For future reference, here's how you achieve that effect when talking to people: 1) make and keep eye contact, 2) listen more than you speak, 3) ask follow up questions, 4) if your phone buzzes, ignore it 5) if your computer dings, ignore it, 6) turn towards people when talking with them, 7) reposition yourself so your eyes are on the same level if possible, 8) don't tower over people, 9) always approach from the side, not the back or the front
Basically, give people your full attention when talking to them, and avoid primal displays of dominance or subservience. Mostly the attention part.
Sounds like you know your Dale Carnegie quite well! :)
Also, don't sit straight across from them, police interrogation style. It's intimidating, especially in situation like an interview. Sit at the orthogonal side of the table.
I learned the best advice for approaching women only after I became happily married:
Leave escape room.
Whether it's a bar or a cubicle, a woman will (in general, according to my wife and other female friends) be aware of being pinned in. For those not thinking of it, it's perfectly natural to stand at the end of a bench seat or in a cubicle opening to talk, but this gives them no "escape" from the situation and increases tension. Simply standing to the side of that escape path makes the situation less tense.
On the generally-male side of things, (drawing purely from my own experiences) I definitely notice when tall people are close to me, but if they stand a little further back I don't really notice their height.
Lean back slightly if you have to stand. Also look at someone face on but stand a little sideways and back. I am 6'4" and most people don't notice it until I end up standing over them accidentally, they suddenly comment "WOW you're really tall" and it actually surprises them because I work very hard at not being intimidating. Approaching from the side is good advice and so is making sure people notice other things first.
Stand back from them. In the immortal words of The Police, "don't stand so close to me." From 3 or 4 feet away most people realize I'm tall but when I stand directly next to them there's zero ability to make eye contact.
Another important bit is that if someone is sitting down, you should sit down next to them. If they're at their desk and there's no chair, squat or kneel.
Honestly, just stand a little bit farther back. The main factor seems to be the angle at which each participant has to crane their necks in order to make eye contact.
Basically, give people your full attention when talking to them, and avoid primal displays of dominance or subservience. Mostly the attention part.