|
NonVerComm
Week
1
"Overview
of Basic Non-Verbal Communication Strategies"
Week
2
"Using
Non-Verbal Communication at the Beginning of a Call"
Week
3
"Non Verbal Ways of
Becoming a Better Listener and Presenter"
Week
4
"NonVerComm
at Closing"
Past Training Tips
Non-Verbal Communication
Negotiation Strategies That Win
Merged Selling
The Art of Renewing a Client
Time Maximization Strategies
|
Non-Verbal
Communication
The
hidden language of sales...
Week
2: Non-Verbal
Communication at the Beginning of the Sales Call
In
our opening segment last week on NonVerComm (our J Lo-like abbreviated
name for Non-Verbal Communication), I addressed some 'basics' you need
to grasp about this whole area of paying attention to what may be
happening beneath the surface in a sales call. It's
important to revisit those basics often because we can forget about
this "underneath world" from time to time and float back up
to the surface where we are communicating only with words and again
missing the majority of what the client really means.
Now
let's begin to apply NonVerComm into the sales process, beginning at
the beginning with what happens when we start the call.
Building
Rapport --
Rapport
is basically establishing a level of comfort with
someone...communicating effectively. It DOESN'T necessarily mean
"friendly" or overly talkative communication: if you are
with a quiet non-talkative person, you may establish comfort and
communication by also being quiet and just being there. With a
person who is volatile, loud, even angry, you may never establish a
level of comfort and communication unless you can crank up your
volume, and "cut to the chase" with what you're saying.
We
are focusing on the Non-Verbal aspects of communication, so let's
review what we can do to establish rapport using our body language.
-
Shaking
Hands -- some people are sensitive about being touched, especially
in a sales call where they might be facing an overly enthusiastic
seller who wants to crush their hand, or the nervous seller who's
hand is drenched in sweat
-
Wait
for the client to extend the hand...if they don't, then you
should extend yours, but in a non-aggressive way...make it
quick and move on...no vibrant thrusts back and forth like you
two are sawing down a tree and certainly no double hand action
with this client...
-
Standing
Positions -- when first meeting the client, stand exactly
like they're standing, then eventually you can move out of that
position. If they sway, you sway (just like that...sorry)...all
of this seems like it's going to be so obvious, but trust me no
one thinks about this stuff as they're having surface
conversations...but it forms a bond with a client that is unseen
-
Seating
Positions -- when you finally sit down, do the same
thing...sit in a similar position as the client (obviously we need
to watch this if Tex throws his legs up on the table to sits with
knees a mile apart) ...mainly look for how 'casual' they are...are
they laid back...are they more formal...you need to match the
'tone' more than the actual sitting position
-
Nervous
Tapping or Moving -- keep an eye out for the client's
nervous tapping or spinning, or playing with things as he or she
is talking...it can be rather interesting to do something else,
but keep the beat with the client...so while he's tapping away
with his pencil like Keith Moon (old Who reference for you
youngsters out there)...you might tap your notebook...again, not
in an obvious way, but in a subtle way...strange and freaky as
this may appear, all of these things form a hidden level of
contact, communication
-
Matching
Major
Switches in Position -- watch how the client moves major
positions...from sitting forward to leaning back...from resting
the chin on the right hand, to resting the chin on the left
hand...then wait a moment, and switch your positions as well...not
the exact positions as that COULD become obvious, but to a
different position maybe opposite of the client
-
S
- L - O - W D - O - W - N -- we can all get
nervous in a sales call...and why WOULDN'T we? It's usually
with a stranger...in their office...talking about their
problems...asking for their money...etc... Work on
slowing down your nervous body motions. Sure, we want to
match a jumpy client, but only in the beginning...eventually we
want to control the pace of the call and how long it will last
purely with our body movements.
-
Watch
Your Head and Eyes -- stop simply nodding your head to
everything the client says...nod on occasion, but sometimes look
confused (furl one eyebrow and shake the head a bit) , or
interested maybe surprised (raise the eyebrows)...LOOK LIKE A
LISTENER not just a YES MAN...
-
Write
Stuff Down!!!!! -- a simple non-verbal thing you
can do is to write information down...and make sure you write
longer than the client talks...even pausing to finish your writing
before you move on. You're sending the signal that says, "I'm
not like the normal sales folks that come in here and talk without
writing more than just a few notes (if anything at all)....I not
only write stuff down, I am interpreting what you're saying...I AM
AN EXPERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Exercises for the Week:
Next
Week:
Week
3: Non-Verbal Ways of Becoming
a Better "Listener" (and not just to words)
===============================================================
Greg
Bennett, a partner in the innovative brand expansion and
consulting organization, Altitude Premium Consulting, LLC, has been one of the top sales and sales management
trainers in professional sports and entertainment since 1988. He
has created and delivered training programs for over 80+ professional
sports teams and leagues, along with several Fortune 500
companies. Altitude Premium Consulting provides training as
well as the creation of premium-branded goods for pro sports teams,
entertainment companies and
corporate sponsors, and is in a
partnership relationship with Kroenke Sports Enterprises,
owners of the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Pepsi Center, the
Colorado Mammoth and several other sports and entertainment entities
throughout the United States. Bennett can be reached at (303)
405-6110, or you can email Greg directly at gbennett@pepsicenter.com
.
|
Altitude
Premium Consulting,
LLC
|
|