Nodding Encouragement

I feel very lucky sometimes that, being an enthusiastic student of selling, every single day something happens that either teaches me something new, or reinforces something I may well have forgotten.

Yesterday I was having a business lunch.  Sounds decadent for 2006, but in reality was a simple burger and chips.  It was on London’s South Bank, at an eaterie called Giraffe.  Most of their staff are South Africans or Eastern Europeans.  Our waitron (S African speak for waiter/waitress!) did something incredible.

When I’d finished my (healthy option) freshly squeezed orange juice, she asked if I’d like another drink.  As she asked me she was nodding her head in the ‘yes’ manner.  I noticed this and thought it strange.  And ordered a (fat boy) hot chocolate with marshmallows.  Yum.

In my very first year of sales, a confidant of mine was Richard Lowther.  He’s now scaled the dizzying heights of HR Director for Oracle UK, yet at that time was a humble rep, just like me.  He taught me a load of comedy sales tactics.  And one of them was when you ask someone a question, depending on the response you want, you nod your head vigorously in the appropriate manner, and they’ll likely answer your way.

Having seen off my hot chocolate, she came back.  She was from Somerset West, just outside of Cape Town as it happens.  And asked me once more if I’d like another drink.  And once more the head was wagging up and down.

How impressed was I?!  Use of this in a subtle way is a winner.  I hope she goes far.