One of the most important things to know in sales is when the prospect is interested in what you are selling. If they aren’t interested from the start you have sales training methods that can help you get a sale, but the most significant part is knowing when they lose interest, so you can turn them around, right? So, what is the best way to tell if a prospect is interested, or their mind is wandering? Body language, of course!
Being sensitive to prospective customers’ body language is one of the most useful skills to have in sales. There are hundreds of signs to look for when it comes to non-verbal communication and knowing what means what will increase sales.
How Can Body Language Help Me Sell?
Body language plays a crucial role in every human interaction, whether in sales or not. If you aren’t observing someone’s body language, you can’t truly understand how the prospect is receiving what you are saying to them. Whether you are having a conversation with someone at a bar or trying to sell a multi-million-dollar property, being able to read the person’s body language is the only way to maximise the conversation. Body language helps you to close deals, it will tell you when to give vital information to keep the interest of the prospect, and it also tells you when to stop talking (and this is vital). Learning how to read other people’s body language is critical and improving your own body language is just as important.
What Are The Key Signals To Watch For?
There are hundreds of signals that relate to our body language. However, there are some more important ones to look for when you are in conversation with someone you are selling something to. When you are having a conversation, try and pick up these signals so you can see for yourself when they happen, and how subtle they can be.
The Nod
Look for nodding. Even if they are very subtle movements, nods are the perfect signal to let you know someone is into the conversation and in agreeance. Nods are positive signals. Similar to nods, are head shake movements, or ‘No’ signals. These are even more important to notice, as these are the signal that shows the prospect is either not believing you, or not completely understanding a point. Missing this signal early in a pitch can be a sale killer.
The Eyes
Did you know that your pupils are one of the only parts of the human body we can’t control? Pupil size is the vital tell-tale sign of how someone is physically responding in any conversation.
Dilated pupils are an effective way to measure someone’s interest. If someone’s pupils are constricted, it’s a tell-tale sign that they are not open to what you are saying. If their eyes are wide open and their pupils dilate, then you can tell they have an interest in what you are saying. Maintaining eye contact is vital to the success of a sale. It’s a great tell if someone is disinterested or interested. People tend to look away they are not interested.
Facial Expressions
If someone agrees with what you are saying, they will typically smile and nod subconsciously. They often try to hide it, but the subtle signs will help you tell. If people are disinterested their lips will be pursed, their mouth or jaw may be clenched, their eyebrows lower and their head or eyes will turn slightly away.
Although these are just a few of the signs to look for there are other essential gestures people will make, like open hand gestures and closed hand, or palm down gestures. Palm down means they want to control, open hands up or out means you have their attention, and they like what they hear so far. If they are drumming their fingers, it’s usually a good sign they are bored, so change up the pitch. Welcoming gestures mean you have a chance, defensive gestures mean you need to change up what you are doing to convert their responses. There is a load of reading material on body language, so get studying. It is, of course, part of your sales technique.