Page 92 - enLIGHTenment Magazine - December 2015

on the Mark

Rapport-Seeking Tonality (has an up in ection
examples of non-Verbal
communication:
towards the end of the statement or question
and o en sounds sing-songy) This tone is best
Facial expression Gestures
used for initial greetings, seeking information, and
Appearance
Posture
con rmations of agreement when unsure.
Movement
Hand and Body
Eye contact
Positioning
Neutral Tonality (typically has a at tone)
Neutral tones seek less to connect with the cus-

tomer and are used to express information. There

is no emotional a achment to the neutral tone
and is o en seen as a courtesy. This tone is best will put a stop to the rapport building. And please,
do not speak to a customer with your arms folded or
used when making statements of fact, such as
company policies.
hands in your pockets!

Command Tonality (has a down vocal in ection the eyes haVe it
down at the end of the statement or question)
How people absorb information happens in three
This tone is best used when you want to get con- distinct ways — and the most dominant is visual. Eye
rmation or wish to close a sale. The command
contact can speak volumes about your interest. Eye
tone is powerful and – when combined with
contact lets the conversation continue. Good eye
strong body language – may be overwhelming if contact does not mean you’re staring at the person.
used too o en.
It means that when people speak, you look at them
To practice tonality, use your smart phone’s voice to get the whole message.

memo option to record yourself saying, “You want
hand and body positions
this light,” using each of the three tonalities. You will
hear how the request for very di erent actions are Whether or not it has to do with our built-in ght or

using the exact same words.
ight mechanisms, hand and body positions have
always been important in communication. Open up-

body language and non-Verbal cues
ward palms when gesturing or taking in information,

An amazing fact about communication is that 93% of hands positioned relaxed and comfortably at your
our face-to-face communication with people takes side or behind your back indicate an open posture.

place without words.
Fold your arms in front of you and you are closing
Non-verbal communication (NVC) strengthens yourself o to the other person. If this is a gesture

the words we use in our presentations, but NVC is a you see from the customer, then they are not com-

double-edged sword. If you don’t believe in what you fortable with you yet and are being protective.
are saying, the words will be incongruent with your Earlier in this article, I mentioned that rapport be-

body language and it is most likely you will not build gins before you ever meet the customer.
Mark Okun is rapport or sell this customer.
The customer wants to know who they are dealing

Business Contributor One of the rst basic NVCs you become aware with, whether it is the manufacturer, the store, or the

to enLIGHTenment of is facial expressions. The human face can express salesperson. They will check every review site, they
Magazine and numerous emotions, such as a raising eyebrow or will look at your BBB standing, and they might also

President of Mark narrowing one’s eyes. So much can be said without check you out on LinkedIn, Pinterest, Facebook, and
Okun Consulting & ever saying a word!
Instagram. You can’t be incognito; let the world know

Performance Group. When you are seeking connection with people, who you are! These are steps we all must adopt to

He has more than
the movements, gestures, and posture you use bene t from the 24/7 mentality that the 21st Century
30 years of hands-
are like a telegraph tapping out your non-verbal imparts upon our sales process and careers. 

on retail experience message. Stand tall and open; let your movements
training and coaching be slow, uid, and deliberate. These actions build

sales associates in the con dence within the customer as well as their con-
TIP: If a customer has their hands out of sight
lighting and furniture dence in you. Sharp motions or gestures, fumbling,
industries. or dgeting will make the customer uneasy and break or their arms folded, hand them something.
Tactile sales tools must be available help the
Mark@bravo rapport. If your words say you are an expert, but your
integratedmedia.com
movements portray you as clumsy or ill-prepared, it
customer open up.

90 enLIGHTenment Magazine | DeceMber 2015
www.enlightenmentmag.com