Week 16 - Other Interesting Concept

Just like my last post, I had a hard time finding something to write about here. I was flipping through the book and the nonverbal section looked interesting and then soon after, I found myself reading the section of Increasing Nonverbal skills.

In order increase our non-verbal skills Trenholm states that we need to just be more aware of the things we are not being told by words but by body language and gestures. As simple as that may seem, it is very true. I work retail and every customer tells me so much with their body language rather than their words. This may seem like a "typical salesman" but there are some dead giveaways that customers do that tell me they are not going to buy anything and I should not waste my time. The customer will constantly look at their watch or phone to check the time, they avoid eye contact, they pretend to be on the phone when they see an associate in the area, they take pictures of the products and price tags, their pace of walking increases when they are approached by an associate...the list goes on. Trenholm also states that we need to be aware of our own nonverbal cues and we can even be offensive or threatening to others. When we stare at people for too long, walk in front of them when he/she is looking at something like a television in a store.I have taken my personal experiences from the time I spent selling televisions and when I apply it to the textbook, it is very true.