Flipping your hair, shaking hands, making eye contact and smiling are more than just movements—they're a part of your nonverbal communication, adding emphasis and emotion.

"Body language represents a separate communication process beyond words," says Ross Buck, PhD, a professor of communication sciences and psychology at the University of Connecticut. "It exists simultaneously with language, but it is emotional and largely happening at the subconscious level."

What are some of the basic body language cues that we display and what kind of effect can they have on the impression we make on other people? Here's a beginner's guide to understanding what our bodies are saying:

Handshakes. A handshake can say so much more than, "Hello. Nice to meet you." "The most important part of a handshake is palm-to-palm contact," Wood says. "It's even more significant than the grip."

The palm-to-palm contact expresses an intention of honesty and openness and says that your interaction will be sincere and non-threatening.

The "limp fish" handshake, Wood explains, seems so uncomfortable because it usually means that the palms don't touch, as Rose experienced in her interview.

Here are other handshake types:

• Bone crusher: A person may be insecure and trying to overcompensate with an over-the-top hello.
• Palm-down handshake: A person may be trying to express his dominance.
• A left-handed wrap of the handshake from the top: A person may be trying to express his dominance.
• A left-handed wrap of the handshake from underneath: A person may be trying to support and comfort you.

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