SELLING WITHOUT WORDS:
The Language Of Nonverbal Communications

Researchers in the area of nonverbal communications claim that as much as 90 percent of the meaning that is transmitted between two people in face-to-face communications can come via nonverbal channels. If this figure even comes close to reality, then the importance of studying and using nonverbal communications in sales transactions is obvious.

You can tell a great deal about others and they about you simply by noting their body gestures. However, each individual isolated gesture is like a word in a sentence. Unless it is a one-word sentence, it takes more than one to give a full meaning. Therefore, you should consider the gesture in light of everything else that is going on around you. Let's look at some of the more common interpretations of individual gestures.

EYES

The eyes, known as the windows of the soul, are excellent indicators of a person's feelings. The expressions "shifty eyes," "beady-eyed," or "look of steel" demonstrate the awareness that people have for this area of the body. The honest person always has a tendency to look you straight in the eyes when speaking. Recent work in this area has shown that there is some scientific basis for these long held beliefs. It was discovered that speakers who were rated as "sincere" looked at their audience an average of three times longer than those speakers who were rated as "insincere."

People avoid eye contact with another person when an uncomfortable question is asked. You should be aware of this and steer clear of certain topics that result in the avoidance of eye contact. You should be trying to reduce tension and build trust rather than increasing the tension.

Eye gestures are often easily interpreted. The raising of one eyebrow shows disbelief, while two eyebrows raised shows surprise. Winking can be flirtatious, or often indicative of agreement, especially when accompanied by a nod or a smile. You should be sensitive to the body language of a customer who looks upward with a fixed expression while blinking rapidly. Chances are that what you are talking about is being seriously considered. In fact, a favorable decision may have already been made on the big issue and the prospect may simply be meditating on the details. Patience on your part is needed here. You should refrain from further intense discussion until the prospect's thought process is complete.

THE FACE

"You can read her face like an open book" has been a common statement used to describe people whose facial expressions are very demonstrative. Sometimes facial expressions are very guarded because no one wants to betray his position prematurely by expressing a nonverbal opinion. The term "poker face" is an example of an attempt to keep others from knowing your true emotions.

THE HANDS

Tightly clenched hands or wringing hands usually indicate that the other person is experiencing undue pressure. Steepling, joining the fingertips together and forming what might be described as a "church steeple," indicates a smugness and great self confidence in the other person. Superiority and authority are usually indicated when you are standing and joining your hands together behind your back.

A number of attitudes and emotions can be conveyed by what people do with their hands around the face or head. For instance, gently rubbing behind or beside the ear with the index finger usually shows signs of doubt. Casually rubbing the eye with one finger can also mean the other person "doesn't know" about what you are saying. Boredom is communicated by placing your head in your open palm and dropping your chin in a nodding manner while allowing your eyelids to droop. Placing your hand to your cheek or stroking your chin generally portrays thinking, interest or consideration. On the other hand, pinching the bridge of your nose with your eyes closed or placing your forefinger near your nose with the chin resting in the palm of your hand and your fingers bent or curled across the upper lip most often shows that critical evaluation is taking place.

THE ARMS AND LEGS

Tightly crossed arms tend to signal defensiveness. It seemingly acts as a protective guard against an anticipated attack or a fixed position from which the other person would rather not move. Conversely, arms open and extended toward you generally indicate openness and acceptance.

People who tightly cross their legs seem to be telling you they disagree with what you are saying or doing. If others have tightly crossed legs and tightly crossed arms, their inner attitude is usually one of extreme negativeness toward what is going on around them. As long as they are in this position, it is unlikely you will get their full agreement to what you are saying or doing.

POSTURE - SITTING AND WALKING

Sitting with a leg over the arm of a chair usually signals an uncooperative attitude. Sitting with a chair back facing forward and straddling the seat with your arms on the back of the chair tends to express a dominant, superior attitude. Sitting with your legs crossed and the elevated foot moving in a slight circular motion may indicate boredom or impatience. Interest and involvement are usually projected by sitting on the edge of the chair and leaning slightly forward.

