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Summary: Sales is a mental game to be sure, but there is a physical component to it that we frequently overlook.

Remember how your parents used to tell you to “stand up straight” when you were a kid? They were giving you sales advice and didn’t even know it. Good posture not only helps us physically, but it also lessens anxiety and improves others’ perception of us. How you carry yourself as a sales professional is extremely important. Most sales professionals spend significant amounts of time and money on how they dress. All too frequently we forget the importance of how we present ourselves in those clothes. It’s simple, but it’s important.

Paying attention to your posture can have numerous benefits:

Anxiety. Anxiety is a very real part of all of our lives, especially in a fast paced sales career. High levels of anxiety in front of customers make it harder for us to think clearly, which can make verbalizing ideas more difficult (think of the last PowerPoint presentation you did in a customer’s boardroom). A clear head and the ability to speak well are essential skills in selling. By consciously standing upright with your shoulders back you can quite literally take your mind off of your anxiety. The human mind can process only one thing at a time; if you are thinking about your good posture, you aren’t going to have the mental bandwidth to obsess about your anxiety.

Confidence. When we are feeling confident we naturally stand more erect. Psychological studies have consistently shown that this can also work in reverse. Good posture can cause our thoughts to come in line with how we are physically presenting ourselves in front of the customer. Making ourselves stand erect can cause the confident feelings to naturally follow. Who doesn’t want to feel confident in front of customers?

Perception. If you carry yourself in a physically confident way your customers will notice. When a slumped over person walks in a room we immediately assume that person is weak. When someone walks in a room standing tall we assume that they are confident, knowledgeable and in control. Customers like to give their business to individuals that have those attributes. People like buying from people that appear successful and confident.

You may be tempted to dismiss the importance of posture because it is so simple. Amidst all the sales concepts and techniques that you employ everyday, don’t forget the importance of your posture as a backdrop to how your customers literally see you. Good posture will lower anxiety, make you feel more confident and make you look like a winner to your customers.

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Tags: posture

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