Essential Communication & Body Language Tips

ESSENTIAL
communication
BODY
language
That
will
BOOST
your
SALES
with Steve Benson
Badger Maps

TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
First impressions
Connecting
Empathy / Steelmanning
Listening
Body language
Mirroring / Dress for Sucess / Feet / Hands
Speaking
Small talk / Less is more / Scripts
Confidence
Vocal
Attention
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8 www.badgermapping.com

It only takes a
1/10th
of a second
for people to get a
first impression
– Princeton psychologists
J. Willis & A.
First Impressions www.badgermapping.com

● People will remember their first impression & the last thing you say
to them, so make sure to leave a great impression both times
● Even if you can’t close a deal this time, the customer will remember you
in a good light and knows that they can come back to you in the future
Always leave a GREET
& leave mannerly
www.badgermapping.com

CONNECTING

Find common experiences & use
premature ‘We’
Use their first name
Compliment
them
1
2
3
– it makes people feel
like you belong to the
same group and that
you can relate to
their problems

& make them
feel in control of
the conversation
Let
them talk
more
Get a better
understanding
...
… of how they
could benefit from
your product
Feedback
1
2

EMPATHY
Let them talk first &
don’t make assumptions
Every customer is different

Sometimes customers hide some facts or lie
& you don’t know why.
Jumping to negative conclusions
will color the rest of your interactions in a bad light
However, you should always
ASSUME GOOD INTENT

“Try to avoid the urge
to react or defend,
desperately seeking the
quick positive response..
… look for the opportunities
to demonstrate to your customers
that you truly understand them and
that you are an ally and not an enemy.”
– Paul Martin
INSTEAD

STEEL-
MANNING
Instead of starting to defend
yourself immediately,
show that you realize where
they’re coming from. Then
present your idea again.Take their negative argument,
summarize as favorably as
possible

LISTENINGACTIVE
PAY ATTENTION &
LISTEN ACTIVELY
Listening well is a far
more important skill
than speaking well
Be open to the idea
that you might not
have an answer
When the prospect
has completely
finished talking,
make a short
summary

Ask open-ended
questions
to learn more about
your customer
DON’T JUST REPEAT
what they said;
prompt them with MORE QUESTIONS
to get a better overview
Use yes/no questions
only for finding
out facts & leading
the discussion

ACTIVE
LISTENING
Let them think they’re in
control of the conversation
Tilt your head when listening
to them – looks like you’re
paying close attention

LANGUAGE
BODY

they’re relaxed DON’T be uptight
Creates trust & an atmosphere of ease
If
they’re humorous BE upbeat
they want to go straight to business DO that
However
keep it subtle because it could backfire
MIRRORing

Use their words to explain
your ideas
They have attached their personal
meaning & image to these words,
you using them makes the pitch
more personal
MIRRORing

Remember:
1/10 sec for first impression
Always keep your
clothes clean and neat
Keep your makeup low-key,
customer shouldn’t notice it
Ensure that you smell good,
your hair and/or beard is in
a decent condition
People find similarly
dressed others more
likeable & trustworthy
DRESS FOR SUCCESS

Feet close together is
seen as a timid stance
whereas feet far
apart displays
confidence
Don’t invade
personal space
– if they step back,
don’t step forward, it’ll
make them
uncomfortable)
Standing toe to toe feels
confrontational, but having your
torso facing them shows
full attention

Presenters who had their palms facing down or
used finger-pointing were described as
authoritative and commanding,
whereas speakers presenting exactly the same
content were titled as easy-going and laid back
HANDS
Speak with your
palms facing
upwards

HAND
SHAKE
In western cultures a firm handshake
means character, honesty,
quality & trustworthiness

●
HAND
SHAKE
Full contact with
palms touching:
The palms of the hands
are read subconsciously
for messages of honesty
and self-disclosure
Equal handshake:
Thumbs on top,
not with your palm
facing up-or downwards
(displays submissiveness &
dominance)
Matching
firmness:
Grip as tightly as your
partner

Fidgeting, looking away and touching your face makes
you feel insincere & untrustworthy
Most importantly: don’t forget to Smile & Nod
Use eye contact & occasional big gestures to emphasize
your points
Otherwise keep gestures limited since they might come across
as intimidating
Whatever you do, stop checking the clock and your
phone
B
O
D
Y
L
A
N
G
U
A
G
E

EYE
CONTACT
You should be 100% familiar with your
product and use simple language,
because scientists from Kyoto University in
Japan found that we're not actually awkward,
our brains just can't handle the tasks of thinking
of the right words and focussing on a face at
the same time. www.badgermapping.com

WHY
SHOULD
YOU KEEP
EYE
CONTACT
?
Asserts
dominance
Makes you
sound more
honest,
passionate &
open

HOW
do you
KEEP
EYE
contact?
Pick a handful of people in different
places and switch among them, this
way, the people around your chosen
ones will also feel like you look at them
Look at everyone and switch the
person every 3-5 seconds
If the audience is small:
If the audience is big:
2
1

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SPEAKING

Northern Europeans
mostly avoid small talk
whereas Americans
love small talk
Not everyone likes it, be sure to know your prospect’s cultural background
SMALL TALK
Creates an ease of
atmosphere if people
like it

After asking a question,
let it set in.
- Don’t keep on talking
SILENCE [less is more]
Chances are, they’ll feel
awkward & start talking even
more, giving you more
info to work with
Filler words make you
sound unsure;
make pauses instead
Wait a couple of seconds
after the customer has finished
talking
You know..
like
uhh

keep it personal
DON’T overload them with
ALL the DETAILS

Customers will take the role of a calm, patient,
kind teacher and engage more in the
conversation
Know what
you’re talking
about, but also
know what you
don’t know
STRATEGY
#1
Don’t portray
yourself as the
industry expert but as
a curious student;
that approach is more
appealing to buyers

STRATEGY #2
Paint the image of the customer’s life with your product
Talk about their current unhappy reality
& the great future your product will bring

Watch Nancy Duarte
uncovering
THE SECRET
STRUCTURE OF
GREAT TALKS
Nancy Duarte
CEO, presentation designer

Answers to most
critical questions
Important, but shouldn’t
be learned word-by-word
SCRIPTSControversial - BUT useful when in doubt
You don’t want to sound
like a robot
Elevator pitches Presentations

CONFIDENCE

HOW TO GROW CONFIDENCE
Start or end
your days with
listing the
things you’re
grateful for
Noah Kagan on
success:
http://blog.close.i
o/noahkagan
Change body
positions from
low power to
high power ones
(start video from
10:20)

Body
Language
Vocal
Tone of
Voice
Express Yourself with Confidence

Record your successes & failures
Set weekly goals
Set unimaginably huge goals &
be okay with failing to accomplish
them
How to
GROW
CONFIDENCE
1
2
3

SENTENCE LENGTH
● It’s difficult to process long
sentences, pace them slowly, if you
use them
● Short sentences sound much
more natural
ENUNCIATION
● Calm & confident
● Varying intensity & quality

VOLUME
● Loud enough to ensure clarity
● Quiet enough not to be
intimidating
SPEED
● Make pauses
● Calm but rhythmical
● Conveys your enthusiasm,
passion, etc.

ATTENTION

Average human attention span has fallen from 12 seconds in 2000,
or around the time the mobile revolution began, to 8 seconds.
Use short summaries & teasers
to quickly get your message across

Use simple visuals
to catch prospects’
attention better
Colors affect mood:
83% of the information
our brains process comes in
through our sense of sight
Blue hues calm
people
Yellows create an
open atmosphere
Greens relax
Reds & blacks create
a sophisticated
feeling

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