I found this body language info on businessballs.com – study it, learn it & start making epic sales today!
The single best asset you can have as a person and as a tanning salon professional is the ability to decipher what people really want. Once you learn and cultivate the basics of body language, the selling process becomes so easy, it’s not even fair!
Have you ever been talking to a salon guest and been so focused on what her lips were saying – “No. I’m not interested” – that you didn’t even notice that her body was communicating something completely different? The irony is that your subconscious (aka “gut feeling”) probably picked up on it; but just like your guest, the pre-conditioned response in your brain told you to say something like: “Okay. Well, let me know if you have any questions.”
Your posture, body position, hand movement, eye contact and other movements you make or don’t make during a conversation are not as calculated as verbal speech is, and tend to be more spontaneous and natural. That’s why FBI lie detector tests measure your body’s response to verbal questions, to see if you’re “BS-ing” or not.
They call it body language for a reason: movement or action from every different body part can say something different. The following chart shows examples of very common body movements and their possible meanings. Use it to make better sales moves when a customer says “no” in English but “yes” in BODY.
| Body Part | Movement | Possible Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Eyes | Looking right or right & up | Creating, storytelling, lying, guessing |
| Eyes | Looking left or left & up | Recalling, remembering, retrieving “facts” |
| Eyes | Widening | Interest & appeal |
| Eyes | Frequent blinking | Excitement or pressure |
| Mouth | Pasted smile | Fake/contrived |
| Mouth | Tight-lipped smile | Secrecy or withheld feelings |
| Mouth | Laughter | Relaxed & comfortable |
| Mouth | Biting lip | Not relaxed, tense |
| Head | Nodding | Agreement |
| Head | Slow nodding | Attentive listening |
| Head | Fast nodding | Hurried & impatient |
| Head | Held high & firm | Superiority, fearlessness, arrogance |
| Head | Held forward & upright | Interest, positive reaction |
| Arms | Crossed or folded | Defensiveness, reluctance |
| Arms | Gripping own upper arms | Insecurity |
| Arms | Held behind body, hands clasped | Confidence, authority |
| Arms | Handbag held in front of body | Nervousness |
| Arms | Touching/scratching shoulder, using arm across body | Nervousness |
| Hands | Palm(s) up or open | Submissive, truthful, honest, appealing |
| Hands | Palm(s) up, fingers pointing up | Defensive, instruction to stop |
| Hands | Hand(s) on heart (left side of chest) | Asking to be believed |
| Hands | Finger-wagging (side to side) | Warning or refusal |
| Hands | Index finger & thumb touching at tips | Satisfaction, “OK” |
| Hands | Thumb(s) clenched inside fist(s) | Self-comforting, frustration, insecurity |
| Handshake | Palm down | Dominance |
| Handshake | Palm up | Submissive, accommodating |
| Handshake | Both hands | Seeking to control; convey trustworthiness & honesty |
| Legs & Feet | Parallel & together, sitting (mainly female) | Properness |
| Legs & Feet | Crossed, standing (scissor stance) | Insecurity or submission or engagement |
| Legs & Feet | Feet/foot direction or pointing | Foot direction indicates direction of interest |
| Personal Space | For family & close friends | 18 in. – 4 ft. |
| Personal Space | Social/consultative (bus.) | 2.5 – 4 ft. |
| Personal Space | Public or no interaction | 6 ft.+ |
