You have gone over your sales material, you’ve researched your prospect, and you’re excited about what you are going to say. You are now ready for your sales call. Well, almost. New research says most face-to-face buying decisions are made within the first three to five minutes. That means 85 percent of the buying decision is not based on what you say, but what you do nonverbally. Here are the silent signals that can increase sales success.
1. Get a Grip
Practice your handshake! The average American handshake lasts three to five pumps. You want a lot of palm-to-palm contact in the grip as well. People cringe when receiving a wimpy handshake due to a lack of palms connecting. When someone keeps their palms open and in contact with ours we feel subconsciously that they are not hiding anything from us.
2. Get Comfortable
When you are nervous and you sit down, you close down your body. You cross your legs and arms and tense up. This makes you look like you have something to hide. Instead, relax and open up.
3. Match the Energy
Match the energy, friendliness or the formality of the greeting you get. You may have heard of matching before, but you might not know that the most important time to match is at the beginning of the interaction, especially the first three to five minutes. People trust people like themselves. Pay attention to their enthusiasm, pace, amount of movement, and mirror it.
4. Smiling Eyes
Generally, it is helpful for men and women to smile, especially in those critical first few minutes. In initial interactions it’s the most important body cue to show you are friendly. Once you have said the price or proposed the deal, all research says both male and female salespeople should NOT smile. It makes it too easy for the prospect to turn you down or renegotiate.
5. Hands Down
Don’t put your hand to your mouth. If you are unsure of your response or if you are not confident, you will want to do this with your hand. Don’t do it! It is perceived as being deceptive.Try to gesture with your palms open. Again this indicates you are open and willing to self-disclose. Make sure to avoid pointing. Pointing is read subconsciously as a symbolic weapon.
6. Leaning for Meaning
When you feel emphatic about something and you want to indicate that you are charged about it, lean forward in your chair. When you want to show that you’re knowledgeable and confident, lean back, and that will symbolically indicate confidence and expertise.
7. Sounds of Silence
Do not be afraid of silence. Some prospects deliberately create silence to see what you will do. Use silence to your advantage. It allows the prospect to talk. It also shows you are strong. When we are afraid the sales call is not going well, we want to fill up the silence with chatter. Claim the power in the silence. Always stay silent after you state your price or deal. By making the moment uncomfortable, you make acceptance of your deal a way to release the tension and be comfortable again.
By paying attention to your nonverbal message, you can land more deals and close more sales by harnessing the power of the silent sell.
Patti Wood is the author of “Success Signals- Body Language in Business” and “People Savvy.” She can be contacted at 404.371.8228, or visit www.pattiwood.net.
