386 - Silence Does Not Mean No

0:00Silence does not mean no. One of the common mistakes I see in business acquisition is assuming silence equals rejection. It does not. Silence usually means one of three things. The timing is wrong, the priority is low, or the person is overwhelmed. Rarely does it mean no. Most sellers are busy running businesses. They're dealing with employees, customers, regulators, family issues, and fatigue. Your message did not land at the top of their to-do list. That does not mean it landed in the trash, however. The people who close deals understand this. They follow up calmly, professionally, and consistently.

0:46The people who do not close deals take silence personally. They assume rejection. They stop. This is where discipline separates outcomes. Following up is not pestering when it's done correctly. It is signaling seriousness. A thoughtful follow-up says, I'm still here. I meant what I said. I am patient and persistent. Most of the competition disappears after the first attempt. That alone creates an advantage for you. Here's a simple rule. If your message was respectful and relevant, silence earns a follow-up. Not immediately, not emotionally, but deliberately. Deals often happen on the third, fourth, or even fifth contact.

1:38Not because the seller suddenly changed their mind, but because the timing finally aligned. Do not confuse quiet with rejection. Confuse silence with opportunity. Stay professional. Stay patient. Stay present. This is how serious acquirers are recognized. And I'll give you an example. In the house we live in in Maine, which we renovated. It was built by my ancestors back in the 1860s. There is a house which is right next door, three feet off our lot line. And I wanted to get that house. It had renters in it occasionally. It was too close to us. We have dogs, and that was a problem. And so I, over and over again, contacted every few months the owner of that.

2:29Never got a response, never did anything. They had that home, they rented it, but they lived eventually in California. I eventually sent a postcard, essentially it was a correspondence card, to the owner. And it was a good note. and it hit him at the right time. And he called me up and he said, you know, I have that property and I never get back there. Yeah, I'm willing to sell it to you. And we ended up purchasing it and everything worked out. But if I had gone away after the first no or no message, it wouldn't have happened that way. And I've had that happen to me over and over again. As a person who used to work for me said at the very beginning of us working together, persistence overcomes resistance, and it certainly does so.

3:21I hope that helps. If you do follow up, one, you absolutely should do it, and two, if done professionally, people actually find it professional and that you're serious, which usually means that you might make a good partner for them if that's what they're looking for.