<I>Don't</I> Leave Them Speechless  This story first appeared in
the August 2002 issue of Startups. To receive the magazine,
click here to subscribe.  You've found a good prospect, you've
grabbed their attention, and you think they are interested in
what you're selling. Time to pull out your best sales
presentation and then go for the close, right?  I see it on a
daily basis, in every industry, at every level. It happens on
the telephone, in the showroom, on a customer visit or sales
call and even in the boardroom. New and seasoned salespeople
alike want to jump to the good part of selling--they want to wow
prospects with a powerful presentation that leaves them
speechless.  Unfortunately, that is usually what happens: What
used to be a solid prospect sits speechless, and you have
nowhere to go in this sales relationship but back to your
office. What started out as a promising sales call quickly
grinds to a halt. Every salesperson has experienced at least one
of these stalled sales calls. If you are serious a