Chapter 4

Using Communication Principles

To Build Relationships
 Two-Way Communication

 Breakdowns
 Choice of words
No acronyms, phony words, slang
Abstract/concrete/emotional/neutral, vary inflection,
be aware of tone, tailor to customers
 Voice characteristics
Loudness, inflection, articulation
 Stories
Word pictures, analogies, helps to visualize points
 Active Listening

 Listening – 2nd section of role play presentation

 Rate of speech – depends on you/audience

 Talk/listen; talk/listen; talk/listen

 Repeat, restate, summarize, focus

 Tolerating Silences

 “Bite your tongue”

 While a customer is thinking, times of silence occur

Example: What day would you like me to call on you?

Just a minute, let me think about that.
(Silence)
Okay, let’s make it on Monday, the 22nd.
 Reading Nonverbal Messages
From Customers
Body Language – five channels:
Body Angle, Face, Arms, Hands & Legs

Non-verbal Communication – three forms:

Body Language, Space & Appearance
 Body Angle
 Positive
Back and forth motions
Movements directly toward a person
Changes in position – customer wants to place order

 Negative
Side to side motions – insecurity/doubt
Leaning back – boredom/apprehension/anger
Changes in position – disagreement
 Face

 Eyes are the most important area of the face

 Enlarged pupils indicate interest/excitement
 Blink rate – 10-20 BPM average; 50+ BPM - stress
 Eye position can indicate a customer’s thought process
– Looking away can mean actively considering information
– Looking left can mean an emotional consideration
– Looking right can mean considering facts/logic
 Significant cultural differences dictate the appropriate level of
eye contact between individuals –
Japan, Korea, Muslim countries, Brazil
 Skin color (red) & skin tautness (jaw line) are facial cues
 Arms

Arms
 Key factor of interpreting arm movement is
intensity
 More movement, they are conveying an opinion
 Broader and more vigorous movement indicates
the customer is more empathetic about the point
 Do NOT cross arms in Turkey – rude!
 Hands
 Hand gestures are very expressive
 Positive: open and relaxed, palms facing up
 Negative: self-touching gestures
 Involuntary gestures: fist tightening (good
indicator of true feelings)
 Hand gestures – various cultural differences
Thumbs-up: offensive in the Middle East,
rude in Australia, sign of o.k. in France
Circled fingers in Japan – symbolizes money
 Legs

Legs
 Customers with uncrossed legs in an open
position send a message of cooperation,
confidence, and friendly interest
 Legs crossed and away from the salesperson
is usually negative
 Body Language Patterns

 No single gesture or position defines a specific

emotion or attitude
 Salespeople must consider a number signals via
a number of channels
 Smiles can be real/fake – muscles around the
eyes involved means the smile is real
 Hiding true feelings: verbal mistakes, changing
opinion, difference in verbal/non-verbal signals,
small shrugs, self-touching, stiff body posture
 Responding to Customers’ Hidden
Emotions and Feelings

Comments a salesperson makes to encourage

forthright discussion:

 Perhaps there is some reason you cannot share the

information with me

 Are you worried about how I might react to what

you are telling me?
 Sending Messages With
Nonverbal Communication
Using Body Language
Face
 Facial reactions are are often involuntary, especially under stress
 Nothing creates rapport like a smile
 Remember – good thoughts = good body language
 Most effective facial expression are natural ones

Eye Contact
 Appropriate eye contact varies from situation to situation
 Direct eye contact indicates sincerity, credibility, and
trustworthiness
 Hand Movements

 Have a dramatic impact - drives home a point

 Avoid pointing your finger & excessive gestures
 Shaking hands is the prospect’s choice
 Social handshakes are different for women
 International differences – Chinese bow, Mexicans
hug, Germans shake once only, Africans snap
fingers after shaking hands
 Posture & Body Movements
 Shuffling feet/slumping – lack of self-confidence
& discipline
 Overly rigid posture – shows rigidity
 Use the mirror
Matching The Customer’s Communication
Style
 Better rapport is developed when matching verbal
and nonverbal behavior
 Try adapting to the a customer’s behavior
 The Role Of Space and Physical
Contact In Communication
Distance During Interaction – Exhibit 4.6 – P. 110
 Intimate zone- reserved primarily for a person’s closest relationships
 Personal zone- for closest friends and those who share special
interests
 Social zone- business transactions and other impersonal relationships
 Public zone- for speeches, teachers in classrooms, and passersby
 Customers may react negatively when they believe salespeople are
invading their intimate or personal space
 Begin customer interactions at the far end of the social zone and do
not move closer until an initial rapport has been established
 Touching

