Sales & Marketing Authority, Bestselling Author & Business Motivational Speaker

Let’s dive right in today as we continue our exploration of body language. The third thing we need to consider as we learn about body language is the way people hold their arms and torso. In short, a person will either offer you a closed posture or an open posture. Closed postures tend to be negative while open postures tend to be positive.

So what are some of the closed postures you might see?

• Crossed arms are very common but don’t misinterpret them. A person with crossed arms may be protecting himself but in some cases may just be cold.
• Hunched shoulders usually indicate that a person feels inferior but in some cases may convey a sense of disinterest.
• You may see people who exhibit very rigid body postures. In most cases these people are either very anxious or uptight. But why?
• Finger tapping or fidgeting hands usually indicate that a person is anxious, agitated, or bored. In some cases it means that the person has something to say. Have you been running at the mouth too long?

While negative postures may be discouraging, don’t lose heart. Take them as signs that there may be an issue that needs to be addressed. Hopefully, after doing so, you’ll begin to see some of the more positive open postures:

• People who remain very still are usually interested in what you have to say.
• Individuals who lace their fingers and place their hands behind their head are very open to your ideas.
• Those who lean forward are usually interested in hearing your words.
• Individuals who mirror your own actions are conveying that they like you and what to hear what you have to share.

The arms and torso reveal a lot about what a person is thinking. Combine this information with what you’ve learned about the eyes and face and you’ll be well on your way to successfully reading body language and using those readings to enhance your presentations.

Sean

Sales Expert - Marketing Consultant – Motivational Speaker

Today we’re going to continue our exploration of body language and take a few minutes to learn about the facial gestures people make. As a speaker you’ll find that you often look around when you speak but it is important to become conscious of this habit and make eye contact with the person you are speaking to. This will both help them to understand that you are speaking to them directly and will give you the opportunity to study the face for reactions to the words you are saying.

The eyes may be the window to the soul, but there is certainly more to the face than the eyes. The second most important part of the face is the mouth. Watch the mouth of the person you are speaking with and look for the following:

• Smiles or upward curves in the corner of the mouth usually indicate a positive reception.
• Frowns or downward curves usually have a negative connotation.
• Relaxed lips are usually a positive sign and reflect happiness.
• Tightly pursed lips tend to reflect a sense of confusion, negativity, or discomfort.

Combine what you know about the lips with what you already know about the eyes and it’ll be even easier to confirm the emotions your prospect is conveying. The trick now is figuring out what to do once you’ve identified a negative emotion. How will you handle the perceived objection?

Sean

Sales Expert - Marketing Consultant – Motivational Speaker

Very rarely do people realize how much their body movements, also known as body language, reveal about what they’re thinking or feeling. As a successful sales professional, its important for you to be able to read the body language of your prospects in order to determine if they’re really happy or if they have unanswered questions or concerns.

The four main areas of body language are eye contact (including eye brow gestures), facial expressions, torso and arm behavior, and leg activity. Today we’ll explore the eyes.

The eyes and eyebrows tell amazing stories. You can usually determine right away if someone understands what you’re saying by studing this area of the face. You can read both positive and negative emotions in the eyebrows, as follows:

• Direct eye contact usually means your audience is interested in you or likes you.
• Eyes that appear to be smiling are comfortable in your presence.
• Eyebrows that appear relaxed are also comfortable in your presence.
• Someone who makes very little eye contact (or none at all) is either lying, uncomfortable, distracted, or simply uninterested in what you have to say. They may also feel nervous and confined.
• Tension in the eyebrow region usually means your prospect is confused, tense, or fearful.

Knowing what these signs means will make it easier for you to communicate with your prospects.

What would you do if, for example, you asked a prospect if he had any questions but he responded “no” while scrunching his eyebrows. This indicates that, despite his verbal answer, he still has some sort of reservation or concern. Your job is to figure out what that concern is and address it.

Try not to “misread” people, though. If a car outside the window honks his horn your prospect may divert his eyes to see what is going on. That shouldn’t be taken as a sign of disinterest, especially if he brings his attention back to you again.

We’re going to spend some time exploring body language and hopefully this has given you a good foundation to start from. Start watching people’s eyes as you speak to them. You’ll be surprised at the signals they’re really sending.

Sean

Sales Expert - Marketing Consultant – Motivational Speaker