This book was published in 2011 but you can find the author’s Ted talk on the Internet. I recently came across it again and I must say, it is fascinating! Studies show that the average person gets lied to 200 times a day. Wow! You, our dear manager and leasing consultant, probably know this to be true since you come into contact with customers and future customers daily. A selling point for the book is that the research was meticulous: only data which was confirmed by more than one study was included. Here are some great tips for sales people, both new and experienced, to learn from.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM LIESPOTTING.

Studies show that strangers lied three times within the first 10 minutes of meeting each other. And another study found that by the time you enter college, you’re going to lie to your mom in one out of every five interactions.

ANOTHER STUDY FOUND THAT:

• We think liars fidget all the time. But folks tend to freeze their upper bodies when they’re lying.

• We think liars won’t look you in the eyes. They actually look you in the eyes too much.

• Most of us think smiles convey honesty and sincerity. But a trained liespotter can spot a fake smile a mile away.

• The trick? A person’s real smile is around the eyes, because the wrinkles around your eyes cannot be consciously contracted.

• Don’t overdo the Botox; nobody will think you’re honest. 🙂

• A liar also tends to shake his head no while saying yes. (So watch for this non verbal.) “Yes, I will come back with my spouse for another tour” (while shaking his head no slowly).

• Men tell eight times more lies about themselves than they do about others, and women lie more in the hopes of protecting others.

Pamela Meyer is author of Liespotting: Proven Techniques To Spot Deception. It’s available on Amazon Kindle for $5.99. Watch the Ted talk for free: www.ted. com/ speakers/