From the moment you greet the customer, observe his body language. At the beginning of the meeting, it is normal for customers to appear somewhat reserved or nervous. If this is a new relationship, the customer may not be ready to trust you yet. As the meeting progresses, the customer should normally warm up and begin to display more open body language. Pay particular attention to any changes in the customer's body language, both positive and negative.
Negative moves are objections.
They mean that you and the customer are beginning to diverge. Stop the track you are on and get back in synch with the customer. If the customer's body language is expressing discomfort or disagreement with what you are saying, you need to uncover the basis for the customer's discomfort and restore the positive track. If the customer is dropping out of the conversation, it is time to stop talking and ask an open-ended question to get the customer involved again. This is the first of two articles on body language.