GREENSBORO, N.C. — Today is a day about body language because it's National Handshake Day. We're talking about the power of this simple gesture. A handshake is more than a greeting; it's a silent conversation.
A handshake conveys a message about you. A firm handshake with good eye contact projects confidence and professionalism. A limp handshake can read as shy or uninterested. A two-handed shake can be overly familiar or even intimidating. How long you pump also matters – a quick shake feels impersonal, while holding on for too long can be awkward.
Here are tips for a good handshake. Make eye contact and smile. Extend your hand, fingers together. Match the other person's grip firmness. Give two or three pumps – not too fast, not too slow. And most importantly, release when they release.
Something that people may not realize is that handshakes aren't universal. In some cultures, a handshake might be considered disrespectful, such as in parts of South Asia (Nepal and Bhutan) and Tibet, where hands together in prayer with a bow are the customary greeting in Nepal and Bhutan. In the Middle East, in some conservative Islamic countries, a handshake between men and women isn't considered appropriate. In Japan, a formal bow is the customary greeting, although a handshake is becoming more common.
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