The Power of Silence in Negotiation

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A couple of months in the past, on my podcast Nudge, Jonah Berger instructed me concerning the energy of pausing.

The act of pausing looks like a small factor. However current research present that pausing could make you extra persuasive and might enhance outcomes.

On this weblog, I will share among the science behind this phenomenon and methods to apply it to your subsequent negotiation.

Pausing reveals confidence.

He shared how extremely profitable audio system typically use a shocking quantity of pauses after they discuss.

Jonah shared this clip from an Obama speech and instructed me to hear for pauses. You possibly can see the speech right here:

That clip is simply 45 seconds lengthy, but Obama pauses for one second or extra eight instances.

Jonah says this isn’t accidentally. Obama has taught himself to decelerate and pause extra typically. Why? Nicely, in response to Jonah, it makes the previous president sound extra assured.

Jonah has performed research that show this (cited in his e-book Magic Words).

He and his colleagues confirmed a gaggle of members a speech recording. 50% of the members heard the presenter discuss with out pauses. The opposite 50% of members listened to the very same presentation however with pauses included.

The 2 completely different teams of members have been then requested what they considered the speaker, how they rated the content material, and the way positively they felt concerning the discuss.

Jonah Berger found that the pausing speaker obtained higher scores throughout all completely different questions.

Bear in mind, the content material of the speech was an identical — the tone, the model, the accent — it was all the identical. The one distinction between the 2 speeches was the pauses, and people pauses dramatically modified how the speech was perceived.

Pauses may be strategic.

Pausing gained’t simply assist political candidates. It has helped one of many world’s best footballers, Lionel Messi.

Pausing is one counterintuitive factor Lionel Messi does that makes him nice. In contrast to his friends, Messi spends the primary three minutes of a match doing nothing. He doesn’t dash, deal with, or go; he strolls across the pitch.

However why?

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Adam Alter shared the rationale whereas chatting with me on a current episode of Nudge.

He defined that Messi struggled as a teen. He was extraordinarily anxious when he first set foot on the pitch. Usually, he was bodily sick as the sport began and needed to depart the sphere to recuperate. His anxiousness made it unattainable for Messi to play to the most effective of his potential.

Maradona famously stated Messi would by no means succeed as a result of he’s too anxious and too nervous.

It appeared like Messi was destined for a profession of missed alternatives till one Barcelona youth coach gave him some recommendation.

He instructed him to pause at first of the sport, not really feel strain to run or deal with, and never begin taking part in the sport till minute three. Simply amble round, absorb your environment, watch the opponents, and calm your self down.

Pausing labored. Fairly than frantically beginning the sport like each different participant, Messi took the time to settle his nerves. And this inaction turned a shocking benefit.

Having time to pause gave Messi the area to investigate his opponents shortly. Is there a weak point of their set-up? Is there area someplace within the protection? Normally, there’s, and Messi, after settling his nerves, would don’t have any hassle benefiting from it.

The Energy of Silence in Negotiation

Pausing has a strategic profit for Lionel Messi and Barack Obama, serving to each attain the highest of their sport.

However is it helpful for the remainder of us? Can we apply it if we don’t play skilled soccer or ship skilled pitches?

Nicely sure. Evidence suggests it could be worthwhile to do this strategy throughout your subsequent negotiation.

In a single examine (cited in Anatomy of a Breakthrough), a staff of psychologists studied the worth of pauses throughout negotiations. Particularly, the researchers targeted on wage negotiations. They hypothesized that pausing may persuade hiring managers to supply greater wages.

For the check, the researchers recruited 60 pairs of college college students. College students have been assigned one in all two roles. Half have been hiring managers, half have been job candidates. All got 45 minutes to barter over pay for the hypothetical jobs.

However right here’s the twist. 50% of the job candidates have been explicitly directed to pause in the course of the negotiation.

So, half negotiated as regular, however the different half have been pressured to pause.

The pausing labored. The job candidates who paused obtained a bigger pay packet supply from the hiring supervisor.

Those that paused negotiated higher offers (for each events). In keeping with Adam Alter:

“They impressed superior outcomes for each events and inspired negotiators to see that some points may very well be negotiated to the good thing about each events relatively than competitively.”

It’s widespread to really feel like Messi at first of his profession — anxious and sick with vitality. In a negotiation, we really feel a must showcase our power shortly and dismiss issues promptly, fueled by a rush of adrenaline that makes us converse louder, quicker, and with out pauses.

But research within the lab discover that this pure response has notable downsides. Those that energetically rattle off factors will worsen negotiation outcomes than those that take their time.

Pausing may really feel counterintuitive or unsuitable, but when it really works for Barack Obama and Lionel Messi, it ought to give you the results you want.