Sales Skills

Rapport

You never get a second chance to create a first impression

People like people who are like themselves.

Some research suggests that 90% of the impression we form of someone is made in the first 90 seconds of meeting them. Clearly in selling we need to get this right first time.

We make judgments on people we’re meeting for the first time based on our perceptions of three things:

• Appearance
• Posture and movement
• Speech

Appearance

The key here is that it must be appropriate to the sales situation. No good turning up to a site survey in your Gucci loafers. If in doubt err on the side of caution. Dark suit, plain shirt or blouse, sober tie for the men, in short the business uniform.

Posture and movement
Here we come to a vital principle for establishing rapport. By matching the posture and movement of our customer we are subconsciously transmitting the message ‘we’re on the same wavelength’.

Some body language matching is obvious; if a customer is sitting down so do we; if they stand up we follow. If the other person is making a lot of gestures (preferably friendly!) you may find it difficult to stay still. Try yawning at the next meeting you’re in – see what happens.

Remember, matching is not mimicry. You’re not apeing the customer, so limit your matching to general posture, speed of gesture and eye contact, which should be at a level the customer is comfortable with.

Speech
Use the principle of pacing, ie adapting to the customer’s voice tone and speed, but not parrot fashion.

Use the customer’s own words to summarise, don’t paraphrase with your own. This ‘backtracking’ has several benefits:

• it confirms or not whether you are in agreement
• it builds on your rapport – by using the customer’s own words you demonstrate you’re listening to what is important to them.
• it uncovers and resolves misunderstandings
• it progresses the meeting, and therefore the sale, by closing off what’s gone before.

The physical process of initial rapport goes something like this:

• Smile
• Eye-contact (what colour are their eyes?)
• Eye-brows raise
• Shake hands
• Give your name, get their name, use their name

Hand-shakes; one of the very few times we’ll have any physical contact with our customers.

• the dead fish
• the knuckle-grinder
• the glove
• the finger-tip grab
• the wrist hold
• the elbow grasp
• the upper arm grip
• the shoulder hold.

Yours should be the Standard British Handshake – Firm, engaged, dry and short.

Health Warning! Be aware of what’s called Analysis Paralysis, in other words you get so involved in consciously thinking what to do next that you come across as a bit odd. So when practising do it a little at a time.

Body Language
60 – 80% of the message we send to each other comes from our non-verbal behaviour.

Non-verbal signals are hard to fake, as well as hard to control.  There has been a lot of research which says that in a given scenario if there is a mismatch between what someone is saying, and how they are saying it, then people will believe the how, the non-verbal clues.

So as salespeople we must be ever watchful of:

• the message our customers’ body language is transmitting
• our own body language

To avoid misinterpreting one-off signals look out for clusters of signals

For a MALE customer a progression might look like this:

Defensive

- legs crossed, or stretched out with ankles crossed

- knees together

- leaning away

- arms crossed (fists might even be clenched)

- chin down towards chest

Becoming receptive

- legs uncrossing and opening

- slowly sitting up

- arms unfold

- fists unclench

- head lifts

Interested

- leaning slightly forward

- hand stroking chin or mouth

- head tilted

- nodding

Other common signals you should look out for:

Superior

- stretched out

- head back

- hands clasped behind neck or head

- feet on desk!

Nervous/Lack of confidence

- barriers in front of body (hands, folder, documents, glass etc)

- touching the face a lot.

Eye-contact

- the business gaze: a triangle from eye to eye to forehead

- the social gaze: a triangle from eye to eye to mouth

- the intimate gaze: across the eyes and below the chin to other parts of the body. (Can also mean the opposite, ie hostility).

Personal space

- intimate zone: up to 18 inches; only very close friends, family members, or else a sexual or aggressive advance.

- personal zone: 18 to 48 inches; social gatherings, parties, functions, known business acquaintances

- social zone: 4 to 12 feet; strangers, shop assistants, new business acquaintances

- public zone: 12 feet +; addressing a group of people.

All the above comes with a Health Warning. Most of it only applies to Western Business Culture, and even in that there are differences. If you deal with other cultures there is a whole new set of rules for each one.

The absolute minimum for a salesperson is to be aware of the importance of Body Language, and to be prepared to adapt their tactics accordingly.