Too much talk? You might lose the deal!

Is communication an inborn talent? First of all, we need to be clear: is this true professionalism or just insecurity and emptiness hidden behind sound bites?

Many people think that lofty and eloquent words make someone respectable.

Some people think that speaking without stopping and not letting your partner speak is a sign of confidence. That may be true, but when a person is afraid of not being able to handle an objection or a question directed at him, one thing is certain: he tries to talk so much that his partner cannot interrupt or ask a question. This assumes uncertainty and results in either not understanding what he is getting at or in no one wanting to talk to him because they cannot get a word in edgewise. This makes all communication from the person rather dull and monotonous.

What might be behind the fact that someone talks a lot?

It is often said that he is "talking a hole in the belly". That is, he talks until the customer would rather buy, just to stop listening. The reality is that he'd rather go, just so he doesn't have to listen.

What's wrong with that? The customer has bought! Yes, but all you do is stop your potential customer from coming to you again, because let's face it, it's not always a positive experience. They may feel that they have been forced to buy and feel buyer's remorse. It was not his or her decision to buy. It was forced on him!

It is not always a problem to talk too much, but you need to assess the situation and what it calls for.

Talking less but more effectively and talking a lot when you need to can also be learned. The most important element is to be able to listen and observe.

Observe the environment and listen to your customer! What is he communicating to you? Do you have a lot of time or not enough? Does he or she know or not what you really want to buy? Does he want to make a decision now or is he collecting data?