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How to Shake Hands - or - GET A GRIP!

by Lynnelle Bianco

 

Large or small, for-profit or not - the handshake is the proper form of business greeting, at least in the U.S.  A handshake is also appropriate to say goodbye as well. 

News flash people: There is no such thing as a "male handshake" and a "female handshake" in business! A handshake is a handshake! 

This may be a limitation in my own personal make-up, but when someone holds their hand out to me, palm down (girlie-shake) rather than at a right angle, it reduces the professional level of the contact in my mind.  If someone has a wimpy (or conversely, vice-grip aka: macho-shake) handshake, I take that as another "statement" to their professionalism - or rather the lack thereof.

I can't say I've personally experienced the macho-shake but I have experienced the wimpy-shake and the girlie-shake, of which women and men can be equally guilty.  So for you offenders - and others who might need a refresher course, here’s your lesson in How to Shake Hands Correctly, courtesy of Barbara Pachter author of The Power of Positive Confrontation and When the Little Things Count.

1. Extend your hand at a right angle with your thumb pointing up. Touch thumb joint to thumb joint. Once you make contact, put your thumb down gently. Wrap your fingers around the other person’s palm. Two to three pumps is enough.  Many people thing they shake hands this way and are surprised to find out that it isn’t when they test it.
2. Apply firm pressure when you shake. Your handshake should be firm but not be bone-breaking (remember the macho-shake). Firm is important. How do you feel about someone if you shake his or her hand and it is limp or weak? (remember the wimpy-shake) Whether you like it or not, your handshake will convey your degree of professionalism to others. One man told me, “I don’t want to do business with a particular vender; he has a wimpy handshake.”
3. Say something when you shake hands. You can acknowledge the person’s name and say, “It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Jones” or simply “Hello mary” or “Good to see you again.”

No matter how silly this article might seem – don’t underestimate how important a handshake is.  First impressions count and a handshake is first of the firsts.