Business Development: When silence is golden

"If you've got nothing intelligent to say, don't say ANYTHING!" 

These were the words of my ex girlfriend many years ago, just before meeting her dad for the first time.

Whilst I was someone who grew up in a house where any silence was quickly filled with chit-chat, it didn't take long to master this skill when meeting her parents. Her dad could be prickly at the best of times and he did not suffer fools gladly ... but those words have stayed with me over the years and helped me in business and personal dealings.

Example 1:

As a consistent blogger, I've suffered writer's block on a few occasions. To be fair to me, it's usually been down to busyness at work or home but when I get it, I tend to write pretty average articles which I avoid posting because at the very least, they don't offer anything fresh. Thankfully I know, that "if you've got nothing intelligent to say, don't say ANYTHING!" 

Example 2:

Have you ever been in a meeting with people you wanted to impress and you felt desperate to contribute something to the conversation, but you just couldn't think of anything valuable to add? I certainly have but thankfully, I've learned that in those situations, it's better to enjoy the listening bit because "if you've got nothing intelligent to say, don't say ANYTHING!"

Tip 1:

Make peace with 'awkward' silences. They're only awkward if you feel awkward.

Tip 2:

When you want to say something at presentations/meetings, be clear that what you have to share is of genuine value and contributes positively to the conversation, rather than a needy and yet very human desire to have your voice heard and stand out.

Tip 3: 

Ir you're a blogger/writer and you've got writers block, take a break and get out a bit more. The creativity will return in the end!

Thanks for reading

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