Almost all tips and techniques mentioned in previous posts are about the verbal cues and communication. However, there are times where one’s body language tells more than his words.
According to Albert Mehrabian's 7-38-55 Rule of Personal Communication, the message one conveys in a sales communication consists of 55% body language and nonverbal communication, 38% tone of voice, and only 7% in the words that one uses. Now, Mike is going to try closing a deal using non-verbal cues taught by his sales manager.
1. Body language – When Mike meets his prospects, he always maintains a proper posture because he understands that one’s posture reveals a lot of his personal traits.
To let the prospects know that he is focusing on them, he often leans slightly forward to show that he is listening. If he keeps shaking his legs or tapping his toes, this might show that he is impatient and nervous.
2. Smile – A smile is the best way to deal with any difficult situations. This also applies to deals closing. Mike believes that a smile is magical and can make his prospects trust him more, but only show a smile when it’s appropriate. A prospect wouldn’t want to see him smiling widely during a serious discussion.
3. Eye contact – If a smile can build trust, then eye contact can tell everything. Almost no one can control their pupils, that’s why the eyes and eyebrows always tell the truth.
When Mike talks to his prospects, he makes a lot of eye contact to let them think that he is focused and interested in what they say. Also, it is important to look into their eyes to show confidence about what he’s saying. It increases Mike’s sales closing rate when they have confidence in him.
4. Confident and relaxed facial expressions – It is normal to feel nervous when negotiating with someone, especially when Mike is still a new salesperson. His sales manager told him to make his body presence large with posture and a wide stance to look more authoritative and confident.
His words will have more credibility with the authoritative as it shows that he has confidence in what he’s saying. To look confident, one has to first look relaxed. Mike’s confidence comes from all the non-verbal cues mentioned above. He makes sure to maintain a good posture, smiles when appropriate and makes suitable eye contact.
However, such non-verbal communication strategies will not improve one’s negotiating power. Instead, they help to leave a positive impression and eventually increase one’s sales closing rate. The more frequently one incorporates these non-verbal cues, the more they will become second nature, effectively empowering one’s sales closing skills.