The first impression people form of you is based on both verbal and nonverbal factors. The nonverbal factors may actually be more important when selling in person.
These include such things as:
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Your general appearance: how you dress, personal grooming etc.
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Your facial expression and bearing
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Your posture
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Your tone of voice
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Your nonverbal communications: eye contact, nodding, etc.
None of this means that you should pay any less attention to the verbal factors. Pay attention to the language that you use, and ensure that it is appropriate for the circumstances. As a rule of thumb it is advisable to be as polite and formal as you can be on the first meeting. As a business relationship is established you may find that a natural rapport emerges, but taking an informal approach into a first meeting can make a bad impression and end the potential relationship there and then.
When on the phone, too, pay attention to your “verbal nods”. These are short responses like “Yes”, “Of Course”, “I understand exactly what you mean” and so on. At certain points it is beneficial to use these rather than pitching, as they will show the customer that you are interested in finding out where they are coming from.
