9 Time out is this working?

So I want to hit the timeout for a second because at this point in your strategic customer conversations, you may be wondering, gee, is this really working? Am I getting inside their heads? So I want to give you some of the signals or signs that mean that you are on the right track, and I've touched on some of these. So if the person you're talking to says, hmm, before they answer, again, that's hmm. This means they're actually thinking. Which is really good because again, we don't want routine, robotic, cliché answers. We want thoughtful ones. They don't have to be really hard questions. We just want them to have to think because that's oftentimes where the insights come from. So this next one, I've lost count of how many times people have said, "Wow, that's a great question." Again, it's a sign that you're provoking them to think. And by the way, since I authored these questions, I always say thank you, and they usually get a laugh out of that. And then, "Hey Bob, no one's ever asked me that before." So this is obviously great, and if it's not obvious, I'll tell you why, because it means you can get an insight that your competitors can't get. Your competitors aren't asking this particular question. So if you're asking the question, It reflects on your brand, your company's brand and your brand, because it shows that you're curious and innovative. And it also, again, gives you that competitive edge. And I'll give you an example of a question that really, so many times I've lost count that people have said, "No one's ever asked me that before." And it's very shocking, actually. And the last one's funny. It doesn't happen as much with the pandemic, but once in a while someone says, "Bob London, let me close the door." So I know when that happens, I do sort of a little virtual fist bump. This pump, and I think to myself, this is gonna be a good one. So those are some signs.