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3 Handshakes to make a wow impression

Have you ever met someone for the first time and really wanted to establish a great impression? That can be done through the first handshake, and there are three handshakes that can really make a ‘wow’ impression when you first meet someone.

Rapport Handshake

The first handshake is the rapport handshake. Have you ever shook someone’s hand it feels like a wet fish, or you have shaken another person’s hand it feels like your hand is in a vice? These are obviously are not handshakes that you would want to use when first meeting someone. The correct type of handshake to use, is a rapport handshake. When you extend your hand, you are extending it straight out, and you are reaching out to the other person at the same level and at the same speed.  As an illustration, If the vice handshake is say a 10/10, and the wet fish handshake is a 1/10, grip is a rapport handshake should be about a 6/10. Handshake number one, is key for when you are meeting someone for the first time and you want to express a meaning of, we are peers together.

Glove Handshake

This handshake is when you take your left hand and you fold it over the individual’s right hand as you are shaking their hand. This type of handshake is communicating a bit more meaning. You are extending out honesty and openness, wanting and are pleased to meet this person.

High Trust Handshake

The final handshake, is the handshake where you touch the elbow with your left hand. This communicates a high trust extension of the relationship that you’re wanting to have with that person. It is a handshake that you would tend to use with people you have already met and worked with.

The best illustration of all three handshake is that of Barack Obama when he came to a G20 leaders’ summit. When you watch the video clip the first person he shakes hands with, he uses the rapport building handshake. Then next you will see him use the high trust handshake where he places his hand on the recipient left arm. Then you will see him quickly switch where he does the glove handshake, extending his honesty to the individual. Finally, he returns back to the rapport building handshake, where he squares off to the individual mirroring them perfectly. Barack Obama showing exactly how to make a wow impression when he meets them.

Hopefully you found this video blog very useful, giving you a few tips when you meet someone knew.