How Handshakes Promote Confidence
A well-written resume, a tailored suit or a professional interview can all be thrown to waste with a weak handshake. A handshake can make or break a business deal and a weak handshake can be the start to a poor first impression or a bad last impression. It is important to ‘master’ the handshake for success.A weak or lifeless handshake is like a poor resume, a wrinkled suit and an unprofessional interview. Everything can be won or lost with the handshake!Everything, from your appearance to your resume, will be judged when you walk into a business meeting or an interview. If you don’t stand out in a positive manner, you will be the same average Joe they aren’t looking for.A client, a business deal or a job opportunity is where you will be judged. They are looking for reasons, any reason, why they should keep you or overlook you. If you are not confident, this is a good reason not to continue a relationship with you. If you represent yourself well and offer up an enthusiastic handshake, this promotes confidence, a positive attitude, and a strong willed person.A strong handshake with eye contact represents security, confidence, and the “I’m your person” attitude. A weak, lifeless handshake – especially without eye contact – represents insecurity, the lack of confidence, and the, “I know I’m not the best for the job but hire me anyway” attitude.You are being judged the second you walk into the room. You are being judged by how you smile, how you sit, how you interview and if all are well and you suddenly hold out a dead hand for a shake, this could be the deal breaker.Being prepared for a situation where you need to represent yourself, a product you are selling, or a company rests upon you. Everything about you is a reflection of your skills, your product or the company that sent you out to get a job done. If you do not promote everything confident then why should people invest in whatever it is you represent?So what is a confident handshake? This is how to promote a great first impression!-Make sure you offer a firm hand and not a limp.-Secure the other person’s hand but do not crush it.-If possible, have a dry hand!-Make eye contact and smile.-Give the handshake a couple obvious pumps up and down and let go.-This is not a contest on who has the strongest grip. So after a couple of deliberate pumps of the hands, let go.-Your body language will determine the length – lean forward and shake and as you loosen your grip lean back but still maintain eye contact and a smile.By not being overly enthusiastic, but maintaining a strong grip, eye contact and a smile, your handshake will promote confidence as well as promote a great first impression. Of course, the last impression will also promote confidence and as you walk away they will definitely say, ‘that was a confident person’. All because of your handshake.
