.

A study of sales calls, conducted in 2006 by the human dynamics group of MIT’s media lab, achieved an impressively accurate prediction of the end result– success or failure– within the first few minutes.

The key to success in these specific calls was simple: speak little, listen a lot. When successful operators did speak, their voices fluctuated strongly in amplitude and pitch, as one would coo to a baby. Those who spoke with little variation, in contrast, weren’t well received. The article’s author, Mark Buchanan, predicts that insights could improve companies’ sales performance by 20% or more.

Buchanan goes on to describe further MIT research that specialized in the field of negotiations. Though the interactions studied lasted more than an hour, electronic sensors could predict the outcome with 87% accuracy just by analyzing participants’ body language, movements, and manner of speech, ignoring words & negotiation tactics.

It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.

Extracted from Strategy + Business, Autumn 2007