Not long ago, I also met an economist who is one of the best in the business. He is an expert in astrology. He read me like a book, which was quite eerie. His passion for astrology is handy because when he meets people and is interviewed by media around the world, he quickly works out how to best communicate with them to get the result he needs for his business.

Both of these people got me thinking.

They say psychology degrees helps marketers better understand target audiences - however, every psychologist I have ever met is a bit on the nuts side, so I have shyed away from learning too much in that direction relying more on research techniques to help fine tune marketing campaigns. Many of my marketing counterparts do the same.

However, when it comes to business to business marketing, it's another thing. When you meet with a prospect, being able to understand them better can only help the sales process.

Alan and Barbara Pease write great books on Body Language and a great book to read of theirs is "The Difinitive Book of Body Language".

Understanding body language means holding the key to clear communication. For instance, knowing that arms can act as the doorway to the body and self, and when someone has them crossed, they form a closed defensive shield, blocking out the outside world - can help a sales person change their course of communication so that they can perhaps recover from a situation which may be going downhill fast.

Cold reading books are equally as beneficial. Psychics, fortune tellers and mentalists use this technique to determine or express details about another person, often in order to convince them that the reader knows much more about a subject than they actually do. Perhaps this isn't such a bad way for sales people to conduct their business? Something to consider, perhaps.

By using body language as a guage to see how receptive a customer is to your key messaging on your product or service, you are able to identify what in fact they are looking for and how best to sell your product or service to them.

The more we know about our customer, the more we are able to make sure our sales and marketing messages resonate with their needs and wants.

So why not go out and buy some body language books for your sales and marketing teams. You never know what result you will end up with!