Verbal and non-verbal communication in sales

Elements of communication: sender, receiver, code and channel.

Effective communication is the cornerstone of any successful business transaction.

For it to occur, the interaction between a sender, who originates the information, and a receiver, who can be an individual or a group, is indispensable.

The process is articulated through a message (what is to be transmitted), a channel (the physical or digital medium, such as an email, a call or a face-to-face meeting) and, crucially, a code.

This last point is vital: it is not necessary for both parties to "speak" the same language fluently, but they do need to understand the code used.

For example, a technical salesperson can communicate with a financial manager if they both understand the business terminology, even if their functional native languages are different.

If the code is not shared or understood, communication breaks down, making persuasion and selling impossible.

Impact of body language, tone of voice and micro-expressions

In human interaction, words (verbal communication) represent only a fraction of the total impact of the message.

According to studies cited in the field of consumer psychology, only 7% of communication is verbal, while 38% is paraverbal (tone, volume, speed) and 55% is bodily.

Paralinguistics, which includes intonation and pauses, can radically change the meaning of a sentence; a "yes, of course" can sound like acceptance or sarcasm depending on intonation alone.

In addition, facial micro-expressions act as an emotional radar, revealing whether the client is genuinely interested, confused or annoyed, even before they utter a word.

Consistency between what is said and how it is said.

A salesperson's credibility depends on the congruence between his or her verbal speech and nonverbal behavior.

If a professional claims to be enthusiastic about helping a customer, but his facial expression is flat, avoids eye contact or maintains a closed posture (arms crossed), the receiver will intuitively perceive the nonverbal message as the true one, generating distrust.

To be persuasive, it is necessary to avoid negative gestures that denote boredom or impatience, such as looking away or