“You know what I like most about you? I like that wind blows when you move.”
I’ve written about this before, but those words were a compliment once given to me by a Regional General Manager I was working for at the time. When he said it, I understood what he was saying, but I didn’t at all know what he meant until later in my career.
Body language is so crucial in what we do, but you may not know that your managers are (or at least should be) watching your body language all the time. Moving with a purpose (or having the wind blow when you move) is body language that shows you have things going on, people to see, places to go. Action is happening and you’re setting things in motion.
When I see a rep who is moving quickly and with a purpose through the office, without asking any questions, I know they clearly have SOMETHING going on. They aren’t sitting at their desk staring at a computer avoiding cold calls or wasting time with another employee catching up on the latest episode of the hot new HBO show.
Conversely, when I see sellers who are “ho-humming” around, I’m pretty certain there isn’t a whole lot on their plate that day. I inherited a seller once who was referred to by a client as “sleepy,” which may be the worst description someone could possibly give for a salesperson. The seller never looked overly happy (or awake for that matter) and despite having great passion for our products, you could never tell from the body language that he was excited or could even get excited.
Body language is one of the most important parts of any interview I do. From the very first moment we make eye contact during the introduction, I’m focusing on the body language. I know that whatever I see in the first few seconds is going to be exactly what our clients or prospects would see in the first few seconds. Do they look me in the eye? Do they smile? Do they say hello, nice to meet you or anything at all? Do they have a good handshake?
Then, a big test is the walk from the lobby back to the office. Does the person move with a purpose or are they naturally someone who lollygags and looks like they haven’t a care in the world? Throughout the conversation, I’m not as worried about what the’re saying as much as I am how they’re saying it, how they are presenting themselves. How do they react when I ask a question? Are there a lot of “umm’s” and “uhhh’s?” In the interview, they have a chance to sell themselves, which should be a fairly easy thing for a person who is destined to be great at selling sports media to do. If it’s not, how could I possibly think the person would do well learning several new products and then presenting them to a decision maker?
Next time you’re sitting at your desk, watch how others in the sales area move around. Chances are you’ll see the ones you know are successful moving at a quicker pace than ones who aren’t. Pay attention the next time you are out at a function and see what people’s body language says to you as you watch them.
Being able to have great body language and the skill to read body language are incredible traits to have for those doing any kind of selling. Your enthusiasm or lack thereof, for whatever you are selling at the time, is written all over your facial expressions and body language inside the office and outside with clients. So be aware of it and work on it if it’s a weakness, especially if there isn’t any breeze behind you as you go forward.
Dave Greene is the Chief Media Officer for Barrett Media. His background includes over 25 years in media and content creation. A former sports talk host and play-by-play broadcaster, Dave transitioned to station and sales management, co-founded and created a monthly sports publication and led an ownership group as the operating partner. He has managed stations and sales teams for Townsquare Media, Cumulus Media and Audacy. Upon leaving broadcast media he co-founded Podcast Heat, a sports and entertainment podcasting network specializing in pro wrestling nostalgia. To interact, find him on Twitter @mr_podcasting. You can also reach him by email at Dave@BarrettMedia.com.
