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That one Zoom call where I heard myself talk for 5 minutes straight
I was on a call with a guy from Ohio last Tuesday, going over a project timeline, and he just let me ramble about milestones and deadlines without saying a word. After I finally stopped, he goes, 'So what do you actually need from me right now?' and I realized I wasn't asking him anything. How do you keep your clients from just sitting quiet while you fill the silence?
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cora8132mo ago
That "what do you actually need from me right now" line hits so hard lol. I had the same problem with a client who would just sit there and nod. What actually worked for me was starting every call with "hey I'll give you a quick update then I need 2 decisions from you before we hang up." That way they know they can't just zone out. Also if they go silent for more than 10 seconds I just ask "does that make sense or do you need me to clarify anything?" It forces them to engage instead of me filling the dead air.
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abbyhall2mo ago
Man, yes! @cora813 nailed it with that "2 decisions" setup. I tried something similar with my own clients and it's wild how much it changes the whole flow. The trick for me was being super specific about what decisions I need - like "pick between option A or B" not just "what do you think". That way they can't just say "sounds good" and ignore me.
Also the 10 second silence thing is gold. I used to just keep talking when nobody answered and it made everything worse. Now I just sit there and wait, maybe ask "you following me so far?" if it gets awkward. It's uncomfortable at first but it saves so much time in the long run. People really do need that little push to actually participate instead of just nodding along.
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johnson.eva2mo ago
Huh, I gotta say I see it the opposite way. If you're so worried about your clients zoning out or not engaging, maybe the problem is you're talking at them too much instead of having a real conversation. Setting up calls like a checklist with forced decisions just makes it feel like homework, not a partnership.
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