Body Language: Your Ticket to More Sales

Many sellers obsess over the ‘right words’ to say to prospects when face-to-face.

What if the real magic wasn’t only in the words you choose, but the way you present when engaging prospects: the clothes you wear, the placement of your hands, and so many subtle actions that typically go unnoticed?  

Well, here it is. 

These are the reasons body language is your ticket to landing more sales.

Give Your Prospects More

When unaccustomed to interacting with prospects on the daily (think folks who are new to sales), some of us may instinctively shrink into our chairs, and fold our hands atop one another, trying to be as innocuous as possible.

Here’s why that sucks:

The more you hide from your prospect, the more they fill in the blanks about you. The more you allow them to fill in the blanks, the more the prospect will formulate objections on their own.

That means the less you give to them, the more they lead the trajectory of your exchange. As we all know, top performers understand the value of leading the prospect – not the other way around. 

Lead with An Objection

Think of that wandering prospect in a car lot or a furniture store who seemed perfectly content before you walked up to them saying: “Hey there, need any help?”

Normally, these folks will respond, “No, thanks. Just looking around.”

This generic greeting is also a part of how you present. In a more ideal situation, the seller should instead lead with the expected objection, confidently and in a tone that encourages dialogue: 

“Hey there, you guys looking around?” 

“Yes. We are.”

“Nice. Any idea what you’re looking for today?”

Your tone and body language shouldn’t shun the fact that the prospect is “looking around and doesn’t need any help.”

Instead, you should be inviting, confident and therefore in charge of the flow of the conversation.

Enter the Pattern Interrupt

Years ago when Jeremy Miner just got into sales, he was struggling with door-to-door. It was so bad, prospects wouldn’t give him the time of day.

He realized that copying his peers wasn’t working out: walking up to random doors, introducing himself and his company, the usual.

To fix this, he decided to do something drastic. Miner changed his attire, threw on an orange vest and some khaki shorts and white New Balance tennis shoes and showed up at their doors with a clipboard. 

Once on their porch, he would stand about six feet back, angled to the side (as a means of not appearing too bold). When the owners opened the door, he didn’t introduce his company or say he was trying to sell them. Instead, he asked a question: 

“Hey, are you guys, the, uh, property owners?” 

Curious, the owners engaged not just immediately but emphatically.

Just like that, he was in. 

Now, we’re not saying to go as far as Jeremy did (this was years and years ago and things change in sales all the time). The point is to learn the power of pattern interrupts (altering the way people behave) and the tone and body language cues that can bring you the desired result.

Check out the full breakdown by Jeremy Miner here.

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