Instant gravitas, the handshake

Posted by Anne Hamill

One of the biggest things which makes an impact when you’re introduced to someone new is a handshake. This is almost universally true in business situations, and yet you’ve probably never been shown how to do a good handshake or received any feedback on your own handshake. Is it sensible to leave this critical element of immediate impact to chance?

Here are two things to bear in mind that will help you improve your handshake –

1. The correct way to do a handshake is to spread your hand and make sure the web between the thumb and forefinger locks into the web of the other person’s hand. If you just give fingers, or if your grip is quite limp, it gives the impression that you are more submissive or are a weaker individual. Having the web-to-web contact is a key component of having a good handshake
   
   
2. The second part to a good handshake is the strength with which you grip the other person’s hand. If you use weak pressure, or no pressure at all, your handshake will also make the other person think that you lack confidence. Alternatively you can go too far in the opposite direction, and there have been many times when I’ve met someone who shakes my hand so thoroughly that my arm is practically wrenched out of its socket!

The key thing is to know whether you have a good handshake. Talk to people about what your handshake is like, and notice other people’s handshakes – and remember to aim for a confident web-to-web handshake.

Take away
How confident is the first handshake you exchange with somebody? Does it create the impression that you are someone who is confident and decisive?