It’s all in a handshake.

The Limp Fish
The Controller
Grudge Grip

There are all kinds of handshakes. The limp fish is when someone offers you their hand and it is limp, flabby, and has no commitment behind it. The controller is the jerk that takes your hand and twists it leaving their hand on top of yours. They are the people that tug you and dominate the interaction. And then there is the grudge grip. That’s the, “Look how strong I am,” “I can squeeze harder than you,” handshake. It is a grab and squeeze grip that has no meaning whatsoever. Classy.

You guessed it boys, girls, and all our other pronoun friends. We are back at Personal Branding for Dummies (A Wiley Brand). WooHoo! Go grab yourself a beverage, a yummy snack, and your copy and we will get started.

I just offered you the wonderful world of handshakes in a paragraph but let’s touch on it a bit more, shall we? Much can be conveyed in a handshake. The handshake is an invitation to connect with a person. It can be the first greeting you share, and it should say something about you. Your grip needs to be firm without crossing the line into the grudge grip. The limp fish says, “I have no confidence and my self esteem sucks.” A handshake has the power to set the tone for a meeting. It can go one of three ways based on your grip. Limp fish- they will take over the interaction. The controller- they, again will take over the meeting. If you come in with a firm grip and offer eye contact on top of that you will have a successful meeting.

Now, let’s move on since there is still room on this page and jump into…movement. Not your mad dance skills but your moves in general. Not that a good dance move now and again won’t have an impact in the room but save it for the lighthearted moments in your workday. We have covered most of these points, but my teachers always said that review is a good thing.

This is a reminder that, in most cases, you are not alone. That means at any time someone is looking at you. Paying attention to you and how you respond and act around others and your surroundings. Movement in the simplest form can say a lot about a person. Walking, sitting, standing, even how you accept and item from another person. Look them in the eye. Acknowledge their existence. Thank them if it fits the scenario. You are showing a level of respect to all, not just the levels above yours. Believe me when I say it truly matters.

Hand gestures matter as well. I have sat in many coffee shops and watched the way people interact for research for my books and I can say that hand gestures say a lot. I can tell when two people aren’t having a good interaction based on their hands. Think about it. If you see two people sitting at a table and they are leaning in and one or both have clenched hands- the chances are really good that this is not a good meeting. Start paying attention to others. (I do this when I am working on a storyline and need inspiration.) Sit in a park with sunglasses on and headphones (you don’t have to be listening to anything) and just watch what is happening around you. Who looks confident? Who looks like they want to curl up in a ball and be left alone? Who is angry and how can you tell? Once you learn the signs you will be able to understand what not to do.

I NEED A GOOD CHUCKLE. POST SOME “MAD DANCE SKILLS”

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Polish your sparkle and just keep twirling.
Find joy. Be joy. Enjoy.
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