Appearance is being. Does appearance determine reality? In our everyday lives, we constantly have to distinguish between the two. We humans have the fundamental ability to expose appearances as such. But we don’t always succeed. Just because we can see a lot of things doesn’t mean that we understand everything. Even what we can’t see is important. In terms of emotions, this means that the absence of emotions is just as meaningful as their presence. Is someone fooling us? Is it really what it seems? Even the slightest shake of the head can mean “no”. We sometimes react unconsciously when we don’t mean what we say. In all areas of our lives, we are faced with the challenge of having to distinguish between reality and appearance, between fact and error, between truth and lies. People lie in the most innocuous conversation, and when they show their true colors, you realize that you have been with a complete stranger. In sales, the fundamental task is to get to the bottom of these things, to work out the facts and true intentions from an abundance of contradictory signals.
The Role of Personal Interaction in Sales
Through evolutionary adaptation mechanisms that we have learned and refined over hundreds of thousands of years, we actually know what to look out for when we are confronted with someone. Just think of telephone communication: why are big deals rarely concluded over the phone, but almost always in person? The larger the sums involved, the more emphasis is placed on personal contact. Why do people want to see the person they want to do business with? Because words and voice are not always enough to get a picture of a person. Because what someone says with words is always accompanied by something unsaid in a personal conversation: a whole series of planned and unplanned messages. Ancient programs run unconsciously. This is also the reason why we like shopping online, but prefer to inspect the really important (or expensive) things ourselves. Why? Because we unconsciously look for messages in personal conversations with the salesperson to ensure that they understand what we really want. That’s why we are generally much more skeptical of online offers, have heard too much about dubious offers and, above all, can’t really look the other person in the eye. Added to this is the fundamental mistrust because we see neither the goods nor the customer. There are no more certainties. We are constantly in doubt.
Why We Prefer Face-to-Face Communication Over Virtual Interactions
Body language sells. The personal encounter, the approach, the handshake, the posture when talking – all of these convey many subtle but powerful messages that help us to assess the other person. The ability to read your customers offers fascinating opportunities for sales. The ability to be present, ergo: the ability to show your best (authentic) side at the decisive moment by establishing a deep connection with the buyer, is crucial for the difference between medium and great success in sales. Both are possible if we are authentic and our body language supports us in this. Dealing credibly with our fellow human beings is both a challenge and a trump card at a time when personal interaction is becoming increasingly difficult in the face of globalization and advancing technology. Those who do not master this interaction will fall behind professionally. At the same time, it also means that we have to acknowledge the fact that life has a certain theatrical flavor and that we must not be naïve by taking the appearance of our fellow human beings at face value. Recognizing, deciphering and working with non-verbal signals is crucial when trying to understand, convince and connect with those around us.
The Link Between Communication and Selling
Accordingly, I would also replace the word “selling” with the word “communicating”, because communicating and selling require the same skills. Selling is the same as communicating and communicating is the same as selling. It is important to me that this message is understood, because it is the most important skill that every successful person possesses. When we stop communicating, we also stop selling. A decline in sales means that we can no longer reach our customers through communication. It doesn’t matter whether this communication serves an idea, a product or another goal. We have to constantly convince others. Whether it’s a speech in front of an audience, a negotiation or, more importantly, establishing and maintaining human relationships with our employees, colleagues, superiors, investors, friends, voters, children and, above all, our customers, it doesn’t matter.
Every Conversation is a Sales Pitch: How to Communicate Effectively
Conversely, this means that only those who are prepared to sell their project, idea, concept, plan, intention or story communicate well. Those who are not prepared to sell do not communicate as well as they perhaps could, because every conversation we have is a sales pitch. Regardless of whether we want to sell a product or ourselves. Selling is the engine. Whether professionally or privately is irrelevant. If you sell (communicate), you have to listen, you have to observe, you have to engage in dialog. Consequently, exceptional professional performance is always the result of exceptional communication skills. The most extraordinary skill is to win over other people, because we live in a world that is largely determined by people, and we are constantly dealing with people.
Recognizing and Overcoming Barriers to Effective Communication
Do you believe that you are capable of more in your job than you are currently achieving? It doesn’t matter whether or what you sell, who you are or how long you have been in sales. You are probably successful and very good at your job. But does this level correspond to what you could actually achieve?
I am always amazed at how little thought salespeople, speakers or managers give before they present their product, entertain their audience or make decisions. Because the context in which they present themselves is completely irrelevant.
Mastering the Symbiosis of Personality and Body Language in Communication
Many intelligent people constantly sell themselves short. Because they are nervous or unprepared in the decisive moments and do not present themselves as they could. Their real abilities remain invisible because their presentation does not match their personality. What do I mean by that? That their communication is necessarily stereotypical and untrustworthy if they feel uncomfortable in their own skin. Communication training without recourse to body language is therefore nothing more than whistling in the woods. Consequently, classically trained sales trainers are no help either. Simply because they have copied from other trainers or have memorized their training courses. The problem, however, is that they can’t sell themselves, which is why their concepts are doomed to failure and the forest is full of poorly trained salespeople.
Communication Training as Sales Training
Once again: communication training is sales training, and sales training is the perfect symbiosis of personality and body language. Only when personality and body language form a unit can authentic communication succeed.
The Science Behind Using Body Language to Enhance Your Performance
Why body language?
There are two elements to every persuasion process that you must first analyze and understand: Firstly, that you yourself have an effect on others. The effect you have depends on your body language. The next point is the crucial one: You must learn to understand what your body language also does to you. Because consciously using your own body language means that certain postures and body movements put us in a state that enables us to perform at our best and we have access to the resources that drive us to top performance in the first place. How we feel has a decisive influence on how we move and use our body. Interestingly, this also works in the other direction: we can also sell ourselves below our level because we allow our own body language to put us in such a state. By consciously using body language, we gradually trigger ourselves to become the best version of ourselves and be present in the most challenging moments. Make this skill second nature to you. This includes decoding your counterpart and developing measures to overcome their defenses and connect with them on an equal level. In other words: being able to communicate below or above their level in individual cases. Being able to decode the body language of your counterpart is the turbo in the effectiveness of your communication.
How Body Language Is Changing the Future of Sales
Body language is becoming increasingly important. Not only for investigators, security personnel or for us sales strategists. The following chapters are designed to help you give your best at all times, convey essential information to the right target group, remain relaxed and appear natural and authentic. The better you come across to others, the easier it will be to reach your goal. And don’t let unconscious primal programs limit you. Many of these programs originate from our evolutionary past.
