Tag Archives: reading non-verbals

Non-verbals in the sales call (or job interview)

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Note: I’ve brought this post over from my older blog site, SellingFace-to-Face.com, as I am in the process of migrating the relevant posts from that old site to this.

An article in the archives of the website of Britain’s New Scientist magazine is  very relevant to our main topic here, which of course is Selling face to face.  The article:  “Come-to-work eyes: Secrets of interview success,” by Michael Bond.  After all, walking in to meet with a sales prospect isn’t so very different from walking in to a job interview.

The link is below so you can read the whole article, but here are a couple of things that particularly struck me.

  • First impressions count.  The article cites one study that “found that untrained observers who watched a video of the first 20 to 30 seconds of a job interview were astonishingly accurate at predicting whether the applicant would be offered the job. That doesn’t mean the observers were especially good at picking good candidates. It means the interviewers, despite being fully trained, still go with their initial gut instinct.”
  • Start with the handshake. But here I disagree, at least now, during flu season.  Be sensitive to signals.  (Of course, if you’re a member of a secret society— Freemasons, Yalie Skull-and-Bones— then play by those rules!
  • If you do shake hands, be sure your hands are warm.  Strange advice, but makes sense.  Read the article for why and how.

Read “Come-to-work eyes: Secrets of interview success” at New Scientist website

Buying signals in the face-to-face meeting

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In a previous post, we addressed buying signals in general.  Now we look more specifically at the kind of buying signals you might encounter once you’re actually face-to-face with the Prospect.

There will be times when the Prospect’s cues are so strong and positive that there is no break between your presentation and the Prospect’s agreement: it’s as if there is one continuous flow to the communication. In those happy cases, you don’t really need to ask for the order, as the Prospect’s words or actions make it clear that all that remains is to work out the details.

The actual cues that signal interest will depend to a large extent on the individual’s unique mannerisms, so you’ll need to be alert and flexible. To get started, attune to basic areas such as those following.

■ Non-Verbal Signals. If the Prospect is sitting forward on his chair, nodding his head, muttering words like, “Great! Exactly what we need! Yes, I see how it fits in,” then you have strongly positive buying signals. That is probably the point at which you should stop trying to persuade the Prospect, and instead move on to wrap it up by closing for some kind of buying action.

■ Questions and comments. It’s usually a positive signal when the Prospect begins asking about practical matters, such as, “How soon can you deliver? or “Is it available in (a certain color or size or other similar detail)?” Questions of this sort imply that the Prospect has basically made the decision to buy, and now has moved on to settle the details.

■ Certain kinds of objections can be buying signals. If a Prospect asks detailed questions about your product, or about how it differs from your competition, you probably have a signal of interest. After all, busy people don’t get into the details unless they see a good reason for them to do so. The fact that the Prospect is interested enough to explore this kind of practical issue signals that the Prospect is at least testing the What-if of buying. The trend is positive, so be ready to move with that trend.

■ Interest in haggling over details. The sale is probably yours if the Prospect initiates tentative negotiating probes over matters that would be relevant only if the sale is going through. (The sale is yours, that is, provided you can negotiate mutually-agreeable terms.)

For instance, a Prospect might say, “You’re talking about too long a lead time before you can install. The delay is costing me money.” But analyze what she is saying beneath the words, which probably is, “I’m ready to buy, provided you can speed up delivery.”

Incidentally, these buying signals by the Prospect may not be consciously sent, so it’s important to look through the actual words and gestures to find what is really meant or implied.

The Prospect may not have actually decided to buy — at least not on a conscious level — but the interest in delivery times betrays what’s really going on in his mind. If you’re attuned to that, you can adapt appropriately.

Continue reading → Buying signals in the face-to-face meeting

Non-verbal selling skills: “screen test” checklist

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It’s always a good idea to check out your non-verbal selling skills by doing a videotaped run-through before key demos and presentations.

Here’s a checklist of some key elements to attune to as you check the quality of the non-verbal selling skills you project on your taped run-through:

1.   Voice: the deeper and more resonant your voice, the better.  (Don’t want to sound sexist, but that goes for women as well as men. Resonance projects confidence and control.  If your voice lacks body, then you need to invest work in that area.)

2.    Tempo: It’s good to speak slowly at the start, as this projects confidence. Then let your tempo build as you get to the heart of it, where your natural enthusiasm for the product causes you to get excited.

3.    Voice energy: Does it sound upbeat, energetic? Or bored, tired, tentative, depressed. Or, worse, “above it all”?  ( Here the focus is not so much  on the words,  as to the non-verbal selling skills or impact the voice carries on a level beyond words.)

4.    Posture. Stand straight (as Mom told you!).  Move your hands slowly in broad, sweeping movements, not in short, choppy fidgets.

5.    “Own your time.” Don’t rush, even if you get behind schedule: the half-second you save by talking faster isn’t going to make a difference, but the insecurity projected by your hurried mannerisms reflects poorly on the product.

Adapted from SALES PRESENTATIONS & DEMONSTRATIONS: Self-instructional handbook  by Michael McGaulley.  Available in both ebook and pbook versions via Amazon

Posted  in Buying signals, Consultative selling–developing prospect’s awareness of need, Free sales training articles, Non-verbal communication skills, Opening sales calls, Sales skills:non-verbals & buying signals, Sales training, Selling skills for new business start-ups |

Tags: non-verbal selling skills, reading non-verbals, sales training, sales training checklist

Active listening: Communicating well in the sales call, in person and on the phone

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The most successful sales people  have developed listening skills–not just a passive listening, but active listening skills as well

 We’ll be examining the how-to of active listening in much more detail later in this site, but here are some starting points to give you a quick sense of what active listening means in sales.

Active listening is a topic in itself, but means, among other things, not just sitting there, but becoming actively and visibly involved with the speaker.

Depending on the situation, that might mean giving clear feedback that you are understanding correctly, nodding, taking notes on items that are particularly relevant — as all of these are signals to the speaker that this is what you’re really looking for.

Thus “active listening” may not be just listening: it could be saying encouraging words—like “I understand,” or “Interesting,” or “Mmm, I see,” or whatever helps to the speaker realized that he or she is on-course to what you need to know.

Active listening may also mean asking follow-up questions as needed.

Yet active listening also means knowing when to be silent, and when to let the speaker “roam free.”

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The content in this and  other posts on this site has been adapted from my books, which you will find in the sidebar, along with how to order as both ebooks and pbooks. Hope you find them helpful.

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