From the minute you step through the door to meet with a prospect, you’re being evaluated on your appearance and demeanor. No matter how valuable your product or service is, if your prospect detects something amiss, your odds of closing the sale plummet. So how do you make sure you are making the best possible impression? Videotape yourself.
Professionals whose livelihoods depend on credible performances (television reporters, for example) know that practicing in front of a video camera is the best way to recognize and eliminate any unconscious behaviors that might be off-putting to their viewers.
Sales professionals should do the same. I recommend videotaping and evaluating yourself from two different perspectives:
- Watch yourself with the audio muted. You might notice distracting ticks, strange (or even blank) facial expressions, and other nervous habits.
- Listen to the audio without watching the video. Perhaps you had an energetic and dynamic physical presence, but your speech is monotonic. Perhaps your choice of words is not ideal. Perhaps you speak too quickly, forget to breathe, use the words “like” or “um,” etc.
Experiencing the audio and video tracks separately will give you the insight you need to perfect your craft and become a more powerful presenter.
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