My daughter’s car was diagnosed as terminal, so she and my wife went car shopping. They quickly dismissed one dealership because they didn’t like the salesman. Of course I wanted details, since good selling is one of our mandates at Boreal Technical Marketing. My wife explained, “to begin with, he had a weak handshake”.
I have to say, I am in complete agreement with my wife. I hate a weak handshake. As I ask around, I find that we are not alone. A LOT of people hate weak handshakes. And yes, a lot of people don’t care. I guess it’s the old story, “for those who understand, no explanation is necessary, for those who don’t understand, no explanation is possible.”
So for those of you who don’t care, why should you care? Well, I know of at least one car salesman who lost a sale because of a weak handshake! Why offend a lot of customers when the remedy is quite easy.
So what is the secret to a good handshake? No secret really. Just take the other persons hand firmly (but not too firmly!) in yours. Grasp hands so that the base of your thumbs meet, and give two firm pumps. Find a friend in the “firm handshake camp” and practice.
There are a few things to avoid. Don’t overcompensate with a “bone crusher”. You want to be firm, not painful. Make sure your hands engage fully, don’t just grasp the tips of the fingers. Don’t shake too long, two firm pumps are enough. And avoid the two handed handshake, where you place your second hand on top of the back of the other persons hand.
Once you’ve learned the art, I’ll bet that you will happily join the “firm handshake camp”. And even if you don’t, the firm handshakers will appreciate the gesture.
Subscribe to this blog by using the sign-up option in the right pane of this page, and you will receive new posts automatically by e-mail.