Would Therapists Make Good Closers?

I’ve been thinking about this question:

Would therapists make good salespeople?

Think about what a good therapist does.

They don’t dominate the conversation.

They don’t rush to give advice.

They don’t hear the first answer and immediately move on.

They ask questions.

They listen.

They notice the words you use.

And when you say something interesting, they stay there.

“Tell me more about that.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“How does that make you feel?”

They’re curious.

And perhaps most importantly, they’re comfortable with silence.

Now think about the average sales conversation.

The salesperson asks a question.

The prospect starts answering.

The salesperson hears something they recognize and thinks:

“I know how to solve that!”

And off they go.

Pitching.

Explaining.

Solving.

The irony is that the salesperson may have identified the right problem, but they haven’t learned enough about it yet.

They haven’t discovered why it matters.

How long it’s been happening.

What the prospect has already tried.

What it’s costing them.

Or what happens if nothing changes.

That takes another question.

And probably another one after that.

Great discovery isn’t about having a brilliant list of questions.

It’s about being genuinely interested in the answers.

So maybe the best salespeople have something in common with great therapists.

They resist the urge to solve too quickly.

They stay curious a little longer.

And they let the other person do most of the talking.