Like it or loathe it intuition and having a “good feeling” about someone or something can greatly impact our business decisions and the purchase decisions of our customers and potential customers.
So how do you ensure you are giving out the right vibe when you are talking to people? Here are five tips to help you give people a “good feeling” about you.
1. Be confident, friendly and approachable
People are naturally drawn to warm people and are more likely to listen to confident people. That is why being confident, friendly and approachable is the rapport building trifecta.
Not only will you be more likeable, people will feel more relaxed around you, respect your opinions and be more inclined to follow you, leaving you smiling all the way to the bank.
2. Be an expert in your industry
When you are an expert in your field, and know your products and services intimately you give better explanations, presentations, infomercials and pitches and answer those tricky questions and objections quickly and powerfully.
Nothing gives a customer or potential customer more confidence than having all of their questions answered or hearing someone knowledgeable share insight that will help them in their life or business.
3. Add value
Instead of seeing what you can get out of each person you meet, focus on how you can add value. By adding value you prove your value and your potential customers guards naturally come down.
With this approach, potential customers will not only be more receptive to what you have to say, they will open up to you, making it easier to convert sales and build profitable relationships.
4. Ask questions and listen carefully
Asking the right questions and listening closely to the answers can be incredibly powerful. You can establish rapport, showcase your knowledge, increase credibility, uncover needs, and build relationships.
The more targeted and intelligent your questions are, the better the answers you receive and the easier it is to find even more ways to add value.
5. Never underestimate the power of your body language
Often the “feeling” someone will have about you will come more from what you are not saying. While you may be a smooth talker, if your body language doesn’t support what you are saying, people will question your authenticity.
If a person can’t maintain eye contact with you, covers their mouth a lot when they speak, is fidgety or seems uncomfortable, leans back and crosses their arms, or frowns a lot, chances are you are going to walk away from the meeting and not have a great feeling about the person you were talking to or how the meeting went.
However, if you are meeting with someone who maintains eye contact, faces towards you and leans in, smiles, nods and is open and animated, you will naturally warm to them.
Next time you are talking to someone ask yourself “what is my body language saying about me and is it matching my message?”
Do you use your intuition in making business decisions? What gives you a “good feeling” about someone?
Amanda is the founder of Velocity Media and Communications.
