Asense of distance between interlocutors is of paramount importance in 'standing' meetings. The intimate and personal zones of an unknown person should not be violated so that the conversation does not end prematurely.

Hand gestures say a lot about a person:

• For example, tucked deep in the pockets of one's trousers mean that the person being spoken to does not want to reveal his or her reaction and is hiding his or her own feelings.
• Clasped together on the chest, they suggest a negative attitude, and the higher they are held, the worse the mood of our interlocutor.
• Propping up the head with the hands indicates tiredness or fatigue from a long speech.

The body position of the interlocutor can help us guess his or her attitude towards us.

• Apositive attitude is: open body posture, arms straight, spread, body leaning slightly forward, head raised, smiling and looking into the eyes.
• Anegative attitude is: hands in pockets, arms crossed, grasping the chin, hands hidden behind the back, gaze distant, standing sideways and posture tense.
  

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Emotional states are easily expressed by certain gestures. Indecision, for example, is expressed by biting one's pencil or fingernails, cleaning one's glasses and fidgeting. Willingness to interrupt the speaker can be read when the interlocutor holds his index finger up to his lips, puts his hand on our shoulder or plays with an object.

• Nervousness can be recognised by slapping your hand and arm, hopping from foot to foot or rapid breathing.
• Gestures such as straightening up, standing up, looking at documents and not looking at the interlocutor may suggest theend of a conversation.
• Putting your clasped hands behind your head shows that the person making the gesture likes to lecture and point out mistakes and does not shy away from sarcasm.
• The handshake and the shape of the glasses can tell a lot about a person's character, and the arrangement of the legs about the interviewee's personality.

Even the way you hold a cigarette or a cup of tea says a lot about a person, so it is worth learning the secrets of non-verbal communication in order to understand your interlocutor and yourself more easily.