Meeting people for the first time can be a nerve-wracking and awkward experience. 

But there are certain ways we can make others feel more at ease by our behavior and actions. 

This is all about making social situations flow more easily and putting people at ease. 

By looking at the habits of those with excellent first-meeting skills, you can add the following habits to your repertoire. 

1) Eye contact 

Making eye contact is key to leaving a good first impression. 

People like to know that you’re looking at them and focused on them. 

“I see you and actually want to meet you” is what steady and affable eye contact says to somebody. 

2) Friendly hug 

If it’s appropriate, a friendly hug is also a nice way to make somebody feel at ease. 

Depending on the context, of course, this can also be easily replaced with a handshake or a gesture to the heart as in many Middle Eastern and other cultures. 

Whatever way you greet somebody, let them know that you’re happy to meet them and comfortable around them and they’re much more likely to feel the same. 

3) Authentic smile

An authentic smile goes a long way. 

It doesn’t have to be over-the-top or extreme, it can just be a casual smile that is friendly and unassuming. 

This lets people you’ve just met know that you’re an easygoing and genuine person. 

4) Open body language

Keeping your body language open and friendly is another key part of making others feel at ease when you meet them. 

This includes having a straight posture, keeping the hands visible, avoiding fidgeting and being generally forthright and confident. 

When you show that you feel confident in yourself and your body, you non-verbally give others permission to do the same. 

5) Practicing polite etiquette

Polite etiquette is another important part of making folks feel at ease. 

Examples include eating with your mouth closed, practicing patience instead of interrupting, dressing and grooming neatly and having pleasant body odor. 

Having polite etiquette goes a long way to making others feel comfy around you and more confident about opening up and trusting you. 

6) Active listening 

Active listening involves hearing the words somebody says as well as the needs and motivations behind them. 

When a person feels heard, they feel comfortable. 

Being easy-going and lending an ear to what someone is saying certainly goes a long way toward making them feel comfortable and at ease in your company.

7) Speaking audibly

Speaking at an audible volume and enunciating words is very critical. 

When you do this, people are able to understand what you’re saying and they also know that you respect them and yourself. 

By speaking in a classy and clear way you set yourself apart from the many, many people who do not do so. 

8) Genuine interest

It seems obvious, but it bears emphasis that people respond very well to those who are interested in what they have to say. 

When you show that you’re genuinely interested in meeting someone and display real interest, they turn on like a light bulb. 

This makes them feel welcome, wanted and heard: three things that are very reassuring and nice for any person. 

9) Followup questions

Asking followup questions is a way to truly demonstrate your interest. 

Hopefully this should be entirely genuine as well, in other words you ask followup questions about what somebody is saying because you actually want to know. 

At the very least, even if it’s more so to be polite, this can be an excellent way to let somebody know that you value them and what they are speaking about and you want to know more. 

10) Reserving judgment 

When you reserve judgment it gives a person space to be who they are and have some latitude in what they say. 

Reserving judgment doesn’t mean not caring or having no reaction at all. Of course you still have reactions and normal responses to what people are doing or saying. 

But you make it clear that they’re welcome by not rushing to snap judgments or big picture conclusions about them right away. 

11) Finding similarities 

Everybody likes to know they’re not alone and that their interests and passions are shared by people. 

Finding similarities with those you meet as well as shared interests and aspects of each other is a big plus. 

It makes people feel at ease and also leads to making friends and finding solidarity much more quickly. 

When you find something in common with somebody you meet – even something small – it can be a big step forward to mention it. 

12) Sincere compliments 

Giving out a sincere compliment is a great way to make others feel at ease. 

It might be a note on their new hairstyle or a comment about how you love how knowledgeable they are. 

Either way, find something small to compliment a person on and you’ll find they tend to react very well. 

13) Patience and calm 

Patience and calm aren’t always easy to maintain, but they make people much more comfortable when meeting you. 

The key is to maintain that inner center of calm and not allow others to sway your inner state. 

You are who you are, and you offer that unruffled calm to those you meet. 

14) Showing consideration

Considerateness is another key quality in making people feel at ease. 

For example, if you’ve just met somebody who came into a cafe after walking a long way, you might ask if they’re thirsty and want a glass of water. 

Or if you are meeting somebody who recently suffered a major personal setback, you may offer them a kind word or a bit of patience if they speak slowly or aren’t too sociable. 

Consideration goes a long way!

‘Nice to meet you’

They’re the words that most of us say on meeting a new person. 

In some cases we really mean it, in other cases we’re just saying it out of social convention. 

What a great thing to know that somebody who’s saying this really means it when they say it to you. 

By making others feel at ease you greatly increase the probability that these words are spoken with full sincerity.