When you sense a deal slipping, do you start talking
When you sense a deal slipping, do you start talking? The tough question lands.
Or worse — silence. Your brain panics:
Fix it. Say something smart. Explain the feature again.
So you talk. And talk. And talk.
You don’t save the deal. You filibuster it.
The data backs this up.
In a Gong Labs analysis of 7.1 million opportunities, there’s a clear behavioral split when deals start going south - top performers stay ice cold.
They keep the same talk-to-listen ratio — 43:57 — whether the deal is winning or losing. Average reps panic.
When a deal is at risk, they talk 10% more, jumping to 54–64% talk time.
That’s the death spiral.
Low performers try to talk the deal back to life.
High performers know that if you’re doing all the talking, you’re not diagnosing — you’re delivering a eulogy.
Consistency is confidence. Panic is loud. So the next time the silence hits… or you feel the deal wobble…
Don’t rush to fill the space. Hold it.
Are you brave enough to let the silence do the work?
♻️ Repost to help someone in your network 🔔 Follow Barry Flanagan for daily AI + Tech Sales insights