Actions Speak Louder Than Words …Take the Test

By John Boe

The 1960 Presidential Debates between Vice President Nixon and Senator Kennedy were the first nationally televised debates in presidential campaign history. With the advent of television the debates took on a visual dimension and for the first time, 70 million voters were given the opportunity to not only hear the candidates, but to visually compare them as well.

Surprisingly, opinion polls revealed a sharp contrast between the voters who had actually watched the debates on TV versus those who had merely listened to them on the radio. While radio listeners clearly thought that Nixon had won the first debate, television viewers were captivated by Kennedy's smile, charm, and athletic appearance.

The majority of viewers interviewed reported that Nixon's five- o'clock shadow and darting eyes made him appear sinister and far less presidential than Senator Kennedy. The television cameras underscored the significance of nonverbal communication and forever changed the political landscape.

Are You Missing Your Prospect's “Buy Signals?”

Think about the tremendous advantage you would have as a baseball manager if you knew the opposing team's signals and were able to anticipate their game plan. For example, suppose you knew in advance that the other team was planning to steal second base. Obviously, your team would have a competitive edge because you would be able to adjust your strategy as necessary. Likewise, as a professional salesperson, you would be wise to monitor your prospect's body language and adjust your presentation accordingly. By reading your prospect's gestures you will minimize perceived sales pressure and know when it's appropriate to close the sale.

In 1872, Charles Darwin published the book The Expressions in Man and Animals and launched the modern study of nonverbal communication. Essentially, body language is a mixture of movement, posture and tone of voice. The good news about this subject is that your subconscious mind already understands the meaning of every gesture, posture and voice inflection. The bad news is, without the proper training you are unable to consciously apply this information during your client appointments.

Top salespeople and the most successful managers recognize the importance of nonverbal communication in the selling process and have learned to “listen with their eyes.” They understand that one of the easiest and most effective ways to close sales is to be aware of their prospect's "buy signals."

In addition to monitoring your prospect's body language, it's important to be mindful of your own gestures and keep them positive. Remember to unfold your arms, uncross your legs, nod your head in agreement, and smile frequently. The study of nonverbal communication is similar to learning a foreign language in that it requires time and effort to achieve fluency. Acquiring this important skill will allow you to communicate more effectively, read your prospect like a book and close more sales in less time.

Build Trust and Rapport Matching and mirroring your prospect's body language gestures is unconscious mimicry. It is a way of subconsciously telling another that you like them and agree with them. The next time you are at a social event, notice how many people are subconsciously matching one another.

Likewise, when people disagree they subconsciously mismatch their body language gestures. The psychological principle behind matching and mirroring is that people want to do business with salespeople that they believe are similar to them.

You can build trust and rapport by deliberately, but subtly, matching your prospect's body language in the first fifteen minutes of the appointment. For example, if you notice that your prospect is crossing their arms, subtly cross your arms to match them. After you believe you have developed trust and rapport, verify it by seeing if your prospect will match you. Uncross your arms and see if your prospect will match and mirror you as you move into a more open posture. If you notice your prospect subconsciously matching your body language gestures, congratulations, this indicates that you have developed trust and rapport. Conversely, if you notice your prospect mismatching your body language gestures, you know trust and rapport has not been established and you need to continue matching and mirroring them.

Body Language Quiz

If you're a manager, consider using this quiz at your next training meeting to assess your sales team's current level of expertise. When sitting in on a sales appointment with your sales rep, be sure to incorporate nonverbal communications feedback in your critique.

Do you have a working knowledge of body language? See how many of the eight questions you can answer.

1. What emotion is associated with the "palm to chest" gesture?

A. Superiority
B. Critical judgment
C. Sincerity
D. Confidence

2. What is the meaning of the "thumb under the chin" gesture?

A. Deceit
B. Boredom
C. Anxiety
D. Critical judgment

3. What nonverbal message is conveyed with the "chin rub" gesture?

A. Decision
B. Deceit
C. Control
D. None of the above

4. What does it mean when a person rubs his or her nose?

A. Superiority
B. Anticipation
C. Dislike
D. Anger

5. What message is conveyed when a person touches his or her eyeglasses to their lips?

A. Interest
B. Stalling
C. Disbelief
D. Impatience

6. When a person looks over the top of his or her eyeglasses, what message are they sending?

A. Contempt
B. Distrust
C. Scrutiny
D. Suspicion

7. What is the impact of nonverbal communication in a face-to-face conversation?
A. 20%
B. 40%
C. 70%
D. 85%

8. Which of the following gestures is/are associated with lying?

A. Talking through fingers
B. Eye rub
C. Ear rub
D. Lack of direct eye contact
E. All of the above

Quiz Answer Key

1. (C) The palm to chest gesture indicates sincerity.
   
