September 17, 2026

Business by the Book

Proverbs 13:3 He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.

“Don’t buy it back!”  That’s what my boss told me. I was young, in my early twenties and I had my first real “sales job.”  My boss was an excellent salesman. In fact, he was so effective in sales that he ended up owning his own, very successful, company. I have benefited over the years by the things he taught me in those first few months in sales. I was previously employed by that company as a technical service representative, until I almost burned down a small hospital, but that is another story for another day.

We were working together for several months. The first six weeks he did all the talking, I simply watched and learned. Then he turned me loose. I was so ready to show him all I’d learned. We met with a prospect and after some discussion this prospect agreed to a demonstration of our products. I was so excited that I began telling the customer everything I could, even after the potential customer agreed to test our product I kept “selling.”  Then something happened, he decided to put off the evaluation until their “budget year” was completed. Which evidently never was completed for I never was allowed the product evaluation.

In the car my manager told me that I lost the sale because I kept “selling” even after the prospect bought. He may not have actually purchased any of our products, but he did buy the notion of testing our product. But then something I said caused him to change his mind. I “bought it back.”   My manager told me, “After the customer agrees, shut up.”  He was right, that little piece of advice has served me well for over 30 years.

I see this happen all the time. The sales person makes a sale, then they “buy back” that which they sold by continuing to “sell.”  There is a time to speak and there is a time to refrain from speaking. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Solomon says as much in Ecclesiastes 3:7.  In today’s verse Solomon includes the reason for keeping silence; to keep your life.

Practicing the tactic of “Don’t buy it back” may not save a life, but it may save a sale. And learning when to speak and when not to speak may well indeed save your life.

Dr. William Howe