One-on-one meetings can often be intense. Obviously, it is important to showcase your best self as a person who is confident and committed to his or her ideas.

Your body language says it all. To deliver your message and wow, consider the following suggestions:

Lean In

When you are sitting across the table, remember your posture. It can easily look too relaxed. If you have something important to share, be sure to lean in. When required put your feet under the table and your hands on the table. This will force your body forward. This will trigger the perception that what you are about to say is definitely significant. Also, this posture demonstrates that you are paying close attention to the conversation.

Sustain Eye Contact

People assess honesty and credibility through eye contact.

Normally, eye contact in a one-on-one meeting is not a problem. However, it can be compromised by note taking and reading from slides.

Through sustained eye contact, you can also read the other person's reaction to your ideas. A word of caution- eye contact can be intimidating if it is too long. When you finish a couple of sentences, look aside for a moment. Then resume eye contact.

Use Meaningful Gestures

Gestures help your listener to see your passion, your commitment to your position or recommendation.

Do not overlook using your hands since they create a picture for your listener. When sitting, gestures will be smaller. They will typically come from the elbow versus the shoulders.

Some gestures, such as pointing or the back of your hand should be avoided. Your listener will notice if you play with your ring, your hair or your glasses. Make sure to gesture with an open hand and definitely not with a fist.

Be Expressive

Your face should match your words. Avoid being too intense. Smile freely. It will put your listener at ease and demonstrate your confidence. Also, don't forget that when you smile, your listener will typically smile back. It will relax both of you.

Sound Friendly. Be Enthusiastic

When we are nervous or unprepared, we have a lot of "filler" words or "ums and ahs." We also speak quickly, and this often results in a voice being monotone.

Make sure your sentences come to a definite end. Be careful of over-connecting with "and," "but" or "so." If you smile, your voice will sound warmer and you will be perceived as friendlier.

Pause Between Your Points

Allow your listener time to digest your ideas to pose a question. Remember, the more you pause, the more the other person gets and the more you can think about what you want to say next.


One-on-ones are an opportunity for you to shine. If you do a good job, you wow. You impress. If you do a poor or mediocre job, you leave your listener wondering if you are the right person!

Body language will be noticed. Make sure you look, sound and act confident and convicted.
 

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All the best with your meetings!