Going from skilled ballet dancing to operating an AI startup might not appear to be probably the most intuitive profession trajectory…however after I share that physique language and nonverbal communication is what brings this all collectively, issues begin to make a bit extra sense.
Once I retired from the Boston Ballet in 2016 on account of an harm, I didn’t suppose physique language would ever play as a lot of an necessary position in my life once more.
Boy, was I incorrect.
Gross sales + the pandemic = video
The pandemic introduced video firmly to the forefront of our lives.
For sellers specifically, video has change into a ‘need-to-have’ channel of communication. This implies expertise for impactful communication over video are a vital a part of our up to date gross sales competency toolkit.
Bonus: Study when to make use of video within the gross sales course of (with video examples!) 📚
In the case of promoting, all of us intuitively know the way necessary physique language cues could be — each for shedding mild on what others could also be pondering or feeling, and in addition of their capability to assist us extra clearly talk our meant message.
And whereas it might appear generally that nonverbals are muted on video, we’ve discovered the alternative to be true. In reality, video is the one digital technique of communication that truly amplifies nonverbal communication.
As sellers, it’s as much as us to grab the instruments at our disposal. I’ll stroll you thru my high 3 physique language hacks for video — together with with 4 movies I recorded only for this — so you’ll be able to present up on video with full presence, confidence and the power to construct belief rapidly.
Physique language ideas for video
Physique Language Gross sales Hack #1: Don’t sleep in your arrange
It’s straightforward to go to sleep as quickly as somebody mentions one thing about fixing your lighting, framing or your background.
However as sellers, we all know how necessary these first impressions are.
On video, our setup is our digital handshake. The alternatives we make by way of lighting, framing and background are important to making sure we’re displaying up as we intend.
Our lighting ought to assist our audiences concentrate on our faces. Don’t be backlit!
Our framing ought to enable us to showcase our full vary of physique language from the decrease stomach up. That is your playground — it ought to be comfy!
Whereas lighting and framing finest practices are fairly streamlined, this doesn’t imply everybody ought to have the identical backgrounds — fairly the opposite.
Our backgrounds occupy insanely useful actual property when you think about the time our patrons spend taking a look at our video feeds. Use this to your benefit! Do you need to showcase your emblem in a enjoyable and artistic approach? Perhaps you’ve gotten a favourite colour, home plant or photograph that lights you up once you discuss it?
You would possibly really feel the urge to maintain your area impartial — however oftentimes, the extra of our personal humanity we will showcase, the extra rapidly and seamlessly we will construct that human connection which turns into the muse for lasting relationships.
Take a look at this quick video on a couple of easy, setup hacks you’ll be able to reap the benefits of in order that your video presence pops, proper from the beginning.
Associated: How you can Allow your Reps in Actual Time 📚
Physique Language Gross sales Hack #2: Use eye gaze and facial expressions to look pure on video
As people, we have a look at folks’s faces and eyes for cues about how somebody is feeling and whether or not or not they are often trusted.
On video, our eye gaze and facial features habits typically fall into habits we’ve shaped when taking a look at screens. This could result in mismatching emotional cues. I’ll clarify.
Facial features
On video, we are likely to undertake extra impartial and fewer assorted facial expressions than we do in particular person.
And sarcastically, analysis exhibits impartial (or poker face) expressions on video are literally extra negatively perceived than in particular person. (That is largely on account of the truth that we’ve fewer nonverbals to interpret, so the cues we do see carry extra weight.)
How does this have an effect on video calls?
If you’re on a video name, you’re serving the position of each lively speaker and lively listener. Maintain your face relaxed, reactive, and expressive.
How does this have an effect on video clips?
For those who’re recording an asynchronous video clip, you need it to chop via the noise and land as a refreshing human second in your prospect’s inbox.
Consider carefully about your intention and the emotion you need to convey, and telegraph it clearly.
(The operative phrase right here is ‘intention.’ As you’ll see within the subsequent part, this is usually a follow that takes time to really feel pure).
Eye gaze
There are two huge pitfalls for eye gaze in video — eye contact and blinking.
Eye contact
Everyone knows how counter-intuitive it may be to speak whereas trying into the lens.
But making “direct” eye contact via the lens builds belief sooner, demonstrates respect and evokes confidence. It’s awkward… however simply do it.
Blinking
One other problem of eye gaze on video is that we are likely to blink much less steadily.
Observing somebody is a reasonably intense expertise, as I’ll reveal within the video under. So we need to maintain our eye gaze as pure as doable, even after we are trying into the lens.
Professional tip: You actually solely must anchor your eye gaze into the lens if you end up the lively speaker. When you’re the listener, you need to guarantee your eye gaze is concentrated someplace constant, ideally on the display screen. (So in case your screens are arrange such that you’re trying fully away, it’s possible you’ll need to transfer the display screen to the place your members are nearer to the lens.)
Recording an async video? The fantastic thing about recording asynchronous gross sales movies is that you just actually solely must focus in your position as a speaker — so you’ll be able to hone your physique language accordingly. Paying particular consideration to your eye gaze and facial features variation could be notably highly effective — and assist you to join along with your prospects in a extra pure approach.
Study extra: Free on-demand webinar about easy methods to make customized movies to 2x your reply charges. (60 minutes)
Physique Language Gross sales Hack #3: Give your self time to regulate
In my workshops, one of many first issues I hear is that new physique language vocabulary can really feel ‘unnatural’ or ‘inauthentic.’
No marvel — you might be asking your self to alter the way in which you’ve gotten been shifting and expressing your self for probably years!
Constructing new muscle reminiscence takes weeks, if not months. As a dancer, actual change developed over many months, and though progress was generally laborious to find out in a single day, the incremental renewal day after day was the place the magic got here into play.
Significantly after we are talking about issues that have an effect on our expressive options, like our eye gaze and our facial expressions as mentioned in Greatest Observe #2, we’ve to provide ourselves the area to follow deliberately and persistently.
For years and years, sellers have practiced in entrance of a mirror. One of many stunning issues about video is which you can depend on video itself as a instrument to follow earlier than sending any recordings for instance, and even to follow your gross sales pitch itself.
Physique language and nonverbals are a core a part of who we’re. We’ve ample alternative on video to reap the benefits of an enhanced expressive toolkit, one which leverages a masterful setup, a approach of expressing uniqueness to every particular person, and outcomes that actually underpin our success as skilled gross sales folks.
The excellent news right here is that there aren’t any scarcity of alternatives to follow, to strive new issues, to evaluation calls, get assist from a colleague, a mentor, or dare I say it? An AI-enabled coach. 😉
Take a look at this quick video with some concepts on how one can incorporate follow into your day-to-day, so it may be a seamless a part of your expertise, and never must really feel like going to the gymnasium.
In spite of everything this discuss of highly effective nonverbal communication hacks for promoting on video — it’s possible you’ll be questioning which areas you need to concentrate on to enhance. Properly, seems…there’s an app for that.
As a member of the Gross sales Hacker neighborhood, Digital Sapiens is providing you a free Digital Presence Evaluation. It takes 6 minutes, and also you’ll get a rundown of how you might be perceived on video, the nonverbal cues you might be nailing, and which of them you’ll be able to enhance. Get your evaluation right here.
For extra physique language hacks, take a look at our Physique Language and Way forward for Work blogs at Digital Sapiens.
