When we are talking, we are selling.
by John G. Agno
Published on this site: November 2nd, 2005 - See
more articles from this month
Robert Louis Stevenson said, "Everyone lives by selling
something." And I have spent my life selling as a sales
representative, marketing specialist, marketing education
specialist, general sales manager, general manager, vice president
of marketing, management consultant, president and CEO. I
expect that you have always sold something to live, as well.
Selling, at its best, is "helping" others.
How we help others matters. When we reduce thetalking and
increase the listening and observing, we are able to become
more aware of what's really important to people. Knowing how to read people - picking
up on and interpreting their hidden cues - is a critical asset
for success in our personal and work lives.
Studies show that the brain processes four primary codes
of communication. Two of these (speech and vocal codes) are
processed auditorily, while the other two (facial expression
and body language) are processed visually. When assessing
people, we must interpret all four codes of communication
- observing how they move, how they comport themselves, how
they sound, and what they say.
The body language code (the combination of movement, gestures,
and mannerisms) communicates a lot about people - such as:
are they lying or telling the truth, do they like you, and
do they actually mean what they are saying.
For example, people who lean in towards you are showing that
they are interested in you and what you have to say. This
is also the case if someone copies your body language (e.g. crossing legs in unison, clasping
fingers, etc.). People who feel powerful and confident usually
take up more physical space while people that stand too far
away are being arrogant, snobby, or simply showing that they don't like you.
As you improve your ability to read people, you will know
much more about those you deal with and make better decisions
on how to approach them to sell what allows you to live your
life.
Source: "I Know What You're Thinking" by Lillian
Glass, Ph.D.
John G. Agno, certified executive & business coach
Signature, Inc., PO Box 2086, Ann Arbor, MI 48106 Telephone:
734.426.2000 (US Eastern Time Zone)Email: mailto:[email protected]
The most critical knowledge is self-knowledge. http://www.MentoringandCoaching.com
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