You’ve got a great product and a convincing argument – so why is the client saying no? It might be your body language.
A simple gesture can be the difference between a broker making a stack of money and not, says Mark Bowden, a best-selling author on body language.
He offers the following advice for brokers looking to send the right messages to their clients:
Have hands chest high and open in expression
“I’m telling you I made $2 million last year,” says Bowden, standing before a room full of financial professionals, with his arms and hands lowered to his sides.
“Now I’m telling you I made $2 million last year,” he repeats, his hands brought up chest high, hands open in expression.
“What are you more likely to believe? Hands lowered makes your reptilian brain think I am disappointed or perhaps hiding something when I give you that number. When my hands are up here, open, it sends a message that ‘I am not a threat, I can be trusted.’”
Smile at clients (but don't make it a quick one)
Engaging clients with a smile is crucial, says Bowden, but just make sure they have registered it.
“Something as simple as your smile – if you see a client on the street and only flash them a quick smile, the reptilian brain needs to see that smile for three full seconds to fully evaluate if you are friend or foe," says Bowden.
"If the smile is too quick, or only half-hearted, there isn’t enough information for the brain to process, so it ‘fills in the gaps’ so to speak, and decides that there is something ‘going on’ behind that smile,” he says.
Be the length of your hand away from the table when seated
When you do sit down with a client, closing a deal can be decided by a few inches, just by the way you position yourself at the table, adds Bowden.
“You need to be the length of your hand away from the table when seated. That way, you are exposing your midrift. When you show this area (pointing to his stomach) you are leaving your sensitive organs open to attack, which is a prehistoric way of showing trust to others – showing that you trust them not to kill you,” he says.
Sit up straight and maintain eye contact
And of course you should heed your mother’s advice – sit up straight, he says.
On the listening side, we use our ears for hearing – but it is our eyes that show others we are truly paying attention, says Bowden.
“I look at you and nod my head – the universal signal that ‘food is good,’” says Bowden. “You need to show that engagement, nodding, smiling and maintaining eye contact.”
It may sound like simple advice to many, but it is not easy when a broker is under the gun to meet targets, or trying to work while not feeling well, he adds.
“They are very simple things to do, but in a sense, not so simple to do,” says Bowden. “It isn’t easy to smile when you are under pressure or just don’t feel like smiling. But it is necessary.”
“People’s brains use these visual cues to make decisions – and whether you realise it or not, a client will make a decision on whether they want to do business with you in the first few seconds.”
Are you aware of your body language when you seal a deal? Share your thoughts below.
He offers the following advice for brokers looking to send the right messages to their clients:
Have hands chest high and open in expression
“I’m telling you I made $2 million last year,” says Bowden, standing before a room full of financial professionals, with his arms and hands lowered to his sides.
“Now I’m telling you I made $2 million last year,” he repeats, his hands brought up chest high, hands open in expression.
“What are you more likely to believe? Hands lowered makes your reptilian brain think I am disappointed or perhaps hiding something when I give you that number. When my hands are up here, open, it sends a message that ‘I am not a threat, I can be trusted.’”
Smile at clients (but don't make it a quick one)
Engaging clients with a smile is crucial, says Bowden, but just make sure they have registered it.
“Something as simple as your smile – if you see a client on the street and only flash them a quick smile, the reptilian brain needs to see that smile for three full seconds to fully evaluate if you are friend or foe," says Bowden.
"If the smile is too quick, or only half-hearted, there isn’t enough information for the brain to process, so it ‘fills in the gaps’ so to speak, and decides that there is something ‘going on’ behind that smile,” he says.
Be the length of your hand away from the table when seated
When you do sit down with a client, closing a deal can be decided by a few inches, just by the way you position yourself at the table, adds Bowden.
“You need to be the length of your hand away from the table when seated. That way, you are exposing your midrift. When you show this area (pointing to his stomach) you are leaving your sensitive organs open to attack, which is a prehistoric way of showing trust to others – showing that you trust them not to kill you,” he says.
Sit up straight and maintain eye contact
And of course you should heed your mother’s advice – sit up straight, he says.
On the listening side, we use our ears for hearing – but it is our eyes that show others we are truly paying attention, says Bowden.
“I look at you and nod my head – the universal signal that ‘food is good,’” says Bowden. “You need to show that engagement, nodding, smiling and maintaining eye contact.”
It may sound like simple advice to many, but it is not easy when a broker is under the gun to meet targets, or trying to work while not feeling well, he adds.
“They are very simple things to do, but in a sense, not so simple to do,” says Bowden. “It isn’t easy to smile when you are under pressure or just don’t feel like smiling. But it is necessary.”
“People’s brains use these visual cues to make decisions – and whether you realise it or not, a client will make a decision on whether they want to do business with you in the first few seconds.”
Are you aware of your body language when you seal a deal? Share your thoughts below.
