The following is an excerpt from my book.
This is the third installment of the body language series.
Part 1: Reading Female Body Language
Part 2: Reading Male Body Language
Parts one and two covered body language signals displayed by men and women in social settings.
A basic understanding of body language is also of great benefit in professional environments.
How does my audience’s body language affect my presentations and sales pitches?
Before making a sales pitch or presenting an idea, you ALWAYS want your audience to have an open mind. They should be willing to act on any information brought to their attention. When an individual is displaying closed body language, he/she may be nervous, insecure, or hostile and may quickly reject any attempt to be influenced.
Indicators of closed body language include:
-arms/legs crossed
-body/feet facing away from you
-displaying little interest in furthering conversation
-attention diverted
One tactic for increasing the chances of attaining a favorable outcome in any sales situation is guiding your audience to ‘open’ body language.
Signs of open body language include:
-arms/legs uncrossed
-body facing you
-attentive
-maintains eye contact
-shows interest in maintaining conversation
Make sure to look for numerous indicators before interpreting body language, as situational factors may be at fault.
How can we induce a shift from open to closed body language?
Shifting an audience’s body language can be as simple as placing something in their hands. Anything that will unfold their arms will do the trick. The actual act of opening up one’s body creates a more malleable state of mind conducive for learning and attitude change, facilitating influence.