Seating Arrangements — Where to Sit, and Whyscreen. Research shows that respiration, heart rate, brainwave
frequencies and blood pressure rapidly increase when a person
sits with his back to an open space, particularly where others
are moving about. Tension is further increased if the person's
back is towards an open door or a window at ground level. So
this a good position to seat someone when you want to
unnerve or rattle. Next, the lights should be dimmed and
muffled background music should be played to relax the
senses. Many top restaurants have an open fireplace or fire fac-
simile near the entrance of the restaurant to recreate the effects
of the fire that burned at the ancient cave feasts. It would be
best to use a round table and to have the other person's view
of other people obscured by a screen or large green plant if
you want a captive audience.
Top restaurants use these relaxation techniques to extract
large amounts of money from their customers' wallets for
ordinary food, and men have been using them for thousands of
years to create a romantic atmosphere for their women. It's far
easier to obtain a favourable decision under these circum-
stances than it will ever be in restaurants that have bright
lighting, tables and chairs placed in open areas and the
banging of plates, knives and forks.
Summary
Seating positions should not be accidental; placing certain
people in specific positions can affect the outcome of a
meeting. The next time you go to a meeting with anyone, ask
yourself: who is the person you want to influence most and
where is the best position to sit to achieve this? Who is likely
to want to argue or oppose? If there is no appointed leader,
who has claimed a seating position to give themselves the most
power? If you want to control, where should you sit? The
answers to these questions will not only give you a powerful
edge, they will prevent others from trying to dominate or
control the meeting.