Don't fold your arms across the chest. Instead of folding your arms, place them comfortably on the armrest of the chair or rest them in your lap. Nodding and facial expressions have great impact on the person being listened to. If you are unsure about the impact of your facial expression, or receive feedback that you look angry, bored, happy, etc., when you are not, try to casually reposition yourself. These are to let the person know you are listening without breaking the flow of conversation.
Silence can be a powerful way of encouraging someone to talk.
It is common that people have a hard time dealing with silence. They want to say something to fill the void. A comfortable silence will often encourage the speaker to talk if the listener hasn't jumped in to say something for the purpose of filling the silence. Listening Skills Active listening is the process of reflecting back what the other person said to check out your understanding. It is a process of restating what you heard in the words and feelings of the speaker.