SAY IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT!

Before I get started on today’s blog, I want to ask those of you that follow my blog about how your label looked.


Last Wednesday in my blog (Go to September 1st titled HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR BEST PRODUCT?) I told you about an exercise that would help you sell YOU as a product to your customers. I had a lot of phone calls and e mails about this and it seems that everyone who wrote out their product label saw new and exciting VALUE ADDED features that they could now express when addressing a customer or prospect. If you haven’t already written your label, please go back and read about the exercise and do yourself a favor and write your label.

TODAY’S BLOG

Did you know that when you talk your face tells the story? Body Language experts say your face is 10% of the picture you are showing to someone, but tells 90% of the story.

What are the keys to good facial expressions? Before I tell you, here is what I want you to do. Switch on the television, turn to a channel where someone is talking (NOT THE NEWS!) and mute the television. Watch the person/people talking and see if you can get the idea of what they are talking about. Look at their faces, (why do you think directors zoom in on face shots so often) look at the expressions they are making. Are they happy, sad, mad excited…?

You customers and prospects are seeing the same thing when you talk. The question is does what you are saying match the expression on your face?

Finish reading this blog and then go to a mirror and look at your face. Now start talking. Talk about anything you want, but try and have a conversation so you can fully understand how this exercise can help you with your facial expressions.

Your EYES are the first thing people look at, what are your eyes saying to the customer? Are you making eye contact? Even more important, are you KEEPING contact? If you keep glancing away as you talk the customer looses interest in what you are saying and your credibility declines in the customer’s eyes.

Now look at your mouth. SMILE! Are you smiling? A sincere smile at the first hand shake will reflect an air of self confidence and make you appear to be non-threatening to the customer. Are you smiling at the correct times? During the presentation there are times when you want to make a point. A smile would be misplaced during this time. Rather your lips should be firmly pressed together and you are neither frowning or smiling. This expression emits a serious tone with facts and information that needs to be listened to closely.

Let’s move back up the face just above your eyes, your eye brows. Are your eye brows moving in the right direction and at the right time? While looking in the mirror make a surprised expression. What did your eye brows do? If they didn’t go UP as high as they could, you weren’t conveying the right message. Now make a disappointed face. Where did your eyebrows go this time? If they didn’t fall your story is not accurate.

Your face is the best place to start when training yourself to be a more affective presenter. Work on what you look like as much as what you say. Together they tell the story and will make a clear picture in the customers mind.

Lorin