Nonverbal communication refers to communicate without using words. Nonverbal behavior is a chief factor among our daily communication. It comprises every dimension of communication other than words. It is believed that we communicate more than 30% of the time through verbal communication and about 70% through nonverbal communication. A more integrated definition would be “a communication that goes beyond what is written or spoken”.
Usually, when verbal and nonverbal communication contradicts, people believe only the actions. It is especially difficult to deal with in situations where the sales force make a direct contact with customers.
Therefore nonverbal communication of the salespersons plays a vital role. Nonverbal communication could be time-saving for sales staff and sometimes proves to be much more effective than solely verbal communication.
When selling to customers, the non-verbal communication skills - such as active listening and interpreting non-verbal cues - are just as important as what it has been said. These skills could help us understand what our customers really desire, so that we can offer them the most suitable products and services.
1.1 Listening skills
Listening to our customers to discover their needs helps us recommending the right products or services that could meet their needs and seal a successful deal.
Salesperson should proactively seek to confirm what customers said is the same as what they understood so both parties are on the same page. To be good listeners we could:
Pay attention to the customer
Summarize what has the customers said
Take notes of the important points of the selling process
Make effective use of non-verbal gestures such as maintaining eye contact when listening to t...
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...ace Perception”, they explained that customers have based their impression about salesperson’s appearance and clothes. In the study done, participants were given the task to assess people never seen before and with no chance of intercourse with them so as to tell what they thought about them. Obviously, they could only rely on their dress and appearance.
4 Conclusion
Non-verbal communication is an integral part of the sales process. The adequate use of this element could lead to a successful selling and lasting customer relationship. There is of course, a need for an appropriate training program and advice for salespersons to enhance their technique and soft skills to employ non-verbal communication. A good utilization of non-verbal communication is more convincing than the mere use of verbal communication. It is also often seen as more reliable and trustworthy.
When we think of communication, we tend to think of speech, but there is a lot more to it than verbal communication. Gesturing, tone of voice and facial expressions are all parts of communication that are not verbal. We may not even always realize how much of communication is non-verbal, because we normally don’t think about it that way. However, it would be nearly impossible to communicate without non-verbal communication.
In every society nonverbal communication is one of the most powerful tools that a person can use to interpret the message that is being delivered. Even though verbal communication is fairly straightforward, nonverbal communication allows others to sense the true emotions of the person that is expressing them. For example even though a person may say that they are not irritated, their usage of voice may display otherwise. Nonverbal communication not only reveals hidden messages, but it also complements, substitutes, and exaggerates verbal communication.
Closing the door on an individual is very frustrating and rude toward the person it is affecting. This assignment has taught me that I need to be aware of how I portray nonverbal communication because it can leave a negative impression on someone, and it can also can harsh relations with individuals’. As a result, I feel that I have bettered my nonverbal communication skills, and I am hoping that these skills will help me properly portray myself in a positive
Currie (2007) states Effective Verbal Communication is important when building relationships with clients, customers, and the media (pg 1). Verbal communication is important along with listening skills so that communication between parties is clear. Verbal communication is accompanied by sign language called non verbal communication. This communication can be expressed in many ways: One can ask another “How are you today” Reply, “I’m okay” but the shrugging of the shoulders, squinting of eyes and lips closed tightly together gives another answer.
The customer services styles are quite important when it comes to the direct dealing with customers. Besides the products or services that are being offered to the customers by the organization you are working for, the way in which the sales persons represent those products and services to the customers play a major role in the satisfaction of the customers. The customers often seek polite, genuine and helpful response from the customer service representatives and for that purpose the customer service representatives adapt different customer service styles depending on the priorities of the customers.
Nonverbal communication is rich in meaning. Everyone communicates through nonverbal gestures and motions. I realized that you can decipher a lot from an individual or individuals by just paying close attention to what they do, and that words are not really necessary. Watching two people interacting, I figured that they are really close by their space communication, eye language, and body movements.
