Be more expressive to close more sales

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📝 Context

Topics: Sales | Customer Experience
For: Both B2C and B2B
Research date: February 2026
Universities: University of Vienna, Modul University Vienna

We all know (or intuitively feel) that being expressive helps with sales. 

What we don’t know is how much it helps and what the actual impact is on sales deals.

We also don’t know what exactly makes a difference, or doesn’t. For example, anger is also part of being expressive; does that help sell?

An analysis of sales pitches to over 800 people gives us the answer.

P.S.: A Science Says Platform member recently asked what makes us more persuasive and better sellers in video calls. 

We cover the evidence of what works here (paid members only). The 4 key elements are: background, body language, personal look, and how to speak.

📈 Recommendation

When you are in sales-related calls and presentations, make sure to be expressive.

Use body language (e.g. move your arms), look directly at your audience, and speak energetically. Make sure to be extra-expressive when your product is bought for fun and pleasure (e.g. clothes, hobby supplies).

People will see you as more charismatic, have more positive attitudes towards your product, and will have higher intention to buy.

🎓 Findings

• People have higher purchase intentions and more positive attitudes towards products when salespeople are expressive (e.g. speak energetically, use body language).

• In an analysis of 847 people across 14 sales pitches in different industries (e.g. apps, hardware), researchers found that when the salesperson was expressive (vs not) people:

  • Saw the product or service 31.8% more positively 

  • Were 35.8% more willing to purchase

  • Rated the salesperson 2.2X more charismatic 

• The effect is:

  • Weaker if the product service is more problem-solving and practical (e.g. pest control, tax preparation software)

  • Reversed if the salesperson expresses mild anger (e.g. against a competitor’s faulty product). In the case of mild anger, people see salespeople as more charismatic when they are not expressive.

🧠 Why it works

• We form judgments about people and their intentions by looking at their emotional expressions.

• We see people who are more expressive as more charismatic too. 

• In sales environments, interacting with charismatic people makes us form more positive opinions.

• This has a stronger influence on us when dealing with products or services that are emotionally driven (e.g. clothes, holidays).

• However, when we buy something because of its practical use (e.g. medicine), we are more likely to rely on information rather than emotions and charisma.

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✋ Limitations

• The research looked at people’s purchase intentions after watching videos. In real life, people interact with salespeople, which could change the effect.

• People from different cultures might react differently to expressive people, and prefer less expressive ones.

• It wasn’t tested, but it might be possible that there’s a level at which expressiveness becomes excessive and backfires.

👀 Real-life example

Dr. Squatch is a men’s personal care brand. On their YouTube home page, there’s a video pitch presenting their solid soap bars.

❌ Issue: The pitch is fun, snappy and engaging but the presenter could further improve people’s opinions by simply changing up a few things in his presentation.

✅ Solution: There are a few things the presenter could try. For example:

• Showing more expressiveness, for example, by using facial expressions, wider arm movements when showing the product, or highlighting his point.

• Using a louder, more energetic tone of voice to sell more.

• He could also use hand gestures showing what he’s talking about (e.g. mimicking cleaning his hands) to make people even more willing to buy.

🔍 Study type

Lab experiments (847 people watching 14 sales video pitches across different industries, including smartphone applications, hardware solutions, and marketing consultancies).

📖 Research

Selling With Negative Emotions—Better Than None? Nonverbal Expressiveness During Sales Presentations: An Experimental Approach. Psychology & Marketing (February 2026).

🏫 Researchers

• Sandra Pauser. Lauder Business School, Vienna

• Udo Wagner. University of Vienna and Modul University Vienna

Remember: This is a new scientific discovery. In the future it will probably be better understood and could even be proven wrong (that’s how science works). It may also not be generalizable to your situation. If it’s a risky change, always test it on a small scale before rolling it out widely.

🎁 Bonus mini-insight

Check your knowledge from previous insights (for paid Platform members only). Read the full insight here if you are already a member.

🎓 Insight: Say who your product is NOT for

📈 Recommendation: When pitching products, clearly state who your product is not for (e.g. “Not for risk-taking investors”), rather than who it is for (e.g. “For a safe investment”). It’ll make people see the product more positively.

✋ Careful: It’s unknown whether the effect also leads to higher intentions to purchase the product.

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🎓 It took 3 of us 13 hours to accurately turn this 24-page research paper into this 3min insight. 

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