Using body language, tonality, and facial expressions to enhance your sales

To begin with we need to outline what a sale actually is and how it is created. A sale has several features all tied up into one beautiful moment –  the close.

Let’s outline briefly before getting into the finer details – how to influence your sale process and outcomes. A sale is nothing more than a perceived added value that you can add to your customers’ lives, the trust that you have created between all parties involved, and the like-ability that you have with your end-user/consumer. This is for all products and services, no product ‘sells itself.’

I would imagine you have enough belief in the product or service that you’re selling, if not there would be zero trust created unless you are a great actor, but be careful that you’re not selling something to someone that doesn’t enhance their life.

I would also trust that you have asked enough questions to ascertain that your solution matches their needs, if so, let’s continue.

Body Language – open body language – your first impression will be the lasting one, you may not get a second chance. Don’t put your hands in your pockets and cross your arms, what are you hiding? Don’t be overconfident, it comes off as cocky and arrogant.

Use open palms, a firm handshake, and look the other person in the eye as you shake. Eye contact is imperative to create that initial connection and to build trust.

Smile, with a genuine, pleased to meet you, face no matter how staunch your customer is. Kill them with kindness but don’t be a pushover, sometimes being super assertive works extremely well as some domineering personality traits are testing your resolve and strength.

Eye Contact – this is going to be one of your biggest assets. You want to focus on pupil-to-pupil. I know it sounds weird, but trust me, your trust levels will go through the roof if you do this, especially when closing or dealing with a difficult objection. High-level negotiators and closers will smell fear like a wild animal in soft closers with weak objection handling skills.

Tonality – if you think of nothing else but this – positives are high, negatives are lower, you will at a bare minimum be encouraging enthusiasm around the benefits of your product.

The lower tonality is not to hide or omit any faults of your product but any negatives of the deal like contract lengths or exit fees could bring up unwanted objections before you have increased a positive buying response.

If you are challenged on anything, the very next thing you do will determine your success.

Example – An elderly customer questions why your company uses an online payment. If the first thing you do is wince, look away or up in the air, and without confidence make something up, you’re gone!

Instead, with confidence, strong eye-to-eye contact with a bold body position you say “great question, the reason we have online secure payment, is that most of our clients want to ensure that they know exactly where the money is going, I am sure you are the same? – wait for the answer, it will always be – yes!

Now you solve their concern:

“Well, the reason we do it this way is that you can track exactly where the money goes and who you sent it to.”

Now close it off:

“And I am sure that when you can instantly see that it has gone to us, you would feel most comfortable wouldn’t you?”

And again, the answer will be – yes.

Now the customer in their insecure state has answered “yes” twice, thus confirming that they have made a great decision rather than you telling them that it was the easiest way to process the form.

Using logic, a case study, and making the customer feel comfortable around their concern is the only true way to close more deals and decrease your cancellation rate.

Facial Expressions – so, we have better body language, confidence, and expressive tonality, now we need these things to match our facial expressions.

Similarly, to tonality, our facial expressions need to match the emotion; concern, shock, excitement, intent, and curiosity all show a different face.

The easiest way to think about facial expressions is to really tap into the emotion of the moment, not become emotional but the emotion, ie if you are in a negotiation and the customer wants a cheaper price then curiously ask “where does it need to be for you to be happy?” then once the answer us received your facial expression should be one of “I am on your side but this is going to be difficult”- the head will tilt slightly to the listening ear, the same side-eye is slightly closed with the cheek raised into the eye.

Remember the person that is most confident always wins the deal.