Uncovering Prospect Body Language

When someone approaches your trade show booth, can you tell what they are thinking? As a trade show exhibitor, your observation skills are critical to determining high-quality sales prospects. Knowing how to read and interpret body language will help you identify prospective visitors, and avoid the time-wasters.

Body, head and facial gestures all send signals, and are powerful indicators of how you may approach and engage prospective clients. Consider the following telltale gestures:

Body posture:

• Leaning back with closed arms means not interested
• Leaning back with open arms signals contemplation and careful interest
• Leaning forward with closed arms is potentially aggressive
• Leaning forward with open arms displays interest and concurrence

Head position:

• Neutral position is an open attitude
• Tilted down can be disapproving and judgmental
• Tilted back is a sign of a superior attitude
• Tilted to one side signals interest

Facial gestures:

• Rubbing eyes is deceitful and secretive
• Rolling eyes denotes a dismissive and superior attitude
• Peering over glasses suggests scrutiny and a critical manner
• Hands or fingers blocking mouth can signal deceit
• Stroking the chin means contemplation and assessment
• Rubbing the nose suggests a dislike of the subject

Direct eye contact is a sign of real interest. Visitors who avoid eye contact are disinterested, uncomfortable or distracted. Waylaying these visitors will likely only upset them. Watch for visitors who are fidgeting with their hands or objects – restlessness is a sign of boredom and your booth staff will benefit from pausing to see what the visitor is really thinking. Ask some open-ended questions to help engage these prospects. Palm rubbing, on the other hand, is definitely a positive sign of eagerness and anticipation, and it is incumbent upon your staff to maintain the momentum. Perhaps this visitor was the recipient of your pre-show marketing efforts, and is already keenly interested in your company.

Look for other body language clues, and act accordingly. Shy visitors need time to approach you, and will venture forward on their own terms. Show them patience. A visitor who touches their face or rubs their chin is mentally evaluating your company. Avoid engaging in further conversation, and wait for the prospect to take the next step. It is also important to watch for rapid shifts in body language, and respond accordingly. Sudden gestures are usually an indication of increasing or declining interest levels. You may simply need to slow down, confirm that you are addressing that prospect’s needs, and then take the conversation to the next level.

Your booth staff can create harmony by imitating the body language of visitors. This psychological principle of “matching and mirroring” operates under the belief that people wish to conduct business with salespeople they feel are similar to them. Matching and mirroring your prospect’s body language is a subconscious way to tell the visitor you like them and agree with them. After you think you’ve developed trust and rapport with a visitor, try verifying this by crossing/uncrossing your arms and see if your prospect mimics your gesture. If they shift and match your posture, you have likely developed a rapport with that visitor. If there is a mismatch, you need to continue building a relationship.

Understanding and responding to your prospect’s body language enables your booth staff to avoid time-wasters, and they will instinctively know when it is appropriate to pursue a prospect. Furthermore, by continuously observing and evaluating body language, you will minimize any negative perceived sales pressure. Make it a good practice to continuously observe people’s behaviour. Your company’s trade show performance will benefit immensely if you notice and react to the subtle signs conveyed by prospective clients.

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