##  [ Why You Should Always Bring Printouts to Meetings ](/articles/why-you-should-always-bring-printouts-meetings) 

  Submitted by [Tom Reilly](/whois/5678) on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 - 06:35 

  ![A piece of paper on a desk](/sites/default/files/styles/wide/public/2025-05/Printout.jpeg?itok=bO51EHKt)

I love the **neuroscience of influence**. It beats logical persuasion and linguistic tactics every time—because how our brains are structured and function can’t be argued with. It just *works*.

Which brings us to today’s tip:

**Always bring a printout to your meeting—especially when you want someone to make a decision in your favour.**

Here’s why:

Neuroscientists have long studied how the brain generates **emotion, motivation**, and **decision-making behaviour**. After dozens of experiments, one thing is clear:

- Heightened activity in the **left frontal cortex** creates feelings of **eagerness, motivation**, and **approach behaviour**.
- Heightened activity in the **right frontal cortex**, on the other hand, is linked to **withdrawal, hesitation**, and even **mild depression**.

Importantly, it’s not that emotions *cause* brain activity. It’s the other way around: **Brain activity creates emotional states.**This has been shown in experiments using **electromagnetic stimulation, pharmaceuticals**, and even simple **physical movements**.

So what does this have to do with your next meeting?

Everything.

**The Decision Hack: Leverage the Lean**

When you're in a room trying to **close a deal**, **secure buy-in**, or **pitch an idea**, you want the other person to feel **good**, **safe**, and **motivated to move forward**.

And here’s where **body positioning** matters more than you think.

A 2011 study by **Harmon-Jones, Gable, and Price** found that when seated:

- **Leaning forward** increases activity in the **left frontal cortex**
- **Leaning back** reduces it

In other words, **leaning forward triggers approach motivation.** It literally shifts people into a more receptive, positive state—*neurologically*.

So when it’s time to make your ask? You want them **leaning forward.**

**The Printout Positioning Move**

This is where your **printout** comes into play.

As you move toward the close, calmly pull out a **single-page summary**—your proposal, offer, or value prop—and place it on the table.

- Lean forward as you do this.
- Place the page flat in front of them.
- Use one hand to hold it in place, the other to guide them through it.

If you've built **rapport**, the other person will often **mirror your movement**. If not, they’ll still naturally **lean forward** to examine the page.

Either way, you’ve just triggered the right cognitive state.

Now is the time to frame your offer clearly, slowly—and ask for the decision.

**Bring the printout. Use the lean. Shape the decision.**



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