Experienced sales people know that what a prospect says may be different than what they are thinking. Some people keep a poker face as a negotiating technique, while others may just be trying to politely hide their disinterest. If you want to figure out what the person sitting across from you is really thinking, learning the meaning of a few common body gestures will help.

Before you do anything however, establish a baseline for your prospect's behaviour. Engage in small talk unrelated to your pitch to gauge your prospect's body language in normal conversation. Ask about plans for the weekend, the weather forecast, their telephony service or some other benign question. Pay close attention to their mannerisms when they respond so you will be able to better detect changes later in the meeting.

Once you have established your prospect’s normal behaviour, keep an eye out for the following movements:

1. Mirroring

When two people are in agreement (perhaps about buying an award winning business phone system), they begin to subtly mirror each other's actions. This would be a good sign to watch out for in a sales meeting to determine how the prospect is feeling. If your prospect is mirroring your actions, then it's a good sign that you are on the same page in your discussion.

2. Eye Contact

People's eyes tend to linger on things they like (for example, a shiny new Mitel 5360 IP Phone). A prospect may be trying to act disinterested, but if their gaze keeps coming back to a person or object they are probably interested. Follow your prospect's gaze to see if they make good eye contact or keep glancing out the window.

3. Eye Squints

Many people squint their eyes when they perceive something as troubling or problematic (such as an outdated PBX). Definitely take notice of this in a sales meeting and use it to address your prospect's concerns.

4. Smiles

Smiles are well known as a way to indicate agreement. When they disagree, people tend to purse their lips or clench their jaw. However smiles are also used to be polite or cover up feelings, so check for crinkling around the eyes to see if it's a genuine smile.

5. Face Touching

Sometimes taken to be a sign of deceit, face touching is really a movement people use to comfort themselves and is a sign that something is bothering them. It may be that the prospect is lying or withholding information, but it could also be something else causing discomfort. Something about the pitch may have put them on guard, so find out if you can address any concerns they may have.

6. Arm Position

In general, the more open the position of your prospect's arms, the more receptive he or she is (to getting hosted VoIP from leading provider, VTSL perhaps?). Open-hand gestures are usually a positive signal of interest and receptivity. By contrast, closed fists, folded arms, etc. are usually defensive gestures. A seller can use these gestures to gauge how receptive their prospect is.

7. Leaning

Leaning forward indicates interest and comfort. Leaning slightly back can indicate relaxation, but at the extreme end can indicate boredom. Make sure that you keep your prospect engaged.

8. Legs & Feet

Most people don't think much about what their legs and feet are saying, so there can be some good insight gained here. Feet facing the seller and legs stretched out show positive engagement, while legs pulled back or wrapped around the chair legs shows negativity and disengagement.

Although reading body language is far from an exact science, you can use these gestures to help you judge how comfortable and receptive your prospect is during your next meeting.

If the meeting is on the phone, you won’t be able to notice body gestures, so the least you can do is ensure you have a clear, reliable telephone line.  Call VTSL today to ensure your business has a state-of-the-art hosted IP phone system that will help you communicate better, and close deals.  0207 078 3200