settings - What is the fastest way to turn the phone into silent mode?

The title kinda tells it all. Sometimes I need to turn silent for a meeting and the procedure is like:

1. Unlock the phone



2. Click on Menu


3. Go to Settings


4. Click on Sound


5. Enable Silent mode

Apart from (1), which can't be shortened (can it?), I want to minimize the remaining 4 clicks.

EDIT: I have a Nexus S, but I'm more interested in things that are not specific to models. Also, please feel free to add model-specific answers, as other people may find it useful.

Answer

Personally, I think that the easiest way (apart from sliding right to left, but that's not available on all phones) to put the phone into silent mode is to hold down the power button for a short period of time, then select Silent mode.