Matching customers moods is crucial for salespeople. Some years ago, I
decided to throw a surprise party for my best friend Stella. It was going to
be a triple-whammy party because she was celbrating three events. One, it
was Stellas birthday. Two, she was newly engaged. And three, Stella had
just landed her dream job. She had been my buddy since grade school, and I
was floating on air over her birthday-engagement-congratulations bash.
I had heard one of the best French restaurants in town had an attractive
back room for parties. About 5 p.m. one afternoon, I wafted happily into the
restaurant and found the seated ma”tre d languidly looking over his
reservation book. I began excitedly babling about Stellas triple-whammy
celebration and asked to see that fabulous back room Id heard so much
about. Without a smile or moving a muscle, he said, Zee room ees een zee
back. You can go zee eet eef you like.
CRASH. What a party pooper! His morose mood kicked all the party
spirit out of me, and I no longer wanted to rent his stpid space. Before I
even looked at the room, he lost the rental. I left his restaurant vowing to
find a place where the management would at least appear to share the joy of
the happy occasion.
Every mother knows this instinctively. To quiet a whimpering infant,
Mama doesnt just shake her finger and shout, Quiet down. No, Mama picks
baby up. Mama cries, Ooh, ooh, oh, sympathetically matching babys misery
for a few moments. Mama then gradually transitions the two of them into
hush-hush happy
How to Start Great Small Talk 49
sounds. Your listeners are all big babies! Match their mood if you want
them to stop crying, start buying, or otherwise come round to your way of
thinking.
Technique #10
Make a Mood Match
Before opening your mouth, take a voice sample of your listener to
detect his or her state of mind. Take a psychic photograph of the expression
to see if your listener looks buoyant, bored, or blitzed. If you ever want to
bring people around to your thoughts, you must match their mood and voice
tone, if only for a moment.
How to Sound Like Youve Got a Super Personality (No Matter What
Youre Saying!)
ooja
(Ooja)
#1