Nonverbal cues involve everything but the spoken word which includes: body posture and facial expressions, gestures, eyebrows, eyes, tone of voice, speed of delivery, inflections, volume, and proximity. Even one's attire sends messages to others. Each area of the nonverbal has the power to send a message; combined they tell the listener what is meant and what is felt. The power of the nonverbal cannot be over-rated; it will almost always ...
When we communicate, we can say a lot without speaking. Our body, our posture, tone of voice and the expression on our face all display a message. If our feelings don’t fit with our words, it is often the body language that gets heard and believed. Nonverbal communication is a rapidly flowing interactive process. Self-awareness and an understanding of the cues you may be sending are paired with the cues others send and pick up from you. To do this effectively, it is necessary to clear your mind of all distractions. Try planning, creating, talking to yourself, thinking about the other person or what to say, then you won't be paying attention to the moment-to-moment experience, have the presence of mind to pick up on nonverbal cues, or fully understand what's really going on in the conversation.
Non-verbal communication decodes messages using body language and facial expressions. Therefore, non-verbal communication is a type of language as its own that can be used universally. This includes, touching behavior, proximity, eye contact, gestures and many more. Furthermore, non-verbal communication can be misinterpreted as well because people from other countries has different ways of interpreting gesture...
Nonverbal communication surrounds us all the time. “Nonverbal communication is all aspects of communication other than words” (Wood, 2016, p. 135). It is not communication with words, but we use nonverbal communication when we talk. We use nonverbal communication without even realizing it in every facet of our lives. This type of communication can be challenging depending on someone’s culture. Something that means one thing in America, can mean something totally different in another country. It is important to know this so that you don’t offend someone from another culture (Wood, 2016, p. 149).
Nonverbal communication affects your how people communicate with you. When using nonverbal communication make eye contact when speaking to the person, this show you are focused on the person and the
I learned a lot about Human Communication in this class when I read the chapter about Nonverbal Communication. Nonverbal Communication is the process of using messages that are not words to generate meaning. I learned that it happens every day. I also learned that is very hard to read or understand depending on the person you are speaking to or with. Verbal and Nonverbal codes work in conjunction with each other. The words we speak or say are used in conjunction six different ways: to repeat, to emphasize, to complement, to contradict, to substitute, and to regulate. I never knew until reading this chapter that we do these things all most every time we communicate. These are things I took for granted until now. I now know that I will pay
...tention to how people react to one another’s comments, guessing the relationship between the people and guessing how each feels about what is being said. This can inform individuals to better understand the use of body language when conversing with other people. It is also important to take into account individual differences. Different cultures use different non-verbal gestures. Frequently, when observing these gestures alone the observer can get the wrong impression, for instance, the listener can subconsciously cross their arms. This does not mean that they are bored or annoyed with the speaker; it can be a gesture that they are comfortable with. Viewing gestures as a whole will prevent these misunderstandings. Non-verbal gestures are not only physical, for example; the tone of voice addressing a child will be different from the way it is addressed to an adult.
Non-verbal communication doesn’t involve words, but is a powerful form of communication. The way your body language is tells the other party whether or not you are receiving their message or just listening. When your nonverbal behaviors align with the words you’re saying, they indicate to the person you are communicating with that you are trustworthy. When non-verbal behaviors do not align with your message it sends mixed signals on what you are trying to convey. When communicating in business it is imperative that you are conscious of your own body language and nonverbal cues as well as that of
Teaching requires a strong relationship between the teacher and students. Nonverbal communication is vital, if underestimated, in building this trust. Nonverbal communication is “all those elements of a communication which are not essentially linguistic in nature” (Smith, 1979, p. 637). Some aspects of nonverbal communication include eye contact, facial expression, gestures, touch, proximity, posture, vocal qualities, and artifacts (Smith, 1979; Johnson 1999). These all interact with verbal communication and have many meaning that can be interpreted in a multitude of ways. As such, it is up to the teacher to be sure that their intentions are clear.