill into someones head to help you make a sale or get your point across.

  61. I also believe that even though it can be scary to think about silence may be the best form of communication. It can show that you are confident in what you are talking about, because if your just talking for the sake of talking someone, a customer, might feel like you are trying to kill time and avoid having to answer the hard questions. While also silence puts the other person in a position where they can talk and you can just listen and learn, which may be helpful later in a sale or in a future job.

  62. Silence is a sign of confidence, nowadays with the social media, we have sometimes to be silent rather than talking and express ourselves because silence gets us respect and attention from people. However, Silence is a technique to deal with everything. For example, getting a job, selling something, and convincing a customer. Also silence resolves any issues.

  63. Silence is a powerful tool because it forces the audience to question themselves about the person who is silent and it may even have them reevaluate themselves. It also helps the seller to think one more time about the peach he or she just made to the customer. It may help to bring back on track the audience in case they were lost. In the context of sharing informations silence helps to listen better so the information can be processed without confusion. It may help the listener to find defects or get a better idea from what he or she is currently listening to.