In any business encounter (from high stakes negotiation to everyday bargaining situations) you are communicating over two channels – verbal and nonverbal – resulting in two distinct conversations going on at the same time. While a well-designed bargaining strategy is obviously important, it’s not the most important message you send. Communication research shows that in a thirty-minute negotiation, two people can send over eight hundred different nonverbal signals. If you focus on the verbal exchange alone and ignore the nonverbal element, you stand a high chance of coming away from that negotiation wondering why in the world your brilliantly constructed bargaining plan didn’t work out the way it was supposed to.

Here are four body language guidelines to help you hold your own when you negotiate.

1. Start off with the right stuff

It all begins with the right attitude. Regardless of how tiring or frustrating your day may have been, before you enter the meeting room, pull your shoulders back, hold your head high, take a deep breath, and walk in as your “best self” -- exuding ease and energy.

Just after entering the meeting room, stop for a moment and look around at the person or group that has already assembled. Open your eyes slightly larger than usual. This will trigger an “eyebrow flash” (a slight upward movement that is a universal signal of recognition and welcome). Smile. 

Make eye contact with all of your counterparts. A simple way to enhance positive eye contact is to look at eyes long enough to know what color they are.

You can develop an immediate and positive connection with someone by simply shaking their hand – if you do it right!

• Whenever possible, you should initiate the handshake. Lean forward and extend your hand with your palm facing sideways.

• Keep your body squared off to the other person – facing him or her fully.

• Maintain eye contact and continue to smile.

• Make sure you have palm-to-palm contact and that the web of you hand (the skin between your thumb and first finger) touches the web of the other person’s.

• Press firmly – people will judge you as indecisive or weak if you offer a limp grip – but don’t be overly aggressive and squeeze too hard.

• Hold the other person's hand a second longer than you are naturally inclined to do. This conveys additional sincerity and quite literally "holds" the other person's attention while you exchange greetings.

• Start talking before you let go: "It's great to see you" or "I’m so glad to be here." If you are meeting for the first time, introduce yourself.

• When you break eye contact, don’t look down (it’s a submission signal). Rather, keep your head up and move your eyes to the side.