If you intentionally prolong the gap, you can force the other side to feel discomfort. Also known as awkward silence. Most people will instinctively fill the gap by starting to talk again, even if they don&#x27;t have anything more to say.<p>You can use this in negotiations. After someone makes an offer, they&#x27;ll stop and expect you to respond. If instead you act as though you&#x27;re thinking and hold the silence, they may get the natural urge to fill the gap and start speaking again, sometimes offering better terms.<p>One time I used this technique at a negotiation but the other party was an MBA grad so they might&#x27;ve known about this. This resulted in <i>very</i> long pauses, maybe several of 20-30 seconds each, where we both waited for the other person to fill the gap. If someone were watching us they&#x27;d think we&#x27;re both crazy.