Handshakes To Avoid In Business

In a previous post I demonstrated some the greeting styles in different countries Greetings (Cultures and Countries). Today I would like to mention the ten handshakes that people in business should avoid doing. It is extremely important for business people to be conscious of their handshake and what effect it is leaving people with.

You’ll be surprised how few people know how they come across to others in initial meetings, despite the fact that most of us are aware that the first few minutes of that meeting can make or break a relationship.

Take the time to practice handshake with your friends and colleagues and ask them what they think and how your handshake left them feeling about you and what impression it gave them. You can quickly learn how to deliver a positive handshake every time with only sparing sometime to practice.

Today however I would like to share with you eight different handshakes that you should avoid doing in Business encounters:

·         The wet fish- Wet fish makes it universally unpopular handshake especially when the hand is clammy or cold. Most people associate it with weak character, mainly because of the ease with which the palm can be turned over.

·         The Vice- This handshake reveals a desire to dominate and assume early control of the relationship or put people in their place. The palm is presented in the down position with one sharp downward pump followed by two or three vigorous return strokes and a grip that can even stop blood flow to the hand.

·         The Bone- Crusher- The Bone Crusher is the most feared of all handshakes as it leaves an indelible memory on the recipient’s mind and impresses no other than the initiator. This handshake is a trademark of the overly aggressive personality who, without warning, seizes the early advantage and attempts to demoralise his opponent by grinding his knuckles to a smooth paste. If you are a female avoid wearing rings on your right hand in business encounters as the Bone crusher could draw blood and leave you to open your business dealings in a state of shock.

·         The finger-tip Grab- A common occurrence in male-female greeting, the finger-tip Grab is a handshake that missed the mark and the user mistakenly grabs the other person’s fingers. Even though the initiator may seem to have an enthusiastic attitude towards the receiver, he in fact lacks confidence in himself.

·         The stiff- Arm thrust- It is used in an aggressive manner and its purpose is to keep you at a distance and away from their personal space. It is usually used by people who want to protect their personal space.

·         The Socket- Wrencher-  A popular handshake of power players and common cause of watering eyes and, in extreme cases, torn ligaments. It involves forcefully gripping the receiver’s outstretched palm, then simultaneously applying a sharp reverse thrust, attempting to drag the receiver into their initiators territory.

·         The pump handle- The pumper grabs the hand of the pumpee and commences and energetic and rythmatic serious of rapid vertical strokes.

·         The Dutch treat- This handshake has its origins in the Netherlands, where a person can be accused of “giving a handshake like a bunch of carrots”. It is a distant relative of the wet Fish but stiffer and less clammy to the touch.

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