   
2. (D) The thumb under the chin gesture indicates critical judgment and a negative attitude. A good way to get your prospect to drop this gesture is to hand them something.
   
   
3. (A) The chin rub gesture indicates decision. When you see this gesture, avoid the temptation to interrupt. If the gestures that follow chin stoking are positive, ask for the order.
   
   
4. (C) When someone rubs his or her nose it's an indication that they don't like the subject. When you see this gesture you would be wise to probe with open-ended questions to draw out your customer's concern.
   
   
5. (B) When someone touches his or her eyeglasses to their lips it signals that they're stalling or delaying a decision. If they put their glasses back on, it's a buy signal. If they put them away, you have more work to do.
   
   
6. (C) When a person looks over his or her eyeglasses it indicates judgment and scrutiny.
   
   
7. (C) Research indicates over 70 percent of our communication is achieved nonverbally. In addition, studies show that nonverbal communication has a much greater reliability than the spoken word. Therefore, you would be wise to rely on body language as a more accurate reflection of a person's true feelings.
   
   
8. (E) All of the above. The statue of the Three Wise Monkeys accurately depicts the three primary hand-to-face gestures associated with deceit. See no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil.
   

While you may not be called upon to participate in a presidential debate or manage a baseball team, you need to be able to recognize your prospect's “buy signals.” By gaining a working understanding of nonverbal communication, you will be able to reduce sales pressure, build rapport quickly and dramatically increase your sales effectiveness!

John Boe presents a variety of training and motivational programs for meetings and conventions. John brings over twenty years of experience as an award-winning sales trainer to the platform. His programs are unique, consistently well received, and get results. Visit www.johnboe.com for more information. Published in Networking Today, December 2005.

Profile: Earth Angles...spreading their wings.

By Susan Regier

After five successful years, Earth Angels is spreading its wings and expanding the quaint little gift shop. Still located at its original location next to KFC, 1289 Commissioners Road West, Byron, the store has taken over its neighbouring store front to add new product lines, including a distinct Christmas shop.

“With the expansion, we can finally provide a specialized Christmas room to showcase our Christmas angels, Santas, snowmen, fibre optic villages and angels, tree toppers, and ornaments,” said owner Gayle Cumming. “And of course, we provide free gift wrapping to make the hectic shopping season a little easier for all our customers.”

Earth Angels is London’s only angel store, and sells every type of angel imaginable. In every nook and cranny, you’ll find angel figurines, wind chimes, jewellery, wall hangings (including the popular inspirational plaques), cards, and books…something for every age and gender (including pets) – the perfect gift for any occasion.

“Sales have grown 100% since we opened in December 2000,” said Cumming. “Byron has been a great location for us. It’s only fitting that our expansion will be completed exactly five years since our inception.”

After the holidays, the Christmas room will be transformed into a Serenity Garden Room where water fountains, angel statues and stakes, and memorial stones will be available.

“Our memorial stones are a popular way to show tribute to loved ones that have passed on. And we have pet memorial stones to honour our loyal friends, “said Cumming.

Earth Angels has drawn a faithful following over the past five years with customers coming regularly from places throughout Ontario and the U.S. “We have customers from Australia, England, and Ireland who never miss stopping by our store during their annual visits,” said Cumming.

At Earth Angels, you’ll find the perfect angelic gifts for everyone on your list, plus all the festive decorations needed to create a memorable holiday atmosphere this Christmas.

For more information, visit their Web site: www.earth-angels.com


Susan Regier is the publisher/editor of Networking Today and owner of Vantage One Writing, a professional writing service for businesses. (519) 471-8726 E-mail: susan@vantageone.ca Web site: www.vantageone.ca Published in Networking Today, December 2005.

Nine Holiday Foods That Can Kill!

By Debra S. Holtzman

Everyone loves to eat and drink during the holiday season. But some holiday foods can be very dangerous and can even kill. The statistics are shocking! Each year in this country an estimated 76 million Americans will suffer from food-borne illness and 5,000 will die. Children, the elderly, and the immunocompromised are at the greatest risk.

Symptoms of food-borne illnesses include diarrhea, abdominal cramping, fever, blood in the stool, headache, vomiting, and severe exhaustion. Sometimes symptoms may appear as early as a half an hour after eating; other times it could take several days or weeks.

