Your nonverbal communication helps you manage interactions. For example, during conversations or question-and-answer sessions following presentations, you use regulators (such as pointing to the person you want to hear from next), eye contact, touch, smiling, nodding, and posture shifts to signal who gets to speak and for how long (Patterson, 1988). You also read your partner’s or audience’s nonverbal communication while you’re speaking—watching for eye contact, smiles, and head nods to ensure that they’re listening and engaged. If someone raises an eyebrow after you make a statement, you may pause to see if the listener has a question or comment.