Do your customers ever lie to you? If you say "no" to this question, you are either very naive or living in a bubble. Of COURSE customers lie!

In this newsletter, we'll explore WHY they lie and how you can tell if they are. We'll also explore which types of customers are most likely to conceal the truth. Interested? Read on!

First of all, customers lie for one of three reasons:

1. They don't feel like they trust you enough to just be honest.

2. They feel pushed to make decisions and don't feel like you are listening to them.

3. The customer is afraid to hurt your feelings and doesn't want to jeapordize the relationship with you.

Now, which types of customer personality types are most likely the liars? The "Kind" or passive types. These people are warm and friendly, are paralyzed by decision-making, and uncomfortable with telling people "no". Although this is the customer who is likely to take your call, this is also the customer who doesn't want to insult you though rejection.

From a salesperson's point of view, go ahead, REJECT! We don't need our time wasted, so most of us would rather hear the truth, the whole truth, and... rather than hear a "maybe" or "yes" and later find out it was a NO!

Here are four ways to tell if someone is, indeed, lying. See if you can think of a customer who has provided you with these clues before:

1. A customer who uses small talk in a chatty way. He/she tries to derail the business topic through conversation. Once you get down to business, watch this person's facial expressions and movement change. Their gestures are different, their speech slower or faster, and movement is away from you.

2. Watch out for a softened voice that gives one away. Also eye contact that is practiced can provide you with a sense of security, when he/she is really using this as a decoy to cover up.

3. If there is incongruency, for example, a customer saying yes, while shaking his head no or shrugging, he's probably lying. Stay alert to look for these mixed messages. Some customers will even briefly grin to throw you off. The non-verbal clues are more significant than the words.

4. Listen for evasive language. If the customer is avoiding your question, perhaps she is fibbing. Salespeople often ask this inane question, "So, do you make the decision?" Aside fromt the fact that this question is insulting and unprofessional, you may get the answer you don't want from this one. (If you want to know how to ask this question by re-phrasing it professionally, refer to the archives on "Qualifying" on our website, www.salespeak.com).

So, watch out and listen for the Pinocchio clues. You'll be sure to catch them!