One solution is to keep close tabs on what your kids are eating. Use these tips to keep your family, friends, and pets eating safer this holiday season.

Eggnog: The best way to serve eggnog is to buy it in carton. The store-sold product is pasteurized and is safe. If you make your own eggnog, use only pasteurized eggs and not raw eggs.

Pies: Custard-type pies, including homemade pumpkin pie, need to be refrigerated. Pies at room temperature can grow dangerous bacteria.

Candy canes: Hard candies and candy canes present a choking risk to small children. Keep out of reach of small children.

Cookie dough: If you use raw eggs in the cookie dough batter, eat your homemade cookies cooked! Raw eggs can be contaminated with salmonella, a food-borne illness that can prove fatal if untreated.

Apple Cider: Pasteurization kills bacteria. If you aren't sure if a product is pasteurized, boil it for a minute. Unpasteurized products have been linked to salmonella, E. coli, and listeria – all can lead to death.

Turkey and stuffing: Cooking stuffing in a turkey or chicken should be avoided. The bird cooks both from the outside and the inside. When you stuff the bird, it reduces the heat penetration. Your best bet is to cook the turkey and stuffing separately. If you do choose to cook them together, make sure the temperature reaches at least 180 degrees Fahrenheit in the innermost part of the thigh, while the center of the stuffing inside the turkey reaches 165 degrees. Bacteria can survive in stuffing that hasn't reached that temperature.

Caesar salad: Many homemade recipes call for raw eggs in Caesar salad. Do not use raw eggs in the dressing. Use a pasteurized egg instead.

Perishable foods: Never leave perishable food at room temperature over two hours. Perishable foods include raw and cooked meat, poultry, and seafood products. Once fruits and vegetables are cut, it is safest to also limit their time at room temperature. If perishable food is left at room temperature for over two hours, bacteria can grow to harmful levels.

Alcohol: Alcohol affects children more drastically than adults, so even small amounts of alcohol can be dangerous to children. Spiked holiday punch and eggnog should be kept out of the reach of children. Remove all empty and partially empty cups as soon as possible. Store alcohol in a locked cabinet out of reach and sight of children. Don't store it in your refrigerator where a child could have easy access. Remember, children imitate adults and may drink the beverages they see adults drinking.

Bonus Tip: Pet owners beware! Chocolate is toxic, and sometimes even fatal, for animals! The toxic substance which chocolate contains is called theobromine, a compound that is similar to caffeine. Baker's chocolate (pure, unsweetened chocolate, or cocoa powder) is the most dangerous.

Debra Smiley Holtzman is an internationally recognized safety and health expert and award winning author. She has been featured on NBC's The Today Show, CNBC, MSNBC, in USA Weekend Magazine, Reader's Digest, First For Women Magazine, Parenting Magazine, Family Circle Magazine and Fit Pregnancy Magazine. Debra is also the safety expert on Discovery Health Channel’s Make Room for Baby. The Safe Baby: A Do-it-yourself Guide to Home Safety (Sentient Publications, 2005) is in bookstores everywhere. For more information, please visit www.thesafetyexpert.com.

Published in Networking Today, December 2005.

The Changing of the Guard: Four Key Exhibiting Strategies for Generation Y

By Susan A. Friedmann, CSP

Survey the crowd at any trade show, and one trend immediately makes itself apparent. Attendees are getting younger. The infamous Baby Boomers are preparing for retirement, and Gen X’ers have moved into upper management positions. Now we’re exhibiting for Generation Y.

The members of Generation Y were born between 1977 and 1994. It’s a huge demographic, with over 68 million individuals, 40% of which are already employed full-time. While it’s always unwise to indulge in sweeping generalizations, this generation has consistently exhibited one primary characteristic: they’re trendsetters. Gen X’ers have shown a remarkable tendency to mimic Generation Y’s embrace of everything new, and the Baby Boomers are eager to follow along. If you can attract Generation Y’s attention, you’ll get the other two groups as well.

How do you attract Generation Y? It may be trickier than you think.

For one, Generation Y is skeptical. They don’t trust anybody. They grew up knowing that the media exists only to sell products, that news can be spun, and that the same set of numbers can be used to prove that Enron is thriving and viable or completely bankrupt.

The following four keys will help you attract this interesting and powerful target audience:

Key #1: Provide Proof

Any claim that you make must be backed up with real-world, viable proof. Any arbitrary set of statistics won’t be enough anymore. Generation Y wants to know where you got your numbers from – and don’t mind at all if they’ve been audited.

