Motivation on the Run

Continuing with the silent languages series brings me to this article on ’surroundings’ and how to interpret them. I have covered the language of personality, body language, and voice in this series and the main point to remember is that all of these work in conjunction with each other to give you a complete picture of the person opposite of you.

Surroundings is an important language when you meet someone on their turf. In their home or office is where this language is spoken and it requires an observant eye to pick up the subtle details that are presented.

What is the first impression that hits you as you enter the office. Is it neat and tidy, or cluttered with piles of papers that need filing? Is the furniture arranged nicely or is it haphazard in placement? Are the colors and decorations calming or bright and energetic? What adorns the walls? Do they seem organized or flustered and confused?

By noticing a few of these details you can form impressions as to the personality type of a person. You pick up all this information about them without them speaking, and from my experience, you can trust your eyes more than your ears, at this point. They may tell you anything they think you want to hear in the beginning, but this silent language will tell on them every time.

Remember the traits of the different personalities?

The Lion is opinionated and outspoken and frequently delegates the details.
The Otter is friendly and is often neat freaks.
The Beaver is detail oriented and has lots of work to complete.
The Golden Retriever is reliable and wants to please, but is not aggressive.

As you look around the office, what do you see that can fill in some gaps. Are there pictures of the wife and kids, or sports trophies. What is on the desk that tells a story? What does the desk of his assistant look like. Overworked and stressed, or calm and efficient?

This language is one of the simpler ones to interpret, but requires more attention to detail than the others. If you notice the surroundings, you will have a leg up on the competition for this account.

Now go out there and see what their story is…