Non-Verbal Communication and Sales
Non-verbal communication is fascinating. I know that we learn to understand it before we learn to talk. A two-month old baby understands smiling! I know also that non-verbal messages can be ambiguous at times. Some non-verbal messages differ in meaning from culture to culture, and when there is a conflict between what a person says and the non-verbal messages the person sends with body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice, the listener will believe the non-verbal rather than the verbal. "I'm not mad at you," delivered loudly with a scowl and in an angry tone of voice will be received and decoded as "I am angry with you." I found an interesting article on how sales people can use non-verbal communication to increase their sales by promoting trust and a sense of rapport with their customers. The author argues that nonverbal c
Appropriate dress positively influenced assessments, and the presence of a friendly smile positively influenced customer's assessments of candor and trustworthiness. For example, a fast-paced approach had a negative impact on the customer's assessment. The author did three studies and used a sample of people who were members of a civic group from different socioeconomic backgrounds. The questionnaire asked open-ended questions about recent shopping trips involving a substantial purchase. Thus, sales people need to develop an awareness of the non-verbal messages they send because they influence the customer's response and buying behavior. Participants were asked to describe a successful trip and an unsuccessful trip. It also uses an NLP (neurolinguistic programming) perspective, the theory that the structure and physiology of the brain influences communication behaviors. The first meeting between sales person and customer is crucial when the customer initially perceives and interprets several nonverbal signals. Scenarios were presented and participants were asked to evaluate them. They found that non-verbal cues were important in the assessment of trustworthiness-including assessments of benevolence, expertise, and candor. The researchers created a database from their responses and analyzed it. 197) and because interpersonal communication is 60%-70% nonverbal. The theory suggests that many nonverbal messages are not consciously produced or controlled, and receivers interpret them at a non-conscious level. They interviewed customers to find out what cues they think signal trustworthiness. In his discussion, the author suggests that a specific decision area of the brain decodes and interprets nonverbal signals during the assessment of trustworthiness, confirming NLP theory.
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