To Improve Your Sales…Improve Your Body Language

Have you ever encountered a person at a party or other social occasion and immediately made a decision about whether you wanted to engage them in a conversation based on the way they looked or the way they were acting?  Did they catch your eye when you walked in the room or did they avoid eye contact?  Maybe they were in an animated conversation or maybe they were hanging back, leaning against the wall with a frown and crossed arms.

Studies show that over 50% of all communication is non-verbal and that people will draw a conclusion about whether they want to talk to a person – and buy from them  –  in as little as seven seconds.  That is why as retail sales trainers we often spend a significant amount of time working with sales associates on how to improve customer engagement through better body language.

With that in mind, here are six ways you can improve your body language and improve your chances of closing the sale:

1. Make eye contact with every customer – This immediately establishes a personal connection between you and the consumer.
2. Give a genuine smile – No one wants to talk to a grumpy sales rep, so when you make that eye contact brighten the customers day with a real smile…after all, you are glad to see them!
3. Make immediate contact – If a consumer will begin to make a buying decision within seconds, don’t rely on the store displays to do all the work, improve your odds by taking a step toward the customer and say “Hi”.
4. Open your posture – avoid placing your hands in your pockets or crossing your arms.  These poses encourage you to slouch and send a message that you do not want to talk to the customer.
5. Avoid Barriers and direct face-to-face contact – Often sales reps will stand behind a counter or other large object when speaking with a customer.  Other times the will stand directly in front of the customer (“belly to belly) while speaking.  A better practice is to stand a little to the side while speaking.
6. Respect personal space – most people want to be able to have a conversation without feeling like they have to shout or that they have to step away because their personal space has been invaded.  A good rule of thumb is to stand 3-4 feet away from a customer.

Remember…while you may have a beautiful store and your products may be the best in the market, but if you are not establishing great rapport with your customer you still may not get the sale.

Are you looking for other ways to improve your retail selling skills?  Contact us to learn more about  the Top Check Selling System, our on-line retail courses and retail seminars!