In the 1960s Albert Mehrabian, a psychology professor at UCLA conducted studies into human communication patterns. From those studies he contends that body language and tone of voice are more important than the words used when communicating with others. When dealing with feelings and emotions, which are a part of selling, the salesperson’s body language and tone of voice impacts 93% of the communication, with the remaining 7% being impacted by the words used. According to Mehrabian, these three elements must act in sync with each other for you to communicate effectively. Said another way, the words you choose to use must be backed up by your tone and body language for your message to be received as intended.
As in-home salespeople, it would be helpful if the prospective customer perceived us as relaxed, comfortable and confident. So, let’s look at five ways our body language and tone of voice could assist us in delivering that message.
Smile With Purpose: You’ve probably heard the saying “Smile and the world smiles with you.” It’s a variant of the quote “Laugh and the world laughs with you; Weep, and you weep alone” from Ella Wheeler’s poem “Solitude” (1883). The person who smiles more is seen as relaxed, sincere, approachable, and engaging, which are all good ways for a salesperson to be perceived. Plus, if you put a smile on your face to start a sales call and the prospect matches the smile, isn’t that a great way to start things off?
Watch Your Vocal Tone: Lower, richer tones are more pleasing to the human ear and high pitched, thin, nasally tones are less appealing. In situations where emotions are running high, our chest and diaphragm can tighten up and affect the tone of our speech. It’s best to try and keep your voice low, even, and direct during these instances. You may also find it useful, to take a deep breath before responding to help keep your emotions in check. In most parts of your sales call you will want to use a peppy, positive voice, with a hint of enthusiasm. Remember, your vocal tone should match the words you’re delivering during any portion of the conversation.
Meaningful Eye Contact: The person making more eye contact assumes a dominant role in the interaction and the other party tends to pay more attention to you. Eye contact tells the other person you are confident and comfortable in this interaction. Eye contact is important when listening to your customer. It tells them you are paying attention and their needs/concerns are important to you. One word of caution, I have found that a small percentage of people appear to be extremely uncomfortable with eye contact. You’ll know who they are because they will look away within seconds of making eye contact…let that person off the hook.
Work Your Hands: Broca’s area of the brain (Located in the frontal lobe-Cerebrum) named after Pierre Paul Broca, a French Physician, is responsible for speech production and language processing. Studies have shown that hand and arm gestures can affect how messages are received by your audience. Adequate use of your hands can get your points across more effectively, keep the listener engaged, and improve the comprehension of your message. The point is to use your hands in a thoughtful, deliberate way to complement your message in a more expressive manner. Beware that too many, spontaneous hand gestures delivered in a herky-jerky manner can be distracting and will take away from your message.
Power Pose: In the animal kingdom, the Power Pose is used as a defense mechanism and to establish territory. A good example of this is a cobra spreading its hood when surprised or threatened. The Power Pose also has benefits for humans as well. When meeting in business or social settings spread out and take up a little space when sitting or standing. This delivers a message that you are comfortable and confident in this encounter. Avoid drawing in your elbows and shoulders, slumping your shoulders or back, looking down, or otherwise minimizing your physical stature, as this sends a message of uncertainty, hesitation, and general uncomfortableness with the situation.
Social Psychologist Amy Cuddy has conducted some fascinating studies on how our pose can have physiological effects on our bodies. That may be a subject for a future column – be on the lookout for that. Happy Selling!
