Some people talk to fill silence. Others let it work for them. Learn to be the second kind.

Silence makes most people uncomfortable, so they talk, and talking under discomfort gives things away: the extra reason, the softened position, the detail nobody asked for. Letting a pause stand does the opposite. It leaves room for the other person to fill, and what they put there is usually the most useful thing in the conversation.

Try it where you would normally rush in. Ask your question, then wait. Three seconds will feel like a long time, and more often than not the answer that arrives after the pause is the one you actually needed.