Signals to Relax

These cues tell you the other person has opened the door to a casual tone:

• First name — "Call me Dave" retires the titles for good
• Contractions — "I'm," "don't," "we'll" signal an easy mode
• Humor or personal stories — they are building rapport, not guarding rank
• Short replies — "Yep," "Sure," "Cool" mean the tone has loosened
• Open body language — leaning back or unfolding arms says more than words