It’s hard to get Generation Y’s attention. They’ve grown up saturated with media. The average person in this age group is engaged with some form of media – television, radio, podcasting, Internet – almost 19 hours a day. They often, “multi-task” – checking email while watching television or listening to a podcast while reading the morning paper. Your regular exhibit booth with a video clip playing on continuous loop and piles of brochures simply is not going to cut it.

Key #2: Provide Entertainment

This group expects to be entertained. They know their attention is a valuable commodity, and they want something in return for it. Think outside of the box to find creative ways to engage this crowd. Remember to consider more than audio and visual stimuli – to get Generation Y you need to engage ALL of their senses. While we used to caution about over-stimulating attendees, that’s not necessarily a danger with this group. They are more than ready to interact with you on many levels all at once.

That being said, Generation Y is not content to simply sit back and passively watch. They want to be engaged in their environment, fully immersed in the activities going on around them. Given a chance between watching a product demonstration and actually trying the product out, Generation Y will choose to try it themselves every time.

Key #3: Encourage Participation

Hands-on, direct product contact will appeal to Generation Y. This may not be practical for every exhibitor – after all, if you sell earth-moving equipment, you can hardly let attendees drive a front-end loader down the aisle – so be sure to explore tech-savvy alternatives. Could you have a “simulator,” similar to the type used to train pilots? Remember, Generation Y is used to viewing the world through a set of virtual tools. Provide a new experience using these tools.

Finally, Generation Y expects to be recognized as unique. Individuals crave and desire recognition, and are very sensitive to how they are treated. They don’t simply want to be acknowledged, they want to be acknowledged as special.

Key #4: Value the Individual

Even in the brief time your booth staff has to talk with each attendee, they can create the impression that they value the individual. Active listening, noting and using the attendee’s name, appropriate eye contact, and positive, reinforcing statements will make the attendee feel as if the booth staff are genuinely pleased to meet them. This will definitely appeal to the individual who fears being one of the faceless crowd.

Incorporating these keys into your exhibiting strategy does not mean you have to throw out everything you’ve done up to this point. Exhibiting is a constantly evolving art. As you approach each show, consider what elements you can improve to appeal to Generation Y. Staff training should focus on this new up and coming generation, so they are adequately prepared to represent your company to a whole new set of eyes.

Susan A. Friedmann,CSP, is The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, author: “Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies,” working with companies to improve their meeting and event success through coaching, consulting and training. For a free copy of “10 Common Mistakes Exhibitors Make”, email: article4@thetradeshowcoach.com; Web site: www.thetradeshowcoach.com

Published in Networking Today, December 2005.

Resign the Account: Renewing Your Key Client Relationships

By Andrew Sobel

No doubt about it, complacency is the enemy of the educated professional. Most of you have good clients, are sought after for your expertise and experience, and are well remunerated. And sometimes, you get complacent – you don¹t push quite as hard as you did at the beginning of the relationship. You no longer treat your clients, well, like newlyweds (at least metaphorically!).

A good friend of mine, who is a global account director for a leading advertising agency, has a creative and bold solution to this problem: He resigns each of his client accounts at the end of the year. Literally, resigns.

Hold on – he¹s nuts, you say! Not as crazy as you think. Let’s seize on this idea as a metaphor for how you can renew your client relationships each year. It will soon be a new year, and the fourth quarter is an excellent time to have these discussions with your clients. Let’s catalogue a few of the practical things you can do to avoid complacency and sustain your most precious commodity as a professional – your key client relationships.

Resign the account.

My friend really does sit down with each client and do this. In his case, he is backed by a large organization, and there is indeed the possibility of bringing in a new account executive or relationship manager (I realize that not every reader will have this luxury, but bear with me!).

Obviously, this is a delicate discussion and you need to use your own unique language and phrasing in the conversation. For example: “I’m giving you my resignation, as it were, as your account executive/relationship manager. I want to discuss what your needs look like going into next year, and whether or not it makes sense for me to still play that role”; or, “I may no longer be the right person to head this team, and I want to give you the opportunity to consider having someone else take my place”; or, “I want you to have the right person, for you, as the relationship executive from my firm, so let’s discuss whether it still makes sense for me to play this role.” And so on.

In most cases, as you might imagine, the reaction of the client is, “But I really want you to continue to advise us!” The point is not to elicit praise – although that will probably be forthcoming in many cases – but to provoke a deeper discussion about the client’s needs and preferences. It also demonstrates what I call “Selfless Independence” – that uncommon blend of devotion and detachment. To offer to step aside – in a relaxed, confident tone of voice – can be a powerful display of the very objectivity that clients seek in a trusted advisor.

