Body Language - How to Read Your Prospect Like a Book
Are you aware that your body language reveals your deepest
feelings and hidden thoughts to total strangers? It might
surprise you to know research indicates that over 65% of our
communication is done nonverbally. In fact, studies show that
nonverbal communication has a much greater impact and
reliability than the spoken word. Therefore, if your prospect's
words are incongruent with their body language gestures, you
would be wise to rely on their body language as a more accurate
reflection of their true feelings. Body language is a complex
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. Developing a
working understanding of body language is similar to learning a
foreign language; it requires time and effort to achieve
mastery.
As a professional salesperson you must continuously monitor your
prospect's body language and adjust your presentation
accordingly. Think about the tremendous advantage you would have
as a baseball manager if you knew the meaning of the opposing
teams signals. For example, suppose you knew in advance that the
other team was planning to steal second base. You would have a
distinct edge because you would be able to adjust your strategy
accordingly. Are you missing your prospect's signals? By
understanding your prospect's body language gestures you will
minimize perceived sales pressure and know when it is
appropriate to close the sale.
Several years ago I read an interesting article about a body
language experiment conducted with college students. The
researchers divided the students into two groups. The first
group of students was asked to maintain an open body posture
during the class lecture. They were instructed to keep their
heads up, both feet on the floor and their arms unfolded. The
second group of students, attending the same class, was
instructed to use closed body posture by crossing their legs and
folding their arms during the lecture. At the conclusion of the
lecture both groups were interviewed and tested. Those students
that were asked to maintain a closed body posture scored 38%
less in their retention of information and, of equal
significance, they had a more critical opinion of both the
material and the professor. As a professional speaker, I share a
similar challenge with the college professor. As I begin my
presentation, I can anticipate that a significant number of the
audience will initially display closed body posture. They will
have their legs crossed, their arms folded and their heads down.
I know that if I am to be effective my primary task is to
connect with the audience and get them to adjust their body
language into a more receptive posture before real learning can
begin.
Here are some important body language gestures you need to
become familiar with:
Body Postures: There are two basic categories of body postures;
Open/Closed and Forward/Back. In an open and receptive body
posture, people have their arms unfolded, legs uncrossed, and
their palms exposed. In a closed body posture, arms are folded,
legs are crossed and their body is usually turned away.