Going from skilled ballet dancing to operating an AI startup could not look like 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 as a result of an damage, I didn’t assume physique language would ever play as a lot of an vital position in my life once more.
Boy, was I improper.
Gross sales + the pandemic = video
The pandemic introduced video firmly to the forefront of our lives.
For sellers specifically, video has turn out to be a ‘need-to-have’ channel of communication. This implies abilities for impactful communication over video are an important 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!) 📚
On the subject of promoting, all of us intuitively know the way vital physique language cues will be — each for shedding gentle 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 could appear typically that nonverbals are muted on video, we’ve got discovered the other 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 flexibility to construct belief rapidly.
Physique language ideas for video
Physique Language Gross sales Hack #1: Don’t sleep in your arrange
It’s simple 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 vital these first impressions are.
On video, our setup is our digital handshake. The alternatives we make when it comes to lighting, framing and background are vital 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 invaluable actual property when you think about the time our consumers spend taking a look at our video feeds. Use this to your benefit! Do you need to showcase your emblem in a enjoyable and inventive means? Perhaps you’ve got a favourite shade, home plant or photograph that lights you up while you speak about 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.
Try this quick video on a number 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: Methods to 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 individuals’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 usually fall into habits we’ve got shaped when taking a look at screens. This may 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 satirically, analysis reveals impartial (or poker face) expressions on video are literally extra negatively perceived than in particular person. (That is largely as a result of the truth that we’ve got fewer nonverbals to interpret, so the cues we do see carry extra weight.)
How does this have an effect on video calls?
While 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?
When you’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.
Think twice 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 generally is a follow that takes time to really feel pure).
Eye gaze
There are two massive pitfalls for eye gaze in video — eye contact and blinking.
Eye contact
Everyone knows how counter-intuitive it may be to speak whereas wanting into the lens.
But making “direct” eye contact via the lens builds belief sooner, demonstrates respect and conjures up 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 regularly.
Looking at somebody is a fairly intense expertise, as I’ll display within the video under. So we need to maintain our eye gaze as pure as doable, even after we are wanting into the lens.
Professional tip: You actually solely should anchor your eye gaze into the lens if you find yourself 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 wanting fully away, you could need to transfer the display screen to the place your contributors are nearer to the lens.)
Recording an async video? The great thing about recording asynchronous gross sales movies is that you just actually solely should 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 will be significantly highly effective — and enable you to join along with your prospects in a extra pure means.
Study extra: Free on-demand webinar about tips on how 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 surprise — you’re asking your self to vary the way in which you’ve got been transferring and expressing your self for presumably years!
Constructing new muscle reminiscence takes weeks, if not months. As a dancer, actual change developed over many months, and though progress was typically arduous 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 Finest Apply #2, we’ve got to present ourselves the area to follow deliberately and constantly.
For years and years, sellers have practiced in entrance of a mirror. One of many stunning issues about video is that you could 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. Now we have ample alternative on video to reap the benefits of an enhanced expressive toolkit, one which leverages a masterful setup, a means of expressing uniqueness to every particular person, and outcomes that actually underpin our success as skilled gross sales individuals.
The excellent news right here is that there aren’t any scarcity of alternatives to follow, to attempt new issues, to evaluation calls, get assist from a colleague, a mentor, or dare I say it? An AI-enabled coach. 😉
Try 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 should really feel like going to the gymnasium.
In spite of everything this discuss of highly effective nonverbal communication hacks for promoting on video — you could be questioning which areas you need to concentrate on to enhance. Effectively, 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’re perceived on video, the nonverbal cues you’re nailing, and which of them you’ll be able to enhance. Get your evaluation right here.
For extra physique language hacks, try our Physique Language and Way forward for Work blogs at Digital Sapiens.
