The Handshake & The Kiss
The first handshake is similar to the first kiss.
Interesting comparison you might say.
But if you consider the impact of both actions, you’ll see where I’m going with this!
Think about your most recent handshake and what your initial thoughts were? Was the exchange comfortable? Did you feel good about the encounter? And most importantly, did it peak your interest to further the interaction?
The handshake is an essential practice, not just in the corporate space, but also in the social world. When you meet someone, a handshake can set the tone for either a good or bad first impression, and can also determine if you’ll want the conversation to go any further than “hello”.
The Beckman Institute, released a study on the Science of the Handshake and the author essentially tells people not to “sleep-on” the power of the handshake. She “found that it (a good handshake) not only increases the positive effect toward a favorable interaction, but it also diminishes the impact of a negative impression.”
“As a job seeker, your handshake is probably the most neglected tool in your networking arsenal,” says the Business Insider author of “Get Hands-On: The Importance of a Good Handshake in Your Job Search.” What people fail to realize is that people remember “bad” handshakes. You know those that range from “that girl with the sweaty palms” to that guy with the overly aggressive “bone-crusher” grip.
Finding that “sweet spot” is essential to showing that you’re assertive and confident, which are both good qualities to have in professional and personal engagements. In the Psychology Today article, The Art of Handshaking, the author, Joe Navarro, explains that some cultures around the world forgo the handshake all together and use other greetings such as a hug, a kiss, or even a bow. But even with those greetings, if they are performed incorrectly you can leave a negative impression.
Navarro goes on to state that “in the span of a few seconds we lay the foundation for how others perceive and feel about us – and we about them.”
Just like that first kiss…handshakes lay the foundation of relationships. The goal is to plant a good one…one that leaves the person intrigued and wanting more!