“Gestural codes differ from place to place and there is great scope for misunderstanding.”

“We may not be aware of the exact significance of each gesture but the overall impression is usually quite accurate.”

“A man's decision has an important effect upon how others will react to him. Although the impression gained is immediate and felt as instinctive, it actually derives from assessments made about what his motives are and what kind of person he is.”

“The reason we can assess people so rapidly is that we compare what we see before us with a set of previously established stereotypes - expectations based on what we have been told and what we have gained from past experience. Usually there is some element of truth in these stereotypes but they can also be misleading.”

“Regardless of expense, the way we are dressed can show how much pride we take in ourselves and how we value cleanliness. The impression given can range from careless and sloppy to precious and obsessional. Perhaps the most important thing is to be appropriate; we are generally most comfortable when wearing the right thing for the occasion.”

“It has been found that people are more sensitive to negative faces, picking sad and angry expressions out of a crowd more quickly than positive ones. This is perhaps because we use them as indicators of threat.”

“Talk with a comfortable tempo - too fast sounds nervous and you might lose the audience, too slow can come across as dull-witted.”