No Persuading

When a prospect says,
“I want to think about it,”
the urge is to lean forward.
To explain.
To push.
To ask, “What’s holding you back?”

But the better move
is to lean back.

Say something like:

“It sounds like you’re weighing a few options.”

“Feels like you’re wondering if the juice is worth the squeeze.”

This is called labeling.
It’s a technique used by psychologists
and popularized by Chris Voss in Never Split the Difference.

Labeling is noticing.

It’s gently naming the emotion under the words.
It does something powerful:
It makes people feel seen.

When people feel seen, they relax.
And when they relax,
they open up.

If you guess wrong, people will correct you.
If you’re right they’ll confirm.
Either way you unlock more truth.

Selling isn’t about closing.
It’s about creating the conditions for people to feel comfortable opening.

Sometimes the most persuasive thing you can do is to stop persuading.