WHY THE DOG DIDN’T BARK — AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR YOUR SALES STRATEGY

It wasn’t what the dog did that solved the case. It was what the dog didn’t do.

In the Sherlock Holmes short story The Adventure of Silver Blaze, Holmes investigates the disappearance of a prized racehorse and the murder of its trainer. One pivotal moment stands out. Holmes is asked whether there was anything unusual about the night of the crime. His reply? "Yes — the curious incident of the dog in the night-time." When pressed, he explains: the dog did nothing. It didn’t bark.

That silence — the absence of a bark — revealed that the intruder must have been someone familiar. That’s the detail that cracked the case.

In sales, we often chase the noise — the excitement, the objections, the budget talk. But like Holmes, the best salespeople pay attention to what’s missing. Because in the quiet lies the real clue.

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT IN THE SALES PROCESS

You’ve had the meeting. Everything feels good. The client’s nodding. You’re aligned on the pain points. The budget looks promising. There’s even a smile at the end.

But then… nothing. No follow-up. No urgency. No decision.

It’s tempting to assume they just need more time. But let’s pause and ask: What didn’t happen here? What didn’t they ask? What didn’t they push back on? What didn’t they clarify?

That’s your dog not barking.

ABSENCE AS A SIGNAL

Psychologists call this “omission neglect” — our tendency to overlook what’s absent when evaluating decisions. In sales, the missing signal is often the one that costs you the deal.

(Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky wrote about this as part of omission bias — people prefer errors of inaction over errors of action.)

This principle — “The Absence Clue” — flips traditional sales logic on its head. Instead of focusing solely on what’s said, done, or confirmed, it sharpens your ability to spot what’s missing:

• A stakeholder who didn’t attend the call

• A competitor’s name never mentioned

• A goal that isn’t clearly stated

• A budget left vague

• A key objection that never surfaces

These gaps aren’t just blank space — they’re neon signs. They point to:

• Unvoiced concerns

• Internal misalignment

• Lack of executive buy-in

• Or a simple truth: they learned, but they didn’t feel anything new

DON’T JUST TEACH — TRANSFORM

You may have educated your client. You may have even impressed them.

But did they learn something that changed how they see their problem? Did your insight reframe the stakes? Did the conversation shift from “this is useful” to “we need to act on this”?

If not — you may have been thorough, but not transformative.

DIG WHERE THE SILENCE LIVES

Great salespeople are part detective, part translator, part provocateur. They listen not just for what’s said — but for what’s missing.

And when they notice the silence, they lean in:

• “You haven’t mentioned X — does that not factor in?”

• “We’ve talked a lot about your challenges, but I haven’t heard much about your customer’s experience — is that a blind spot or just not a priority?”

• “I noticed you didn’t react much when we covered [critical insight] — what’s your take on it?”

These aren’t gotchas. They’re invitations. They turn passive buyers into reflective partners. They build trust. And they unlock the real buying criteria.

THIS ISN’T JUST SALES — IT’S STRATEGY

In a world of chatbots and auto-sequences, this kind of presence is rare. Absence-as-a-clue thinking gives you an edge that can’t be automated. It reminds you that silence is often emotional. And emotional clues are gold.

What’s not being said? What’s not being asked? What’s not being felt?

That’s where the truth lives.

CLOSING THOUGHT

Holmes didn’t solve the case with tech. He solved it with attention — to the absence of noise, to what wasn’t there.

In sales, when everyone else is pitching, persuading, or performing, you can stand out by observing. Be the one who solves the mystery — not just bids for the business. Uncover what isn’t being said, and you’ll unlock the path to partnership, not just purchase.

That’s the clue that changes everything.

#DeepDive #SalesStrategy #StorySelling #SalesCoaching