Non-Verbal Sales Technique: It’s not what you say but how you say it.

It has been stated that approximately 93% of all daily communication is non-verbal in nature. What is more, is that just 7% of what we say actually says or means anything at all.

When most people think of non-verbal communication, they think of eye contact, gestures, or body language, and they wouldn’t be wrong. However, what is often overlooked as the non-verbal misnomer that is paralanguage, or as it were, how something is said.

As a Sales Leader, paralinguistic tools such as inflection, energy (volume), and pace to are the most significant because their application can change meaning or expression entirely for good or for bad.

Consider the following bulleted tips for successful sales pitches:

• Inflection:
  • Up or down tones at the beginning or end of end of words can add doubt, concession, accusation, or confidence to an entire statement.
• Pace:
  • Breadth to slow down. Silence is golden.
  • Practices scripts and phrases to speed up.
• Energy/Volume
  • SMILE to pump it up, think about a library to bring it down.
• The golden rule:
  • ALWAYS match your prospects energy, pace, and inflection +/-

In sales, paralinguistics or the “how you say it” can be an incredibly potent asset or liability depending on how tips and tactics are used. I encourage all sales professionals to practice and review the way they sound on the phone and learn to practically apply paralanguage to enhance their results.