#1 Smile

A gentle smile shows you are friendly, which immediately puts strangers at ease. Keep it simple like the Mona Lisa. Then you can dial it up later to show agreement amusement.

#2 Look them in the eye

Without eye contact it's impossible to build trust. Look them in the eye for a couple of seconds, then the mouth and then the top of the nose if you find eye contact difficult.

#3 Squint your eyes

A real smile - known as the Duchenne smile - involves slightly squinting your eyes. A smile without an eye squint is seen as just polite.

#4 Let your hands do the talking

A study of charismatic people showed they used more hand gestures than normal. For best effect, keep your hands between your shoulders and your hips.

#5 Listen

Pay full attention to the speaker's words. Avoid thinking of what you can add to the conversation or competing with the speaker. Be interested in the person and they will become interested in you.