Sales Training How to Read Body Language to Improve Sales in Philadelphia PA
There is an old statement that salespeople are born rather than made. Many people think someone is just naturally born to sell. Much of this belief come from the fact that even after you can systematize the sales process and get everyone making the same presentation, some folks just naturally sell better. What do these natural salespeople do differently that you can’t teach?
We actually need to ask a better question. What presentation skill are they naturally utilizing that isn’t currently part of your sales process? What skill needs to be added to your sales training process?
Natural salespeople intuitively connect with people on a nonverbal level. They just have a way of “clicking” with almost everyone they meet. They are sort of like a chameleon that changes to match each prospect and do so both naturally and sincerely. They align with their prospect in countless ways. They match up with their personality style, speech patterns, interests, and body language.
Advanced Sales Training around Philadelphia PA
Why Reading Body Language is Essential for Salespeople
People like people them are like them. People trust people that are like them. People like to buy from people that are like them and that they trust. People make these decisions even before the salesperson discusses the product, its value and its attributes.
When it comes to communication:
Only 7% of our meaning comes from our words.
38% of what we say comes via our tonality.
55% (more than half) is communicated through our body.
This surprises many people, especially those who sell via telemarketing until they stop and notice each of their own daily interactions and how they interpret communications with others.
How someone says “thank you” or “you’re welcome”, influences the meaning of what they were told. It could be a warm and gracious statement. It could also be viewed as sarcastic or indifferent. It could be viewed as genuine or false.
From the very first interaction all the way through the entire communication to the “thanks for coming” or “good bye”, likability, trust, and credibility was being communicated much more significantly via body and tone rather than words.
When you are the prospect or the customer you notice this much more. For example, when you go to a restaurant or hotel you observe this all the time. Were you greeted with a smile before the person even said “hello”? Did you interpret the smile as genuine from the look in their eyes? Did they make eye contact with you? When they placed something on the table did you feel it was “dropped off” or “graciously served”? When they explained something or made a recommendation did you feel comfortable with it or did you have doubt? In each instance, your interpretation of what was communicated had little to do with the actual words the sales or customer service representative shared. Their tonality or body language is what told you everything you needed to know.
Whether you are doing sales in the hospitality industry or selling industrial products or some other widget you need to be conscious of how you are speaking with both your body and your tone. Just like when someone communicates with you, how it is said is more important than what was said.
We know this is true when we are in the role of customer or prospect. We know it is true when communicating with family and friends. Recognize what you already know and proactively put it into practice in your daily sales communications.
Once you become conscious to start communicating with your prospects with the same warmth and enthusiasm you’d appreciate, sales will increase effortlessly.
Exercise: Teaching your sales people to be natural salespeople
- Have everyone on the team list 5 ways a sales person established a positive impression with them before ever saying a word
- List 5 ways a sales person established a negative impression without saying a word
- List 5 examples of the way a sales person expressed themselves via body language or tonality that influenced you to move forward
- List 5 ways how they choose to communicate with body language or tonality that kept you from moving forward
- Write 5 ways you can proactively improve your own tone and body language to improve your sales presentation