The principle. Buyers read your posture before your pitch. Crossed arms, hunched shoulders, blocked torso = "I'm defensive, I'm hiding, don't trust me." Open posture flips the trust signal in under two seconds.
The four moves.
- Uncross. Arms uncrossed, hands visible. Hidden hands are a primal threat signal.
- Open torso. Squared to them, no laptop or notebook used as a chest shield.
- Soft eyes, soft jaw. Tense face = tense room. Relax your jaw before you speak.
- Lean in 5°. Not creepy close, just slightly forward. Signals interest. Leaning back signals judgment.
On Zoom. Sit upright, shoulders back, hands occasionally visible in frame. Don't sell from a slouched, half-lit thumbnail.
At the door / kitchen table. Step back half a step when they open the door. Sit at a 90° angle, not directly across — that's confrontational. Across the corner of a table beats across the table.
Watch out for. Open posture is necessary, not sufficient. If you're saying weak things with great posture, you still lose. Posture earns the hearing — your words have to do the rest.