Article: Sometimes when you're nervous, your tone might come off a little odd, so practice speaking kindly to others. Smile when you speak to show you’re open to talking and to make others feel more comfortable. Also be aware of your body language. Crossed arms or slumped shoulders indicate being unapproachable; try to keep your arms at your sides and avoid staring at the ground. Try to not cross your arms across your chest, as that can make you look angry and closed off. Instead, keep your arms at your sides, if you can, and be conscious of your shoulders—keep them back and relaxed rather than hunched up around your ears.  Looking up and forward also exudes confidence, as opposed to keeping your head down, which can make you look nervous and shy. Even if you don’t feel confident and are nervous about talking to others, try faking it with your body language—you may be surprised at how much your body language impacts your attitude. The main thing to remember is that you want your attention to be directed at the person, and not at your phone or anything else surrounding you. It’s okay if you glance away and break eye contact once in a while, but in general, try to watch the other person as much as you can.  Definitely keep your phone put away when you’re talking to someone. Notifications, texts, and incoming calls will distract both you and the person you’re talking to. There’s a balance between not looking someone in the eye at all and staring them down and making them uncomfortable—try to nod, smile, and look away from time to time to look more natural. If you’re speaking with a larger group of people, make sure your voice is loud enough to be heard by everybody. But if you’re in a more intimate setting, like a restaurant or a small party, keep your voice low enough so as to not distract others. For example, if you’re at a loud restaurant, rather than shouting to be heard and adding to the noise, lean in closer to your companion so you can hear each other better.

What is a summary?
Maintain a friendly tone to show you’re interested in the conversation. Practice open body language to appear more approachable. Make eye contact to let the other person know you’re engaged. Match your speaking volume to the setting to maintain privacy.