How to Shake Hands in America

How to Shake Hands in America

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Do you know how to shake hands? I never even thought about it until years ago when my boss taught me how to do it, preparing me for a visit from our company's president. Since then, I've been noticing handshakes and have expanded on my former boss's fifteen second lesson that impacted my skills. First impressions are important.

These tips apply to the United States. Note that respected handshaking in other countries vary.

Always extend your hand first to shake hands as a gesture of wanting to bond with the other person.
When you shake hands, make the flesh of your hand that is between your thumb and your index finger (forefinger) meet the flesh of the same with the other person. There should not be a gap between the hand flesh.
As you grasp the other person's hand, give it a good grip. Use the same pressure that the other person is using, but it is okay to go a "bit" more firm with your grip.
Never squeeze the other person's hand too hard, since this can make the other person not like you at first impression. If you sqeeze too hard, they may think that you are too agressive or hostile towards her/him, since it feels as if you are trying to break their hand! Again, try to use the same type of grip that they have, but never offer a "fishy" grip.
If someone gives you a "fishy" handshake, i.e., one that is really soft and limp, or if they just offer a few fingers for you to shake, then respect this. By the time that you have grabbed the other person's hand, you probably already have grasped two more fingers than they wanted you to do. Therefore, don't force the other party to shake hands the way that you think they should.
Make eye contact, smile, and talk with the person as you shake hands.

Remember that a handshake is an initial gesture to the other person to let him or her know that you enjoy the meeting.

If you ever meet me in person, remind me to show you the "secret" hand-shake.

Keep an upper hand!

Fran S. Scarborough