Deliberately or not, we all have perceptions of other people. Right or wrong, it happens. That perception is based on three things:
- The words we use
- The tonality of our speech
- Our body language
People judge other people initially from what they observe. And prospects do it to you. So what perception are you building with potential new customers?
Body language accounts for 55% of your communication. Based on your actions, your expressions and even how you hold yourself others will make decisions about the kind of person, and salesperson, you are. It’s about how you how you shake hands, sit, stand and engage.
You can tell the kind of day someone is having simply by their expressions – humans are typically not great at hiding their emotions and moods – and we’re not supposed to be. Humans are expressive, and how you express yourself can impact the kind of interaction you’re having with a prospect or customer.
Tonality makes up 38% of your communication. It’s about how you enunciate, the pace and speed of your speech, and your accent. If someone who spoke at 100 miles a minute has ever verbally assaulted you, you’ll understand the feeling of confusion. You probably thought to yourself, “What did they just say?” Or if someone was slow and monotone, it may have been so unbearable that you simply couldn’t focus enough to listen.
Either way, if you’re not understood, or if you can’t capture someone’s attention, your communication skills are in trouble.
Finally the words come into play. But they only account for 7% of communication. Yet we all have our own way of expressing ourselves with special words and phrases that have meaning for us. So do our clients.
To be a professional communicator, you must adjust your communication style (body language, tonality and words) to that of your prospect. By doing this, the prospect will feel more comfortable with you. They’ll have a more familiar feeling and will be more inclined to spend time and information with you.
How do we do this? The first step: listen. Listening is the highest form of respect – when someone feels listened to, they begin to build a trusted advisor relationship with you. When you listen, listen with your ears and your eyes – make sure your body language, tonality and words you choose will better help your prospect effectively communicate with you.
You actually do this now. Watch your group of friends at a restaurant, at a concert, sitting on the back deck. They will be in sync. They have a bond based on common communication styles and the conversation flows freely.
Why not be a professional communicator at work and use the same communication style as your prospect?
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