When you speak too quickly, you can send the wrong signal and get results you don’t want. This is particularly so when you’re negotiating for the best deal. Speaking impulsively, and overtalking, are not signs of strength but of weakness and insecurity. Here is a story that illustrates the point: A young computer salesman named Kurt was delighted when one of his business clients expressed interest in buying a used computer system – one that Kurt had installed two years ago but that had recently been replaced with an upgrade. After careful consultation with his head office, Kurt fixed a price of $800,000 for the used system and documented in writing all his reasons for requesting that amount. As he sat down to negotiate, he heard an inner voice saying, ‘Wait. Let them do the initial talking.’ The buyers quickly filled the silence with a long rundown of their own research about this particular computer system’s strengths and weaknesses, the age of the equipment, and the need for new software. ‘Can you throw upgraded software into the deal?’ one of the buyers asked. ‘Sure,’ Kurt offered. The buyers then said, ‘We will give you $950,000 for the system, but not a penny more.’ Less than an hour later, the paperwork was signed, and Kurt walked away with a much better deal than he ever imagined, having said little more than ‘thank you’. The apostle James writes, ‘My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak’ (James 1:19 NIVUK). © 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.

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