You finally landed a meeting with a hot prospect you’ve been pursuing for months. This could be a huge commission and follow-on business for months—even years. You are on time, go through the usual pleasantries and open your portfolio to retrieve the sales presentation folder painstakingly prepared for the prospect. You pull it out, and to your shock find the prospect’s company name is misspelled in big, glossy letters. Your stomach gets tight and you start to sweat. All eyes are on you as the prospect reaches for the folder.
Ever been in the hot seat before? While you may be able to recover from that situation, competition is tough for the best clients. You can’t afford to let anything sabotage an otherwise flawless sales presentation. There’s enough pressure in sales presentations without having to worry about those things that give away nervousness, lack of confidence and not feeling our best. While we think we can hide these emotions, they are often played out unconsciously through tell-tale body language.
The ties between body language and key emotional and physical drivers were the subject of a blog in the Harvard Business Review Network, “Your Body Language Speaks for You in Meetings,” by Charalambos Vlachoutsicos. The article explores how it’s easier to notice body language in others but be unconscious of our own. What is interesting is the fact that our physical and emotional state before a meeting can have an effect on our body language in negative ways. Making some adjustments or going through a mental checklist can help avoid negative body language and outcomes at your next sales meeting.
1. You are what you eat (or what you haven’t eaten). Who has time to eat? Your diet or lack of nutrition can make your stomach start growling in a meeting or cause you to crash after the sugar rush of a two-donut and three-cups-of-coffee breakfast runs out. Too much food can make you groggy or sleepy. One too many Red Bulls may get you rambling on and on. Observe how your body reacts to certain foods and eat to be your best.
2. Unresolved issues. If you’re holding a grudge against someone or have unresolved issues, the tension can come out in your voice tone and attitude. It may be something that happened a long time ago, or just yesterday. If your mind is closed, your body language will reflect your attitude in crossed arms, a stiff posture or clipped responses. Best to get the issue out in the open or resolved behind closed doors before the meeting.
3. Lack of preparation. A few minutes reviewing the presentation may have caught the misspelling, saved the presentation and made the sale. The same applies to trying to wing a conversation when you haven’t done the research or gathered the data to support your position. This lack of preparation will come across in hesitation, rambling and the inability to look people in the eye when speaking—a dead giveaway that you’re less than honest. Postpone the meeting until you’re ready.
4. Personal issues. If your personal life is stressful or you just had a fight with your spouse, it can come across in how you interact with others. Those emotions have to come out somewhere, and the first person in your path can be the target. Don’t make it your sales prospect. Get some counseling, do some quick meditation or deep breathing to release the pressure before making your first sales call of the day.
5. Fidgeting and interrupting. It’s hard to listen to someone drone on and on, especially when they are incorrect or have veered off the subject. In those situations, it’s easy to start to shift in your chair, tap a pen on the table, let out a loud sign or try to stop their train of thought by interrupting. The problem is, you’re the one who will appear impatient and rude. What’s worse, you may stop listening and miss some important information and give yourself away once you do get a chance to speak. Pay attention and take notes so you can stay on track and make your point once the speaker takes a breath.
Make a checklist for your next sales meeting. Stop sabotaging your opportunities. Be sure to be prepared, properly fed and hydrated. Clear your emotional decks so you can concentrate and give your best.
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