Touching
 Two touching groups: contact and noncontact
 Contact people usually see noncontact people as cold and
unfriendly
 Noncontact people view contact people as overly friendly
and obtrusive
 Limit touching to a hand shake
 Professional Appearance

Two priorities in dressing for business:

 Getting customers to notice you in a
positive way
 Getting customers to trust you

 Business clothes project an image of the

salesperson
 Making a presentation to customers or at
your own company requires careful thought
 The Return of the Business
Suit
Casual Dress Lesson - Read 5.1 – P. 137

 Many companies are returning to more professional dress code

 Pay attention to clothing and don’t confuse the boundary between
work and play – casual Fridays are fine, but presentations require
more appropriate clothing
Hints For Men
 The suit is the focal garment in business dress
 Darker suits (authoritative), lighter suits (friendly), natural fibers
(favorable), solid white shirts (credibility)
 Ties are important indicators of status, credibility, and personality
 As for accessories, the fewer the better
 Professional Dress

Hints For Women

 In the past: women dressed conservatively to match male
businesslike attire
 Now: use flair and style, while still maintaining a
dignified, professional look
 Blouses have more variety: generally, cotton and silk
 Choose shoes and hose to compliment the outfit
 Accessories such as ties, scarves, simple jewelry and plain
watches can jazz up the suit
 Hairstyle should share characteristics of the attire
5 Principles – Dress for Success
P-111-112
 Consider geography
Temperature & local norms
 Consider your customers
Their appearance
Their expectations for your appearance
 Consider your corporate culture
Norms for your industry
5 Principles – Dress for Success
P. 111-112
 Consider your aspirations
Top levels of your firm – executives
One level above your position

 Consider your own personal style

Use Halo effect
Be reasonable
 Communicating Via Technology
See Exhibit 5.5 – P. 139

 Accept the need to communicate through electronic media

 Not as flexible or effective as face-to-face, but less costly
 Learn the customer’s preferences and find out which tools the
customer uses and how she or he likes to communicate
 Avoid “techno overkill”
 Make the communication meaningful – smile as your speak
 Customize your messages
 Be very succinct when communicating – actively listen
 Don’t deliver bad news via e-mail or telephone
 Use short, clear sentences when communicating
 Communicating Via Technology
Simple guidelines - Telephone
Always begin with FULL name, company
and title (there are a million Jims and Sues)
 Verify that there is time to talk briefly
 State purpose/make your point
 Close and confirm details
 Show appreciation
 Eliminate endless, useless chatter
 Communicating Via Technology
Simple guidelines – E-mail
 Face to face is much more effective, if possible –
90% of buyers prefer it
 Make subject line correct/make first lines clear
 Do NOT keep using old reply line
 Use heading/bullets for long e-mails-short works
 Answer e-mails within 24 hours
 Learn to acknowledge e-mails quickly
 Learn customers’ preferences
 See 10 easy rules to follow – P. 116
 Social-Networking
 Blogs, Linked-In, Twitter, Facebook……
– Have fun, but be careful!
– Any bad stories here??
 Adjusting To Cultural Differences
See Page 117-118

 Recognize business practices are different around the world

 Difference in terms of a contract (price and delivery), verbal
and nonverbal information
Low context cultures- culture which relies more on the
verbal part of communication; sender’s values, position, and
background are conveyed by the content of the message
High context cultures- Culture which relies more on the
nonverbal part of communication; sender’s values, position,
and background are conveyed by the way the message is
expressed
 Use Of Language

 Communication in international selling often takes place in English

Observe the following rules when using English in international
selling:
 Use common English words that would have been learned in the
first two years of studying the language
 Use words that do not have multiple meanings
 Avoid slang expressions peculiar to American culture
 Use rules of grammar more strictly than would be normal
 Use action-specific verbs
 Never use vulgar expressions, tell off-color jokes, or make religious
references
 Time and Scheduling

 International salespeople need to understand the varying

perceptions of time in general and the time it takes for business
activities to occur in different countries

Example: Lunch is at 3:00 p.m. in Spain…In Greece, no one

makes phone calls between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Film and Lecture on:
“Body Language”
Not in text