186 / THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF INFLUENCE Strategy 5. The Opening Strategy This powerful, unique, psychologically sound technique for opening your sales meetings will do some amazing things when your team begins to adapt it. Here, you influence by leading, taking charge of a call from the opening dialogue. This technique eliminates stalls and think-it-overs like nothing you've ever used. It gives focus and allows you to gain informa- tion from buyers because they agree to share at the very start. It helps you eliminate poor prospects, too, by showing whether the buyer is willing to respect your time and work together with you to figure out how your solutions fit his concerns. Strategy 6. Listening Skills We, collectively, in the world of selling are just bad listeners. We know too much. We want to share it. We badly, badly need to become more curious and quieter when we sell. Great influencers often win over people with silence.