The Psychology of Selling: Increase Your Sales Faster and Easier Than You Ever Thought Possible pdfdrive com

Something You Can’t Hide
As soon as he shook hands with me, I knew the problem. He was originally
from India, from a culture where people did not shake hands when they met. As
a result, when he held out his hand to a prospect, his grip was weak and sloppy.
The prospect immediately lost interest in him and his product, and he could
sense it.
No one had ever told him this. He had no idea how important a firm
handshake was in initiating a business contact in our culture. He had thought that
shaking hands was merely a formality that had no meaning. When he learned
that a handshake was important, he began to practice giving firm, full-handed
handshakes to everyone he met. He wrote to me later and said that his sales had
jumped from the very first week that he began practicing this new technique.
The Proper Greeting
Someone once wrote a letter to “Ms. Manners,” asking if the proper greeting

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Someone once wrote a letter to “Ms. Manners,” asking if the proper greeting
upon meeting a new person was “Pleased to meet you,” or “How do you do?”
Ms. Manners replied by saying that the correct greeting is “How do you do?”
Humorously, she added that you do not say, “Pleased to meet you,” because you
don’t yet know if you are.
When you meet a prospect for the first time, offer your hand, look the
prospect directly in the eye, and say, “How do you do?” This initial contact is
like the kickoff in a football game. If it is done properly, it can move you a long
way down the field toward the goalposts of a successful sale.
Sit Erect, Facing Forward
When you sit in a sales situation, always face the prospect directly. Never lean
against the back of the chair. This makes you look relaxed and uncaring about
the purpose of your visit. Instead, sit with your back erect. Lean forward slightly.
Stay alert, and be fully engaged, both physically and mentally, in the sales
conversation. You should look like a runner at the mark, waiting for the starting
gun.
Interestingly enough, we are greatly influenced by the body language of the
people to whom we speak. When you are sitting up straight, leaning forward,
and aware of your surroundings, you cause the prospect to be more interested
and aware as well. He or she will pay closer attention to you and be more
involved in your sales message. At an unconscious level, the prospect assumes
that what you have to convey is important and valuable. That individual will
therefore pay closer attention to you than if you were leaned back and relaxed
during the sales conversation.