Ladies, want a better way to get through to the men in your life? Here’s a cheat sheet of tips from psychologists that’ll improve your communications with any man, from a co-worker to your boyfriend.

First: Never line up face to face. Executive coach Dr. Carol Kinsey Goman says that’ll trigger his competitive instincts and put him on guard. Instead, angle your body away from him. When men feel less threatened, they’re more likely to open up.

Another way to get through to a guy: Mirror his actions. For example, if he has one arm slung across the back of the couch, spread your arms out, too. The idea is to use similar body language to show you’re on the same page.

Then, ladies, turn on your smile and leave it on. Dr. Ronald Levant is a psychology professor and he says that when a woman smiles at a man, studies show it makes him feel liked, confident, and keeps him engaged. But don’t be freaked out if he doesn’t smile back. Women usually react to a smile by beaming back……But men are far less likely to reciprocate.

The final way to communicate better with men: Ask him a question. When coaching men and women on the job, Dr. Goman noticed that men are less animated than women in conversations. They also don't nod as often or make as many affirmative sounds, like "mm-hmm." Women may take this lack of feedback as a sign that guys aren’t listening. So instead of waiting to get a clue as to how he feels about a subject, ask a direct question. So instead of saying "Oh, you're reading that James Patterson book, too.” To which, he’ll say, “yeah.” Say, “hey Dad, what do you think about the new James Patterson book?” Conversation started.