The rule. After you say the number, the next person to speak loses leverage. But silence isn't just a tactic — it's a reading window. You have 3–7 seconds to decode three signals.
Cue 1 — Eyes up and to the right. They're imagining ownership. Calculating. Don't talk. Wait for them.
Cue 2 — Eyes down + jaw clench + crossed arms. They're stalled. They have an objection forming. Break the silence at 7 seconds with: "What's running through your head?" — open question, no pressure.
Cue 3 — Hand-to-face + small head tilt. Curious but unsure. They want one more piece of info to justify it. Offer the social proof or the risk-reverse line you've been holding back.
The mistake. Reps panic at 3 seconds and offer a discount. You just trained the buyer that pushback = lower price. Hold the silence to at least 7 seconds.