Handshakes ARE important
October 6th, 2008 by Ingrid Cliff
Way back when I was at school we had to do a subject called “Grooming and Poise” (yes I am showing my age again). During this course we spent one whole lesson on how to give a handshake. There was a real science to it - not to be limp wristed, to apply firm but not overwhelming pressure, a solid “up and down” action, to look into the other person’s eyes and to smile when you said hello.
Researchers at the University of Iowa have studied the importance of a good handshake and found that potential candidates that rated higher on having a good handshake were also rated as more employable. They were seen to have greater social skills and greater extroversion.
This was supported by Paul Zak, officially Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies at Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California and Professor of Economics and Neurology who found that touch increased the level of trust. A good level of touch increases the level you trust someone. In this study they found a 243% increase in the amount of money a person was willing to part with after touch.
I can remember reading a study (but I can’t remember where), where coffee shop attendants received greater tips if they touched a customer via a handshake or in some other non-threatening manner.
So what does this mean for business? Well - if you want to be trusted, to be seen as competent and socially skilled you need to brush up on your handshake technique.
I am pretty sure you can’t find a Grooming and Poise class these days, but you can practice on your family and friends. You can also put “How to shake hands” into Google and come up with any number of online lessons and articles to help you polish up your skill.
You also need to consider when you meet people whether you should reintroduce the handshake - such as meeting a new customer, at networking events and at social occasions.
You may be surprised at what a little friendly touch can do for your relationships and your business.
Until next time
Ingrid Cliff
We put your business into words
This entry was posted on Monday, October 6th, 2008 at 8:47 am and is filed under Marketing Tips for Small Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
October 6th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Very eye-opening Ingrid! Thanks for this and for sure I’ll be handshaking at every business event I head off to from now on!
October 11th, 2008 at 10:11 am
Ingrid, I strongly agree with your notes. The emphasis on the handshake and the touch in today’s emotional society cannot be underestimated. I believe both convey the personal level of business and indicate to the receiver that the instigator is caring and sharing. Good notes