3. 8 Sales Insight ●● SUMMER 2010
CAN YOU RECOGNIZE what certain body gestures
mean?Moreimportantly,doyouknowhowtoreactwhen
younoticethem?Payingattentiontoimportantnonverbal
customer cues, such as avoiding eye contact and fidgeting
with hands, can make all the difference when selling a
car. Sales consultants routinely encounter defensive, timid
customers in the showroom who have preconceived notions of what
to expect. Patrick Burns of White-Allen Honda in Dayton, Ohio, knows this all too
well. “People enter the dealership expecting a hard sell, which is not our style,
”
Burns notes. “Hands shoved back into pockets is a sign that they are reluctant.
If customers sit down and their legs are tightly crossed, this is another indicator
that you have work to do.
”
Burns adjusts his body language to the customer and avoids bold, animated moves.
Instead, he uses an open stance and limited, non-threatening gestures. The tech-
nique is called mirroring, where you try to build rapport with new Honda customers
by matching their gestures. Other examples of mirroring include:
Mirror customers’ posture and walking pace.
Avoid any physical contact unless the customer initiates it.
When seated, sit upright or lean back, mirroring how the
customer sits.
BODY LANGUAGE IS VITAL
Our tone of voice and body language have a far greater
impact than the words we use on the showroom floor.
– Dr. Albert Mehrabian, Silent Messages. 1971.
Belmont, CA. Wadsworth.
B
O
im
7%
Words We Use
38%
Tone of Voice
55%
Body Language
What MovesYour Customer?
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4. Sales Insight ●● SUMMER 2010 9
Most important, however, is to be natural. “Mirroring
has to be genuine and fit your own personality,
” says
Mark Honkofsky, Gold Master Sales Consultant for
Northwest Honda in Owings Mills, Maryland. “If you are
too obvious, customers may think you are imitating them –
an approach they feel is manipulative.
”
Face and Space
Make eye contact within the first seconds of meeting your
customer. If they are glancing downward, then they are hesi-
tant and you need to get to the root of that. “I watch cus-
tomers’ eyes and eyebrows carefully during a presentation
and demonstration,
” says Eileen Steele, Gold Master Sales
Consultant at Sussex Honda in Newton, New Jersey, who
attributes much of her decade of success to her ability to
interpret facial expressions. “Once their eyes brighten and
their eyebrows go up, I know I have found a benefit that reso-
nates with them.
”
Super-athletes Kobe Bryant and Drew Brees are masters
at creating game-winning sports momentum. In the field
of psychology, experts identify a similar concept in sales:
equilibrium, the ability to generate positive movement with
properuseofphysicalspace.Simplyput,equilibriumdescribes
a comfortable distance between two or more people engaged
in a personal or professional exchange. “I observe how close
or far away the customer stands,
” continues Honkofsky.
“If people move away, I give them the room they are telling
me they need. If they step closer, then they may feel more
comfortable around me.
”
Step too close and you run the risk of alienating the customer.
Keep too much space between you, and the customers may
decide you are not interested in earning their business.
Of course, it is also possible to re-establish equilibrium by
opening or closing the gap. Honkofsky suggests constantly
monitoring and adapting to the messages your customer
is sending. In addition to gestures, facial expressions, and
physical space, there are many other applications of body
language that can aid sales. Check the Internet for numerous
articles on how body language can work for you.
WOW vs. BYE
What Your Customer Is Thinking
According to Professor Michael J. Cody of the University of
Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communications
in Los Angeles, California, the ability to recognize and react to
subtle nonverbal cues distinguishes master sales consultants
from beginners. Here are some positive and negative body
language signs you should look for.
Wow (Positive)
Folded Arms. Surprisingly, folding the arms does not always
mean the customer is closing down. “The customer could
also be considering your presentation and thinking seriously
about the Honda product,
” says Dr. Cody.
Taking a Step Away. Likewise, taking a step back is not
always negative. Some customers simply need space when
they are making a decision.
Eye Movement. Maintaining a steady gaze at you or the
Honda product shows the customer is engaged, interested,
and willing. Focusing on a particular feature or item (such as
the safety rating on the sticker) offers a clue to the customer’s
buying motivation.
Bye (Negative)
Customer Tells a Joke. Humor from customers does not
always indicate comfort. Dr. Cody advises that salespeople
watch the customer’s hands. Nervous fidgeting or rustling
pocket change betrays boredom or unhappiness.
Reaching for a Purse. Buttoning a jacket and reaching for per-
sonal items may be “leave-taking gestures.
” These indicate
the customer is losing interest and wants to move on.
Smiling. According to Dr. Cody, women customers often
mask unhappiness behind a smile.
Leakage. If you sense hidden negativity, Dr. Cody suggests
you look for a “microexpression,
” such as a frown or wince
that quickly comes and goes.This fleeting signal indicates that
you must build further rapport.
s and eyebr
monstration
Consultant at
attribu
n
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