Generally, people who walk fast and swing their arms freely tend to know what they want and to go after it. People who walk with shoulders hunched and hands in their pockets tend to be secretive and critical. They don't seem to like much of what is going on around them. Dejected people usually scuffle along with their hands in their pockets, head down and shoulders hunched over. People who are preoccupied or thinking, usually walk at a slow pace with their heads down and hands clasped behind their back.

USING BODY LANGUAGE

The body language of your customers is very important to you. It tells you how your words are being accepted. A customer may show agreement with your words by nodding his head slowly or perhaps bobbing it enthusiastically. Disagreement may be evident when he shakes his head or raises his eyebrows to indicate amazement or doubt. Regardless of the attitude expressed, you should know the effect of your words before you finish speaking simply by keying in on the body language projected by your customers.

You should always be aware of your customers' body language. Their body projections should guide your presentation, and each interaction should be geared toward that individual customer's emotions and attitudes. You should constantly monitor body language and be alert to any physical changes in body postures and gestures that might indicate a change in mental attitude. You can then adjust your presentation.

The changes in the body projections that a customer manifests may mean that he or she is ready to make a commitment to a new plan. The most obvious things to observe are signs of relaxation unlocking of ankles, palms and arms extending outward toward you, and movements toward the front of the chair - all of which indicate that a customer is listening to you and tuning in to your message. If, on the other hand, your customers close their limbs, cross their arms tightly across their chests, and continue to lean back in their chairs, you are probably not being very effective with them. They are not being receptive to what you are trying to say and a change in approach on your part is necessary in order to win them back.

If your customer starts to nod her head with you and copies your gestures, especially to the degree of leaning forward in the chair and balancing on the balls of her feet, you have someone who is really on the same wavelength as you. It is important to recognize these signals early and get a commitment on the sale, if appropriate. Otherwise, you may keep talking beyond the point of appropriateness and eventually bore the customer. By carefully reading her body language, you will know when to continue along the same line of conversation, change the subject, ask for a commitment, or totally end the conversation.

In addition to the body language that your customers manifest, you should be aware of your own body language. You must realize that you are sending signals of your own to others around you. Even if others are not trained in body language, they will still be affected by your body projections. They may not consciously interpret these signals, but they will react to them nonetheless. What makes it worse is if your body language and your words are not communicating the same thing. This can create an enormous credibility problem for you in the eyes of your customers. It may condition them to always look for double messages in their conversations with you.

Defensiveness, anger or frustration on the part of your customers may be a direct result of your aggressiveness, dominance, or manipulative body language. Buyer/Seller "games" and a deterioration of the trust bond result from these postures. You can create either beneficial or dangerous emotional responses.

Researchers have found that people who sit in open, relaxed positions are seen as more persuasive, active and are better liked than those who sit in a tight, closed manner. Salespeople who sit in an "open" relaxed way are able to effect greater opinion change in their customers than those salespeople who do not sit this way.

The relevance of ready body language should be obvious. Studies have demonstrated that people who exhibit "expressionless stimuli" blank face, aloof, uninterested - produce low levels of self-expression in others. A simple head nod and a warm smile allows your customers to fully express their own feelings. Your actions and role are equally important to that of observing the customer.

Body language is an essential part of interpersonal communications. For salespeople, knowledge and mastery of reading body language is an integral part of success. The mastery of this skill allows you to understand the needs of customers, co-workers, and is also an aid in your own self-expression to others. However, it should be remembered that body language is an inexact science. Gesture clusters are clues to the attitudes and emotions of another person, but they do not provide conclusive evidence. Body language provides the basis for making assumptions that ought to be tested and validated, not for concluding facts.

If all else fails, you can always revert back to words.

ARTICLE TAGLINE FOR DR. TONY ALESSANDRA

Dr. Tony Alessandra has authored 13 books, recorded over 50 audio and video programs, and delivered over 2,000 keynote speeches since 1976. The ideas in this article, and many others, are adapted from Dr. Alessandra's book, The Sales Professional's Idea-A-Day Guide (Dartnell). If you would like more information about Dr. Alessandra's books, audio tapesets and video programs, or about Dr. Alessandra as a keynote speaker for your group, call (800) 222-4383 or visit his website at http://www.alessandra.com.

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