Short of “resigning” your role with the client, what else can you do to reinvigorate the relationship and have a fresh discussion about your client’s needs?

Review the past year with your client.

Schedule a formal appointment to discuss how things have gone during this past year. Be specific when you schedule this time – say something simple like, “I’d like get your feedback on our relationship and the work we’ve (I’ve) done over the last year, and also talk about your needs going forward.”

In that meeting, ask a few, well thought-out questions. Start with some open-ended questions, and then get more specific. Depending on your situation, you’ll use either “I” or “We.” For example:

“From your perspective, how has our work with you gone this year?”
“What have we done that has been most valuable to you?”
“Have there been some things that have been less valuable or had less impact than was hoped for?”
“Do we listen well? Are we sufficiently responsive?”
“Is there anything that comes to mind that would make our relationship easier and more effective for you?”
“What could we do to be more valuable to you and your organization?”
“What are your priorities for the coming year?”
“Looking ahead, are there particular issues that you¹d like us to reflect on or to engage around for you?”

Go deep into a topic of interest to your client.

What is on your clients’ professional and personal agenda? What particular goals do they have? Are there topics of special interest to them? Invest some time (do some research and reading) and plan a session with your client around the topic.
I recall one CFO who said to me, “You know, we're very return-on-capital focused in this company, but none of our bankers ever really picked up on that. One particular bank took a very deep dive into this subject. They prepared, and they came up and ran a session with us where they dug deeply into all the various issues around return-on-capital. That was the catalyst that really took their relationship with us to another level.”

How often do outside professionals take the time to do this? Not very often, I am told by clients themselves. On the contrary: One CEO said to me “A lot of consultants and other professionals will come to talk with me, and they basically ask me, “What are you working on that we could help you with?” Not exactly inspiring, shall we say. Remember, you don’t have to earn your PhD in a subject to bring it up with your client. A bit of reflection on your part, possibly some interesting data, and good questions can go a long, long way toward a discussion that will be valuable for both of you.

Introduce a colleague.

Our own real and perceived (by the client) expertise will always gate or limit the breadth of a given relationship. What other people and resources from your firm can you productively introduce to your client? Clients tell me that they are usually quite open to learning about a given firm’s broader capabilities, but that what brings this to life is meeting an individual who embodies that expertise or experience. You can talk all you want about what great capabilities your company has, but it usually doesn’t resonate with clients until they have made a personal connection with someone.

Create face time together in an entirely new setting.

A lot of the most effective advising takes place outside the office, and for some of your client relationships, it may be the right time to organize face time in a completely different locale than you are accustomed to.

I cannot tell you exactly where this should be, since it depends on the client’s interests and preferences, and also what your relationship is like. Possibilities could include a meal together at a restaurant, a sporting or cultural event, going out for coffee for a change of scenery, creating a family event together, going skiing (I’ve done this with several of my clients who share a love for skiing), attending a charity event that you are both interested in, going to a lecture or seminar, and so on.

Plan next year together.

Some people are afraid of doing this because it seems “salesy” or overly commercial. But the truth is, to sit down with a client with the express purpose of planning your agenda for next year shows interest, dedication, and also self-confidence. The conversation could be highly specific and operational; e.g., you talk about specific matters or programs you’re going to work on, or it could stay at an “issues” level; e.g., you identify key issues of interest to your client that the two of you agree you and your firm will spend some time on.

Explore an area of your client’s life and personality that you aren't familiar with.

How much do you really know about your client, on a professional and personal level? Where did he grow up? Who were her role models? How many siblings does he have, and what do they do? What abiding personal interests does she have? What non-profits are dear to his heart?

Remember, mutual disclosure is a key part of empathy. By sharing a new aspect of your own life with a client, chances are he or she will reciprocate. As this year comes to a close, think about getting to know your client on a new level.

Resigning the account is a bold move, and it may only be appropriate for a few, well-chosen relationships. But short of that, there are clearly many ways you can renew a relationship and bring it to the next level.

Andrew Sobel is the leading authority on client relationships and the skills and strategies required to earn enduring client and customer loyalty. He is coauthor of Clients for Life: How Great Professionals Development Breakthrough Relationships (Simon & Schuster). He can be reached at (505) 982-0211 or by e-mail at andrew@andrewsobel.com www.andrewsobel.com

Published in Networking Today, December 2005.