Being comfortable speaking with others in small social settings can have a big impact on both your personal and your professional life. We are all more drawn to the person who looks at ease and confident than we are the person who looks ill-at-ease and awkward. Individuals who can carry on a conversation have stronger relationships. They also tend to be more confident when it comes to speaking in public.

At work, our first encounter with another person often begins with a handshake and a smile, while looking directly at the other person. This does not include staring at another person unblinkingly, but rather, looking at their face: the eyes, nose, and mouth triangle. (The maximum amount of time you want to look directly into someone's eyes is about 10 seconds.) The handshake should be firm yet not too tight, with the web of your thumb and forefinger meshing with the web of their thumb and forefinger.