Do You Know When It’s Time to Shut Up? Time To Seal The Deal?

Ever wonder why your presentation isn’t closing deals, even when you’re pouring your heart into explaining every feature of your product or service? The truth might sting: you’re probably talking too much.

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The Trap of Talking Too Much

When you’re trying to persuade someone—whether it’s a client, a colleague, or even a friend—it’s tempting to lay out every perk and plus. After all, shouldn’t highlighting all the amazing features seal the deal? Not quite. Research shows that 81% of persuaders talk more than necessary. Your audience isn’t buying because of your reasons; they’re buying for their reasons.

Bury them in details, and their eyes glaze over. Worse, you might accidentally highlight a feature they don’t care about—or one they see as a downside. If you’re spouting off every fact you know, you’re not persuading—you’re overwhelming. So, how do you avoid this trap?

Listen First, Present Later

The secret to effective persuasion is simple: shut up and listen. Your audience already knows what they want, so let them tell you. Instead of leading with a laundry list of features, ask questions to uncover their priorities. Are they looking for cost savings? Convenience? Status? Once you know what matters to them, focus your pitch on those points and nothing else. This approach saves time, builds trust, and keeps you from wasting energy on irrelevant details.

Here’s a practical tip you can use today: start your next conversation with open-ended questions like, “What’s most important to you in a [product/service]?” or “What challenges are you trying to solve?” Then, listen carefully. Their answers are your roadmap. Tailor your pitch to address their specific needs, and resist the urge to throw in extra “just in case” features. Less is more.

Two Moments You’re Talking Too Much

Join me for the Maximize Your Influence Podcast, and I will dive into the two critical moments where persuaders tend to overdo it:

During the Presentation: If you’re dominating the conversation, you’re missing vital information. Your audience is giving you clues about their needs, objections, and priorities— but you won’t hear them if you’re too busy talking. Practice active listening: pause after key points, ask follow-up questions, and let them steer the discussion.

At the Close: Knowing when your audience is ready to buy is crucial. If you keep pushing after they’re convinced, you risk annoying them or raising doubts. Look for verbal and nonverbal signals—like agreement or enthusiasm—and shift to confirming the decision rather than piling on more reasons to buy.

A Quick Strategy to Try Now

Here’s a simple framework to persuade without overwhelming:

Ask and Listen: Use questions to uncover their needs and priorities.

Focus and Deliver: Highlight only the benefits that align with their stated goals.

Pause and Check: After presenting, pause to gauge their reaction. Ask, “How does this fit with what you’re looking for?”

Close Concisely: Once they’re ready, summarize and confirm the next steps.

By talking less, you’ll actually say more.

 

Why You Need This Podcast

Join me for the Maximize Your Influence Podcast and you will discover how to decode buying signals to avoiding the “feature data dump” that kills deals, this episode is packed with actionable advice for anyone who wants to influence others effectively.

Persuade With Power

Kurt Mortensen

Influence University - Deal of the week