Who's doing the talking?
When dealing with a couple, you'll often find that one person takes the lead and answers most or all of the questions. It's usually the husband, but might change depending on what the couple is buying and and their individual personality types.
Focus on the person doing the least amount of talking
Here’s something to try next time you're communicating with a couple. Focus on the person who is doing the least amount of talking. Make an effort to speak to both people, unless the quiet person is incredibly disinterested. The quiet person is probably listening to everything and taking it all in. Not everyone is this world is chatty, so you might have to work a little harder when communicating with them.
Here are a few reason’s why the spouse may be silent:
- They don’t care about what you’re selling
- They feel they’ll ask a stupid question
- They’re used to having their spouse doing all the talking
- They're shy
- They don’t like you
What often happens is that the couple will say they need to talk it over. As soon as they leave the building and are in their car driving away, the silent partner starts giving their opinion. If they were afraid to ask questions, they may have left without letting you clarify something.
Of course, there will be times when you try to engage the quiet partner, and they still stay silent. No problem. At least you tried.
