The Eyes Have It!

Here is a helpful hint: The Eyes have it!
“Eye contact ” for the most part, is an important
negotiating tool. There is no sound or inflection
involved, just an action. Our observation of another
person negotiating, is to scrutinize two things, their eyes. When a person gazes at you and does not bat an eyelid this is an indication of control. It can also be misconstrued as intimida-tion. When your eyes wander, it can signal of weakness, lying or uncaring. Most individuals are unable to manage or control their eyes. It is difficult to affix your eyes for any period of time. Some wander often, which can be bothersome to another party, especially a prospect. When training managers, I worked with an individual, who was unable to speak to a client without their eyes wandering. I explained how important it was to affix your eyes on the prospect while presenting their views. They were unable to speak and look intently at the same time. Being easily distracted, I placed them on an exercise. I would stand directly behind them for a period, monitoring their negotiations with a prospect. I stood diligently, not taking my eyes off of them. Easily distracted, this exercise lasted for days.
A prospect noticed this exercise and respected
the efforts put forth. This manager was able
to overcome his deficit and became a more
powerful negotiator.