It often overlooks that a genuine smile can make a difference in the way entrepreneurs sell and influence others. london Emily Dickinson, the poet, captured it perfectly more than a century back when she wrote: “They might not require me but they might I’ll let mine. Heart be just in view. A smile so small and mine might be exactly what they need.”
Power of the smile
Dickinson, though she was not an entrepreneur and a poet, understood the power of the smile. While she might not have fully understood the science behind smiling as a valuable business asset but she saw the positive effects of smiling.
Around 100 years after Dickinson died. Scientists started to study the impact of a smile on the closing of deals. Numerous studies over the years create a strong link between smiling and positive business results. todayposting It is recognized as emotional contagion.
In business, emotional contagion can mean that a prospect may influence by another person’s emotions. It means that if an entrepreneur makes a pitch and is genuinely smiling, the customer will also feel the warmth and positivity of the entrepreneur, which can increase the likelihood of closing the deal.
It gives more weight to the phrase “put your best face forward” and allows entrepreneurs to influence outcomes through face-to-face interactions by making sure to smile during every interaction with prospects.
However, not every smile will do. Researchers discovered that emotional contagion happens when someone smiles with a genuine smile (also known as a Duchenne Smile).
Voluntary or involuntary smile
Adoree Durayappah reports that the Duchenne smile can be both voluntary or involuntary. It involves two muscles, the zygomatic main (raising the corners of your mouth) and the zygomatic oculi. They rose the cheeks and produced crow’s feet surrounding the eyes. “A false smile, or, as I like it to call, a say cheese includes only the convulsions of the zygomatic muscle. The orbicular opercula muscle cannot contract voluntarily.
Entrepreneurs can therefore aim to create wrinkles in the corner of their eyes that cause the crow’s-feet effect. It will increase your chances of reaching the meeting’s goal.
However, entrepreneurs need to be aware of the fact that emotions can spread in many ways. Studies also show that those who display indifference or frown will have a difficult time closing a deal. A genuine smile is as warm and welcoming as a warm hug. Conversely, a frown or any other negative facial expression can cause a prospect to lose heart.
Emotional contagion
Guy Kawasaki’s book Enchantment addresses the issue of emotional contagion. “Smiling conveys a clear message to your state-of-mind, while not smiling creates an opportunity for many interpretations such as grumpiness or aloofness and anger. A genuine smile tells prospects that you are happy and excited to visit them, understand what they’re talking about, and love what’s happening!
Kawasaki gives a simple tip to help Duchenne smile. People who have trouble generating a genuine smile before a meeting need to think of positive mood-altering ideas. It could be a hug from a spouse or a child, scoring the winning run at softball, or any other activity that creates warmth and comfort. It will make prospects feel more comfortable and increase their chances of closing the deal.
A June study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America documented similar outcomes for communicating on social networks. After observing Facebook users, the researchers found that emotional states could transmit to others via emotional contagion. People can experience the same emotions even though they don’t know it.
Conclusion:
To make prospects feel warm, entrepreneurs should smile when meeting new people face-to-face. Also, post positive messages on social media and the Internet. twitter A sales call can be fun if you smile. An entrepreneur may overcome a personal issue or professional problem. Business executives must make every effort to smile when meeting prospects. Failure to do so can lead to a compromise in a deal.
