Watch Your Handshake Cues

Handshake is a century old custom. This is widely practiced worldwide. The grip of handshake, pattern of touch in handshake, the pressure, the force applied and push pull through handshake, everything have some impression and bear some nonverbal messages. Handshake reflects acceptance, depth of welcoming, annoyance, disagreement everything. So while hand shaking, we all should have a keen focus on our hand shake cues.

While meeting someone generally the initial handshake should be a proper one. Handshake conveys the first impression.

1. A firm handshake conveys positive attributes, like power, confidence and trust.
2. A loosely gripped handshake expresses insecurity and not welcoming.
3. A light gripped handshake expresses ignorance.
4. A vice like grip in hand shake should be avoided always. It causes pain.
5. A small vertical movement during handshake conveys strong relationship. But that should not be a forceful action.
6. Support handshake with smile and happy look. That makes it friendly and honest.
7. A prolonged hand shake reflects long term bondage.
8. Grasping the person’s hand between both hands during handshake expresses a warm feeling.

Handshake helps to build first impression. So, we can be more caring about this.