Can I Rearrange a Customer’s Office?

That question was recently posed to me by a participant in a seminar I was presenting. The sales person had gone to an initial meeting where the chairs in the office were about eight feet from the customer’s desk. This individual wanted to know if it was OK to just pick up one of the chairs and move it next to the desk and start his presentation.

How would you have answered this question? Your answer could have huge implications on the success of the meeting.

Everything in a customer’s office tells you a story about him or her—from the way the space is arranged to the items that have been collected and displayed. Archeologists can dig up ancient cities and create a pretty accurate description of the inhabitants’ lifestyle just from the arrangement of the ruins and pottery fragments. As sales professionals we need to be able to do the same thing with the artifacts that surround our customers so we can better communicate and develop lasting relationships with them.

I’m talking about more than just noticing the golf trophies and diplomas on the wall and being able to read upside down while looking at a competitor’s contract on the customer’s desk. We need to know what all of the artifacts in the office mean to the person. We need to know what the layout of the space means as well.

 

 Where you Stand (or Sit)

 There is a term for the arrangement of space – proxemics. This term was introduced by anthropologist Edward T. Hall in 1966 to describe set measurable distances between people as they interact. He defined four distances:

• Intimate distance – 6” to 18”, for embracing, touching or whispering
•  Personal distance – 1.5 feet to 4 feet, for interactions among good friends 
• Social Distance – 5 feet to 12 feet, for interactions among acquaintances
• Public Distance – more than 12 feet, for public speaking

Think about one of your customers. Divide her office into concentric circles, starting from where she sits. The distance between the circles is about the width of her desk. Anything close to the person—usually within arm’s reach—is the most important part of her office and will generally contain what she considers most important to her. This space is filled with clues that reveal to the trained sales professional a wealth of information about the customer and her needs and motivations.

As for the office the salesperson asked about rearranging, the chairs were set at the “social distance,” which the customer was communicating as appropriate for interactions among acquaintances (or in this case, sales people).

For the sales person to pick up his chair and move into the next circle—personal distance—would have meant that he was declaring that the two of them were friends. From the customer’s point of view this may or may not have been true. The customer could have reacted positively and allowed it . . ., or she could have reacted negatively and asked the sales person to leave. In any case, changing to another distance is likely to cause tension in the customer, and would not promote a desirable impression, conscious or unconscious, of the sales person.

A better strategy would be to ask permission to move the chair closer to the desk. Or, he could say that he had difficulty hearing the prospective customer clearly and then asked permission to move the chair.

The Hidden Message in "Things"

 Analyzing the artifacts in the room will tell you the individual’s motivations and behavioral style, which will, in turn, assist you in knowing how to best serve your customer. If his desk is meticulous, it indicates a high degree of close tolerance, sometimes called analytical. Or his desk could be very messy indicating an engaging personal or social trait, sometimes called influencing. These are all clues to guide you in making a presentation that will have the greatest appeal and impact on your customer.

The books on the book case will tell you what is currently or has been important to him—reading a book is an investment in oneself. Trophies, plaques and diplomas all tell you that he is motivated by recognition, while pictures of tropical isles indicate an idealistic approach to life and business. All of this information will guide you in presenting your case so the customer really “grasps” it.

Taking a moment to scope out a prospective customer’s office is important. The information about the person’s motivations and behavior is always available to you. Are you available to the information? Knowing how to analyze and use keys to the customer’s psyche—what I call PeopleSavvy—is what separates the sales people from the sales professionals.

Gregory Stebbins, Ed.D. is a Partner with Stebbins Consulting Group. He is the author of PeopleSavvy for Sales Professionals. The entire first chapter focusing on trust can be downloaded here: www.peoplesavvy.com/book.htm

Comments

[Diana]

Thank you for this insight into proxemics. I've always been told, pay attention to photos, trophies, posters, books, etc., but never what the spacial relationship to their owner meant. To know the WHY behind the office furniture and "artifacts" arrangements was truly eye opening.

Thank you for this useful article.