A Quiet Place: The Art of Silence

Dear leader:

Stop talking.

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For this iteration of the Hollywood monster movie, it is sound that makes you prey. The movie is thrilling, though requires a healthy dose of suspension-of-disbelief.

Reflect, for a moment, on the current human condition:

As a species we have unraveled the mysteries of the cosmos. We have traveled to other planets, even into interstellar space—beyond the confining gravitational pull now confirmed, though once only theorized, of Copernican heliocentrism. We’ve identified the double helix structure of deoxyribonucleic acid, broadening our knowledge of the haploid human genome sequence, its 23 chromosomes, 20,000 unique genes, and 3.1 billion base pairs—removing the veil from conditions such as peripheral neurofibromatosis. We’ve mastered the controversial language of particle physics theory, confirming the hypothesized Higgs Boson particle which, indeed, is a natural product of quantum excitation.   

Enter A Quiet Place.

In spite of these overwhelming technological advances, and countless others, our species is brought to its knees by a plagiarized version of a Demogorgon. Our titular monster has the most heinous, vile ability of all: hearing things really, really well.

Never have ears been used to such sinister levels. Never have they been so terrifying.

How can humanity possibly be saved from the brink of annihilation?

The answer, it seems, was right there all along:

An eight-year old with a hearing aid and a Radio Shack walkie-talkie.

A monster with highly tuned hearing is sensitive to high-pitched noises? Seven billion other people couldn’t figure this out?

Above left: Stranger Things monster vs. A Quiet Place’s. Plagiarism defined.

Above right: two lethal, apocalypse-ending technologies.

The leadership lesson is this.

Re-read the human condition “case study” above. All of it. Whoever you are, whatever your industry, whatever your offering:

That rambling jargon is what you sound like when barreling, blindly and at full speed, into your “pitch”.

Post-it note this phrase; review before every client interaction:

Persuasion is not TELLING what is important—it is DISCOVERING what is important.

You have to start with an understanding of the prospect’s needs and expectations. Don’t overthink this: ask simple, direct questions:

What is your goal?

What is most important to you?

How will you choose a vendor?

How will you define success?

It’s about them. Ask questions. Seek understanding. Shut up. Listen.

The road map for your presentation STARTS with addressing the prospect’s major needs. Ask, and it shall be given. 

Persuasion starts with understanding—not preaching.

As eager as you are to speak, they are to be heard.

Only after their needs are satisfied by your solution should additional features/advantages/benefits arise.

Many leaders have a natural inclination to communicate, present, and share a genuine enthusiasm for their offering. Everyone enjoys demonstrating their talents and skill set.

You must fight the inclination to present first.

Look again at the photo—the hand maintaining religious silence. That’s you. You are a detective, seeking an understanding of their needs. You ask. You listen.

You discover their roadmap.

Then you speak.

Listen, learn; understand. Start your presentation from a quiet place.

Mark Joseph Huckabee