Sales Space Invaders #PersonalSpace

When meeting any customer or business contact, it is critical to let them set a comfortable personal space.

If the buyer 's tendency is to move in close or stay removed physically and  doesn't correspond to your own personal space preference, recognise the fact that you’re not going to be operating in your comfort zone.

You can become more accustomed to different comfort zones by practising :

Ben walks towards Ben N, Katey observes

Delegates can learn about this if paired up  and stand about 6 feet away from each other.

Pair them up getting one partner  to stand still whilst the other starts walking toward the one standing still.  It is useful to lay out a measuring tape on the floor

When the one standing still feels their slow walking pair colleague is getting uncomfortably close, they ask him or her to stop / raise their hand in front of them. An observer can see the slight flits that the eyes do in the fight or fight response

By making a note of the the approximate distance between their feet they can identify  the still stander’s  comfort zone.

Pav and Janie identifying when they encroach
 on their personal space preferences

Then they can continue slowly  forward, encroaching on the still stander’s personal space.

It is worth noting how uncomfortable this feels,  and recognise that when you invade someone else's personal space,  (s)he feels the same discomfort.  It teaches you to develop a sensitivity to not encroach on a client’s personal space.

Invading a customer’s personal space almost guarantees they won’t feel at ease with you.

 Standing too far away is less  problematic, but it still won’t put them in the mood to buy.

 Pay attention to your customer's cues for face-to-face interaction.

This is worth being  aware of in situations such as face to face meetings, networking events, corporate hospitality gatherings  and working an exhibition stand.

Richard and Ngatia prepare to find
 out their personal space preferences
Tape on the floor

Proxemics  Personal Space

Intimate;  46 cm

Personal  46cm -1.2 m

Social   1.2m – 2.4 m

Public   2.4m +


Training Tip :-

For many active and pragmatic learners  the above data is rather abstract.

 A fun way to help delegates engage with the subject is to observe 'fight or flight' eye shifts.

I usually divide a course into trios and give each group a measuring tape. 

They lay the tape on the floor. 

One delegate stands still. 

Another walks to word their colleague very slowly ( half slow march speed) whilst the third member of the group observers the eye shift. 

They then record the distance of the personal proxemics .

Amy looks for Marc's fight or flight response as Shane walks
 slowly through March Personal Space zones

Marc walks towards Amy - whilst Paul looks on

Some extra facts and figures

Six universal visual signals

Happy, Sad, Surprise, Disgust, Anger, Fear

What information do people remember?

10%                20%                80%   

Oral                 Visual             Oral and Visual

How do we take in the world around us ?

82%                11%                7%

Eyes               Ears                Other senses

Humans can produce

Over 700,000 signs

Over 250,000 facial expressions

Over 1000 postures

Over 5,000 distinct hand gestures

It takes 7 seconds to make a judgement about a person when first meeting them

Related Links


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