'Encourage silence to show you are actively listening. Many salespeople only wait a split second to respond to a client’s comments or questions. Instead, get in the habit of waiting a minimum of three to four seconds before responding. Even count to yourself to ensure that enough time has elapsed. This conscious pause will make the person feel heard and comfortable enough to talk more, since your pause demonstrates that you have a sincere interest in what they are saying. Although many salespeople find the conscious effort to stay quiet challenging, silence creates the space that will motivate your client to share additional information. It also gives you enough time to respond thoughtfully and intelligently to your client’s specific needs. Besides, look at the words: SILENT and LISTEN. Notice that each word shares the exact same letters.