Handshakes Reveal More than You Think!

At the end of every meeting, Jim Street grabbed hold of my hand and squeezed it so hard it hurt.  I never could figure out why he did that, but it gave me a bad impression. I strived to figure out his intentions and watched to see if he did similarly to others.

Not too surprisingly, your handshake reveals much about confidence and trust.  So what does it take to execute one well?  Based on recent findings by British scientist, Geoffrey Beattie twelve things determine the quality of a handshake.

The formula for the perfect handshake looks like this:
PH = √(e2 + ve2)(d2) + (cg + dr)2 + p{(4< s >2)(4< p >2)}2 + (vi + t + te)2 + {(4< c >2 )(4< du >2)}2

Here’s a key to the equation, including proper levels of each factor on a 1-5 scale:

(e): eye contact (1=none; 5=direct) — 5

(ve): verbal greeting (1=totally inappropriate; 5=totally appropriate) — 5

(d): Duchenne smile — smiling in eyes and mouth, plus symmetry on both sides of face, and slower offset (1=totally non-Duchenne smile (false smile); 5=totally Duchenne) — 5

(cg): completeness of grip (1=very incomplete; 5=full) — 5

(dr): dryness of hand (1=damp; 5=dry) — 4

(s): strength (1= weak; 5=strong) — 3

(p): position of hand(1=back towards own body; 5=other person’s bodily zone) — 3

(vi): vigor (1=too low/too high; 5=mid) — 3

(t): temperature of hands (1=too cold/too hot; 5=mid) — 3

(te): texture of hands (1=too rough/too smooth; 5=mid) — 3

(c): control (1=low; 5=high) — 3

(du): duration (1= brief; 5=long) — 3

Sensory input from thermal and pressure receptors during a handshake is sent to your brain's parietal lobe.  The message travels to deeper areas of the limbic system for an emotional interpretation to judge how the shake felt, David Givens notes.

“The rules for men and women are the same: right hand, a complete grip and a firm squeeze (but not too strong) in a mid-point position between yourself and the other person, a cool and dry palm, approximately three shakes, with a medium level of vigour, held for no longer than two to three seconds, with eye contact kept throughout and a good natural smile with a slow offset with, of course, an appropriate accompanying verbal statement, make up the basic constituent parts for the perfect handshake,” notes Beattie.

"Since in much of the world a handshake is both a visual and a tactile index of your concern for other people,"  Givens points out. "A rule of thumb is not to hold back." Givens reveals many tips about what is expected in your handshake when you visit other countries.

How do you rate your current handshake?  Tap into these strategies as you meet an important contact or go for that critical interview!