Many have great insights, and I'll pass on a few in these periodic "Guest Spots." This one is from Dave Yewman.
Dead fish, or how to fail at communicating without opening your mouth!
It amazes me how many people – some of them senior executives earning fat salaries at big companies and responsible for 1,000s of employees – send a bad signal when they first meet people because of bad handshake mechanics. Yes, the dreaded "dead fish" shake. We’ve all been there. Instead of a firm, confident grip you get a limp, lame handshake that’s like grabbing onto a dead fish. Compounding the error a lot of dead fish shakers also neglect eye contact. The overall impression: negative. The impact on potential business: huge.
The fix: easy.
Just remember FES:
Firm – don’t crush anyone’s hand. But a firm grip from a dry hand works wonders.
Eye contact – look at the other person for 3-6 seconds, this is long enough to communicate that you’re friendly and confident, but not long enough to be mistaken for a "death stare."
Smile – smiling also shows confidence and encourages eye contact (ever smiled at someone’s chin? Probably not).
I read somewhere that former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein used to deliberately hold his shaking hand low, at mid thigh, so visiting dignitaries had to look down to find his hand. At that moment his photographer would take a picture so the resulting image looked like the visitor was bowing. A sneaky trick, if true. In business – unlike politics – a handshake can be a powerful moment, but at least it’s not some national symbolism exercise. So remember: lose the dead fish and focus on FES - that way you don't lose the power to communicate before you even open your mouth.
Dave Yewman