In order to stay afloat, and especially prosper, businessmen and entrepreneurs must constantly offer, negotiate, sell services or goods to anyone (potential customers, investors, employees). How can they recognize if they will receive the welcome yes from the meeting?
Potential customers, partners, investors can tell you what interests you. However, if their non-verbal behavior says something else, it is unlikely that you can make a deal in your interests. A person can lie, fake, give an impossible promise, but his body language does not lie.
There are 5 main non-verbal signals that can be decrypted:
- eye contact;
- body position;
- posture;
- hand position;
- excitement.
Eye contact
If someone avoids looking in the eyes, this indicates that the interlocutor does not want you to notice something or hide your embarrassment. He can look at documents, the wall behind you, or the floor. Anywhere, just not on you. If this happens, try refocusing your eyes and catching the person’s attention. If you allow him to be vulnerable, this usually solves the problem. For example, just ask:
- What's happening?
- It seems you have a lot of thoughts, can I help you with something?
- It seems that you have a lot of unresolved problems, can I at least somehow ease your burden?
In addition, you need to focus on being courteous, open, and talkative. Finally, pay attention to the moment at which loss of eye contact occurs. You might want to ask more questions about the topic, get clarity, and learn about specific pain points.
Body position
Often, leaning forward means that the person is interested, excited, or wants to know more. And although sometimes he leans back and seems restrained (or crosses his arms), this may be a sign that a person feels safe, he is relaxed and confident in his competence.
If you want to understand and evaluate the level of interlocutor’s involvement, try a mirror technique. When everything goes well, people often reflect or copy each other's actions in order to feel connected.
Posture
Mom taught many of us in childhood to keep our backs straight. This is not only useful for posture, but exudes confidence and inspires respect. When you see someone slouching in a meeting, it means that the person is not self-confident enough. It can also be a sign of distrust, as the interlocutor may not have the strength to admit to something.
People who are deeply unsure of themselves are more likely to not tell the truth (hide something) in order to save face than to admit a mistake. Ask specific questions to determine your confidence. For example:
- Are you sure that this project will be completed on time?
- What are the most important reasons for your cooperation with us?
You should be interested in strong and honest answers. If the interlocutor evades, as if bypassing the essence of the issue, then this cooperation may not be suitable for you.
Hand position
Arms crossed is a protective posture taken by a person who is not confident in himself and in everything that happens. Usually these people often make excuses, are untidy in nature. They do not like to clarify a situation or ask for help.
If this is the case, try talking to such a person and give him the opportunity to express his condition. Often you can ask such a person that he does not like (or embarrasses) in the topic under discussion.It is not possible to solve the problem until you find out. To find out why a person is resisting, you can contact him directly without wondering what might happen.
Excitement
The value of hand movement is great. Gesturing enlivens the conversation and gives out an internal state. Of course, you should not swing them. This can mean nervousness, boredom, or excitement. When this is the case, go to a direct conversation and allow the opponent to speak out. Make it clear right away that he doesn't like the topic that you are discussing right now. Watch and listen carefully at this moment. You can say:
- Let me ask you something: what is your current concern?
- Why don't you say yes to that?
If people show some or all of these non-verbal signals, it means that they are not interested in collaboration. And if the language of the human body says “no”, then ask the opponent directly: “Why not?”.