When Silence is a Strategic Asset

If no one cares what you have to say, or if you have no audience listening, then being silent is redundant.

But, if you have a group of followers, a tribe of interested individuals who will listen when you speak, then purposefully choosing to be silent can capture their attention.

The value of silence can be truly captivating.

It’s like:

• Kids watching their mother take a fresh-baked pie out of the oven.
• Students watching closely as their professor adds the final chemical into his big experiment.
• A group listening to a string quartet play a beautiful Haydn piece, in the middle of a pregnant pause.
• A mother giving birth, as everyone waits to hear the child’s first cry.
• The auctioneer calling one last time for bids before he shouts “sold.”

The value of silence is a strategic asset in the hand of those who have an audience.

For marketers and business leaders, silence can provide a strategic advantage when trying to captivate attention around an impending new product launch. Releasing just a whiff of an important detail or a hint of exciting features creates suspense and builds anticipation.

But don’t wait too long. The power of silence is the magic between the notes. It needs to be followed with something wonderful and exciting!

 

Is it possible to use silence to create sustainable competitive advantage?

 

Today’s value was selected from the “Determination-Focus” category, based on the e-book Developing Your Differentiating Values.