See, hear, speak: How to tell when a prospect is lying

Body language is a mixture of movement, posture, and tone of voice. During the selling process, remember that body language is not a one-way street. While you are evaluating your prospect’s body language for signs of honesty and credibility, they are subconsciously observing and reacting to your gestures as well.

The statue of the “Three Wise Monkeys” accurately depicts the hand-to-face gestures that are typically associated with deceitful behavior. If your prospect rubs their eyes, covers their ears or blocks their mouth while they are talking, it indicates that they are being deceitful. And if they are displaying one of these gestures while you are speaking, it indicates that they doubt the truthfulness of what is being said. These three gestures should be considered red flags, and you should gently probe with open-ended questions to encourage your prospect to verbalize his concern.

During the selling process, some prospects have difficulty saying “no.” As the pressure of making a decision builds, prospects will frequently use half-truths or lies to stall, avoid conflict and disengage from the selling sequence. While their words say “yes,” their body language indicates “no.” By being able to recognize the inconsistency between your prospect’s words and gestures, it is often possible to flush out their concerns, overcome their objections, and make the sale.