Learn these clues to ferret out deceit.

By John Boe

Some people can't tell a lie, while others can't tell the truth. Unfortunately, most people can't tell the difference. Can you tell when someone is pulling the wool over your eyes? Whether you're an attorney selecting a jury, a manager interviewing a new employee or a salesperson making a presentation, your ability to quickly and accurately discern the truth greatly enhances your effectiveness. Having the ability to sort fact from fiction is an important communication skill that fortunately can be learned.

Aside from con men, compulsive liars and some politicians, most people become uncomfortable when telling a lie and transmit their deceitful behavior through their body language. Although they may sound convincing, their gestures speak louder than their words. Consequently, they reveal their deceit nonverbally. While it's not always easy to spot deceptive behavior, there are many subtle yet discernable clues to the trained eye.

Body language is a mixture of movement, posture and tone of voice. Studies show that nonverbal communication has a much greater impact and reliability than the spoken word. When words are inconsistent with body language, you would be wise to rely on the body language as a more accurate reflection of the person's true feelings. During the selling process, it's important to remember that body language is not a one-way street. While you are evaluating your prospects body language for signs of honesty and credibility, they are subconsciously observing and reacting to your body language as well.

Some People Can't Handle the Truth
The truth sometimes hurts, and few business or personal relationships could survive the harsh reality of total honesty. Although honesty is certainly the best policy, the truth is that in our day-to-day encounters, it's not always diplomatic or socially acceptable to be completely honest. To spare the feelings of others, we have learned the usefulness of telling half-truths, fibs and white lies.

During the selling process, some people have difficulty saying "no," and will actually tell you that they are interested in order to avoid potential conflict. As the pressure of making a decision builds, prospects will frequently use half-truths or lies to either stall or disengage from the selling sequence. While your prospect's words say "yes," his or her body language indicates "no way." By being able to recognize the inconsistency between words and body language, it is often possible to flush out concerns, overcome your prospect's objections and make the sale.

See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil
Eye, nose and mouth movement, along with hand gestures, are the four major nonverbal cues typically associated with lying. The statue of the Three Wise Monkeys accurately depicts the primary hand-to-face gestures associated with deceit. When a person is doubtful or lying, they'll often use their fingers to block their mouth as if they were filtering their words. This hand-to-mouth gesture is commonly referred to as "speak no evil."

The second hand gesture associated with deceit is called "see no evil," and it occurs when a person rubs or touches his or her eye(s). The third hand gesture, "hear no evil," is displayed when a person covers or drills a finger into his or her ear(s). If people use one of these gestures while they're talking, it possibly indicates that they are being deceitful.

On the other hand, displaying one of these gestures while someone else is talking could indicate that they doubt the truthfulness of what is being said. These three gestures should be considered red flags. When you encounter one of these gestures during your presentation, it is a good idea to gently probe the subject matter with open-ended questions to encourage your prospects to voice their concerns.

In addition to the three hand-to-face gestures, eye movement is another reliable indication of deceit. It's normal for a person to look up to the left when thinking about the past and up to the right when thinking about the future. If you ask people a question from their past and they look up to the right, they could be making up a response. Law enforcement personnel and customs agents are trained to routinely monitor eye movement during interviews.

Micro Gestures
According to Paul Ekman, professor of psychology at the University of California, San Francisco, two of the most common micro gestures associated with deceit are the nose wrinkle and the mouth curl. The nose wrinkle is the same gesture that occurs naturally when you smell something offensive. The other facial micro gesture is a slight downward curl of the corners of the mouth. Even liars who make a conscious effort to suppress all of their major body gestures still will transmit micro gestures. People sometimes lie, but their body language always tells the truth!

John Boe presents a wide variety of motivational and sales-oriented keynotes and seminar programs for sales meetings and conventions. You can reach him at www.johnboe.com or (877) 725-3750.