The Dos And Don'ts Of Handshake

This piece is reproduced with permission from Etienying Akpanusong. #etiquettecoach #etiquette

Did you know that a handshake is more than just a greeting? Yes, it also sends a message about one's personality and confidence level.

In this article, we are going to be dealing with: which hand to shake; who brings out his or her hand first; for how long are you supposed to hold or grip the hand; how to swing the hand, etc.

It is important to know the proper way to shake hands because making a good first impression is essential in many social and business situations.

The right hand is the appropriate hand to offer unless in a case where there is a limp hand involved.  While offering your hand, observe the receiver's hand to ensure he or she can receive a handshake with the same hand but if you have already offered your hand and then noticed that the receiver's right hand is limp, quietly change and offer your left hand instead with no explanations needed.

Who brings out the hand first ?

The person of seniority  or the one with higher authority should be the first to extend a hand.

If you mistakenly offer your hand first to a person of higher authority or age, then don't withdraw it, this will be rude. Simply follow through with no apology but if they refuse to take your hand, you may return your hand with a smile and continue with the introduction. However, amongst peers or colleagues, the lady offers her hand first and the gentle man receives it.

Always stand before extending your hand to a person who is standing, this shows respect and respect is ultimate etiquette.

Make eye contact while your hands meet and offer a sincere smile to show that you are happy to meet the person.

Be still and face the person to prevent giving the impression that you are in a hurry to get away.

If you were walking, try to stop then turn and face the other person unless it creates an awkward situation.

Begin the handshake with a greeting (and introduction if you are meeting the person for the first time). Extending your hand should be part of the greeting.

Avoid offering a fish hand, a limp hand is never a good idea. It portrays  lack of trust or self confidence as the case may be. Return the grip, it's only for a few seconds.

Your handshake should be firm but not crushing, in as much as it should have a firm grip which shows confidence, it also should not be crushing. It's not a measure for physical strength.

Shake a hand in an up and down motion not back and forth or side to side . Never pull the person your are shaking closer to yourself, its very rude.

While shaking hands, pump your hand only two to three times and that should last for about three to five seconds. Avoid holding hands for too long.

No! to sticky or dirty hands. If your hands are obviously dirty or sweaty,  do something about it before you offer a handshake. On the other hand if you happen to shake a sweaty hand, don't wipe it immediately before the person whose hand you just shook, this will further embarrass the person who is probably aware they have sweaty hands.