If you’re speaking for more than 40% of the time, you’re probably losing the deal. That’s a hard pill to swallow for technical founders, because talking feels like demonstrating expertise.
I reviewed a sales call recording with a founder recently. The prospect asked a simple question about data security, and it was like a dam burst. He spent the next 15 minutes explaining encryption standards, backups, and disaster recovery. He thought he was being helpful.
The prospect felt like they were being lectured.
By the time he came up for air, the energy had gone. The prospect said “Okay, thanks” and ended the call shortly after.
We looked at the talk ratio. Founder: 75%. Prospect: 25%. That’s engineer mode in action. You hear a keyword, your brain loads a solution, and you start delivering it like a mini webinar.
But in sales, diagnosis matters more than prescription. And you can’t diagnose if you’re the one making all the noise.
The best salespeople I know don’t have the gift of the gab. They have the discipline to stay quiet. They ask a question, listen to the answer, then ask the next question based on that answer.
A simple target that works: listen 60%, talk 40% (or even 70/30 if you’re brave).
Your expertise should show up in the quality of your questions, not the length of your answers.
What to do next: record your next call. Look at the timeline. If it looks like a monologue, fix it with a rule: every time you answer a question, follow with a question that goes deeper into impact, decision process, or urgency.