Crossed legs are usually a sign of resistance and low receptivity, and are a bad sign in a negotiation.
Out of 2,000 negotiations videotaped by Gerard I. Nierenberg and Henry H. Calero, the authors of “How to Read a Person Like a Book,” there wasn’t a single settlement when one of the negotiators had their legs crossed.
“Psychologically, crossed legs signal that a person is mentally, emotionally, and physically closed off,” writes psychologist Travis Bradberry – which may mean they’re less likely to budge in a negotiation.
