How to do the perfect handshake
Have you ever experienced a bad handshake? Sweaty palms, weak grip, awkward lingering or excessive shaking, this can ruin the handshake experience.
Perfecting the handshake is essential to making a good first impression
We have put together a list for you to help master the art of Handshaking
- If you have sweaty palms, air them out or wipe them down before you initiate the handshake.
- Stand up out of respect for the person you are greeting.
- Introduce Yourself and tell the person who you are before you reach out and shake their hands.
- Make eye contact and keep on smiling– Look a person in the eyes as you shake hands and smile to help establish that you are a confident, friendly, genuine person.
- Position hand in a mid-point position between yourself and the other person
- Use right hand, a complete grip and a firm squeeze (but not too strong, you don’t want to injure the other person’s hand and you definitely don’t want to be too weak as your handshake will feel like a dead fish).
- Ensure fingers are under the receiving palm.
- Shake hands from the elbow 2 to 3 times. Time It for 3-4 Seconds and keep it short and sweet, otherwise it could become awkward if you linger.
- Repeat their name and say something like “It’s great to meet you, Sarah” during the handshake which can help you remember their name and helps to show that you are interested.
The handshake is an important skill to master not only for finding a job but to get ahead in the professional world and to make connections. It’s the acceptable standard greeting here in Australia.
Happy Handshaking
