3 Anti-Puking Techniques For “Clothing” the Deal
Have you ever sat down with someone who you will potentially be doing business with only to be distracted by everything else going on in his appearance? Many of us sales types who love working with people often break a lot of nonverbal rules that can kill our results. So I want to share three frequently overlooked nonverbal cues that can help us “clothes” the deal more often.
1. Wear the appropriate clothing. Too often I see salesmen wear clothing that are either too assertive or not assertive enough. Before getting off the phone with your prospects it’s not a bad idea to specify the clothing if you are unsure. Consider fishing for clues on how you should dress. Sometimes you will be able to get away with using good judgment. For examples it would be safe to say that meeting a prospect on their farm would not require a suit, this won’t build trust quickly as he might feel intimidated. It would also be safe to have a door to door salesman wear a simple sports coat and khakis. I have seen many over dressed door to door salesman in my day. At the same time wearing a pair of khakis and polo might not fly if you are meeting a Wall Street Guru for lunch.
I would suggest having your prospects choose the location if meeting outside of their homes or offices. This way you can ask quick questions like “John, what’s the atmosphere of this location. Is there a specific dress code for this place?” Many sales managers have disagreed with me over this but I have found it builds more comfort and rapport with potential clients. I used this when building my sales team with great success. People do more business with someone they can trust and research has shown people will make an impression of us within a minute of meeting them.
2. Avoid wearing cologne of perfume when meeting with prospects. For the ladies avoid body sprays and certain lotions as well. Nothing throws the focus of a prospect off more than sharp scents. Keep in mind that some of your fragrances and lotions may not smell appealing to your prospects. They will then be more focused on your odor than how you can help them get what they want. Instead, stick with subtle lotions and use perfume/cologne/other sprays only with established clients who you know won’t mind. If you are unsure then it would be better just to pass on it all together
3. Finally, while this has less to do with clothing but it is equally important. Make sure that there is nothing on your body or breath that will distract a prospect. I have run into many people at trade shows who lost my business simply because I could smell their lunch. Have on hand some gum or mouth spray or using mouthwash after eating. The only thing worse than no smell is bad smell; and considering we can’t always control our breath, it’s best to have mint fresh smell than onions.
This also means you should consider keeping your face and hair well kept. Many of these nonverbal signs are often overlooked buy very important. Ask yourself if you’re violating any of these rules when prospecting or sitting down for meetings. The faster you put them into action the faster you will get your desired results.
Mikhail Hutton
Mikhail Hutton is owner of The HIL Group, a leadership think tank that helps people and organizations manage the change associated with growth and transition. Their mission is to help organizations create better results through strong vision, communication, and simple leadership. He runs classes, speaking events, and workshops dealing with the above topics.
More from his blog at http://www.thehilgroup.typepad.com