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Actions Speak Louder Than Words
The 1960 Presidential Debates between Vice President Nixon and Senator Kennedy were the first nationally televised debates in presidential campaign history. With the advent of television the debates took on a visual dimension and for the first time, 70 million voters were given the opportunity to not only hear the candidates, but to visually compare them as well.
Surprisingly, opinion polls revealed a sharp contrast between the voters who had actually watched the debates on TV versus those who had merely listened to them on the radio. While radio listeners clearly thought that Nixon had won the first debate, television viewers were captivated by Kennedy’s smile, charm and athletic appearance.
The majority of viewers interviewed reported that Nixon’s five- o’clock shadow and darting eyes made him appear sinister and far less presidential than Senator Kennedy. The television cameras underscored the significance of nonverbal communication and forever changed the political landscape.
Are You Missing Your Prospect’s “Buy Signals?”
Think about the tremendous advantage you would have as a baseball manager if you knew the opposing team’s signals and were able to anticipate their game plan. For example, suppose you knew in advance that the other team was planning to steal second base. Obviously, your team would have a competitive edge because you would be able to adjust your strategy as necessary. Likewise, as a professional salesperson, you would be wise to monitor your prospect’s body language and adjust your presentation accordingly. By reading your prospect’s gestures you will minimize perceived sales pressure and know when it’s appropriate to close the sale.
In 1872, Charles Darwin published the book The Expressions in Man and Animals and launched the modern study of nonverbal communication. Essentially, body language is a mixture of movement, posture and tone of voice. The good news about this subject is that your subconscious mind already understands the meaning of every gesture, posture and voice inflection. The bad news is, without the proper training you are unable to consciously apply this information during your client appointments.
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Top salespeople and the most successful managers recognize the
importance of nonverbal communication in the selling process
and have learned to “listen with their eyes”. They understand that
one of the easiest and most effective ways to close sales is to be
aware of their prospect’s “buy signals”. In addition to monitoring
your prospect’s body language, it’s important to be mindful of
your own gestures and keep them positive. Remember to unfold
your arms, uncross your legs, nod your head in agreement and
smile frequently. The study of nonverbal communication is similar
to learning a foreign language in that it requires time and effort to
achieve fluency. Acquiring this important skill will allow you to
communicate more effectively, read your prospect like a book
and close more sales in less time. |
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Copyright © 2005, John Boe
December 2005 |
Copyright © 2005, The Negotiator Magazine |
