A foolproof twenty-one-day plan for accomplishing every goal using the power of persuasion and body language. One word is the key to the job, a guarantee of a second date, and so much more. And that word is YES. Communication expert Tonya Reiman is a master at reading people-and she shares her powerful secrets in The Yes Factor. All day, every day, we sell ourselves; our clothing, our speech, and even our movements create a set of subtle clues that influence how others judge us. Now Reiman shows readers how to gain control of that process through step-by-step instructions that will completely overhaul their verbal and nonverbal communication techniques. Comprehensive and easy to use, The Yes Factor stands head and shoulders above the competition in an abidingly popular category. “A very practical guide for communicating effectively… Great ideas and insight.”— Joe Navarro, author of Louder than Words   “A big ‘Yes!’ on Tonya Reiman’s The Yes Factor !”— David B. Givens, Ph.D., author of Love Signals Tonya Reiman  is a weekly Fox News Channel contributor. A motivational speaker, consultant, and corporate trainer, she has appeared on "The O'Reilly Factor," the "Today" show, "Access Hollywood," "Extra," "Fast Money," and ESPN radio, and has contributed to national publications including  The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal,  and  Time.  She lives on Long Island with her husband and three children. ONE BODY LANGUAGE BASICS “A man is not good or bad for one action.” —Thomas Fulle My friends love it when we walk into a room of strangers and I check out anyone within sight. When I look at a person for the first time, I silently take it all in: how she moves, how she stands, the tone of her voice, all the micro (as well as macro) expressions and gestures that she doesn’t even realize she makes but that speak so loudly to me. I know that is the fastest way to see what someone is all about. Of course, that usually works until the group finds out what I do for a living, and then everyone pretty much freezes. Before we dive into verbal communication, I’d like to give you a quick overview of some important body-language tools. Studies have found that in certain settings as much as 93 percent of our communication is nonverbal. Paul Ekman and his colleagues have determined that forty-three finely tuned muscles in the human face can be combined and reorganized into ten thousand possible combinations of expressions. In a single interaction, approximately one thousand nonverbal factors help convey your message. Your brain’s communication system changes with every nonverbal interaction, providing the information you need to know about another person before he so much as speaks. Body language is the core of who we demonstrate ourselves to be. You can typically tell the mail-room clerk from the CEO, even if both wear suits. When they are at work, regardless of their attire, they each present differently. No matter what, there are times when everyone is intimidated. Frequently that intimidation is based on your perception of who you are in a given situation. Years ago while doing a show, I met a gentleman who was well known within his circle of peers. I asked if we could take a picture together, which is something I rarely do. I heard my own apprehension as soon as the words started, and he either consciously or unconsciously picked up on those cues of insecurity, and— wham! —what a shift in his interaction with me. I automatically gave away my power and with that my alpha position. We went from equals—two individuals who were guests on a TV show—to superior and inferior. (Guess which one I was?) I actually watched the entire scene unfold and was helpless to regain my status in the brief time that I had. What a lesson that was. I had a speaking engagement at a large hotel recently. As is my habit, I got up early that morning to go into the area I would be speaking in and “own the room.” As I walked to the meeting area, I noticed one of the hotel staff members just ahead of me. “Good morning,” I said. “Good morning,” he replied with a big smile. Then he looked down. That one movement told me so much about him and his position in that hotel. Maybe in a bar he would have acted in an entirely different manner. But in situational body language context, he knew that I was the paying customer and he was the paid staff. When I walk down the corridors of Fox News, I’m loving it—confidence all the way. If I were to encounter someone I really admired and was intimidated by—gulp—I’d probably instinctively look down too. BASELINE FIRST In order to understand someone’s nonverbal signals, you need to baseline that person. This is also called norming. Everything from the handshake to the way someone stands reveals who he is. A handshake can tell you if someone is dominant or submissive. Baselining will also tell you if someone is right-brained or left-brained, extroverted or introverted— great information to have. You’ll also be