Shake hands like JFK

Did you know that John F. Kennedy commissioned an entire study to determine the most effective handshake? And with good reason!

More than just a sign of friendship, your handshake speaks volumes about who you are as a person. A soft hand shake can indicate insecurity. A quick-to-let-go handshake can convey arrogance. Kennedy knew that he would be shaking hands with the world’s most powerful men and women and as such he wanted to get it right. We should endeavor to do the same.

 We all know that first impressions last and it is often your handshake that makes the first impression.

Step 1: Look the person in the eye

The position of your eyes is almost as important as the hands themselves. In fact, many leading business men and women will tell you that it is your eyes that convey the most about you during that initial point of contact. If you look down to the ground you are telling the person that you are shy, nervous and even untrustworthy. Avoiding eye contact is behavior typically seen in someone who has done something wrong and feels ashamed of guilty.

Looking the person in the eyes shows that you are engaging them. It shows that you are interested in this meeting and you are glad to see them. Always make sure you look a person in the eyes when you shake their hand, no matter how busy or brief the handshake might be.

Comments

[___]

Leave it to fox to do a special on incorrect handshakes

[TheShadwofChaos]

another thing to keep in mind is that the left hand is used for different thngs in some countries. I was told in less developed countries, the left hand and the water bowl is used instead of toilet paper. So, sometimes avoiding left hand contact is a good idea.

[corey11]

Will I get shot if I learn how to shake hands like jfk? I'm sorry I had to..... Hahahaha lol. Sorry if anyone finds this offensive

[Kiteman]

ER, are any of those images or videos yours?

For instance, did you get permission from Instructables member Marsh to use the video he already posted here?

[luvit]

i lol at this. -- lol. -- i lol'd harder with obama being pictured within a JFK thingy. -- LOL.

[egbertfitzwilly]

These are all from public embed codes from public YouTube posts. This feature can be disabled by authors who do not wish their YouTube broadcasts to provide embedded capability. Click on the videos to follow through to the authors Youtube page.

[Kiteman]

So, that's "no", then?


Which means you are not showing or describing your own work.

:-(

[egbertfitzwilly]

I posted a question to Marsh on YouTube regarding this.

[egbertfitzwilly]

I didn't fabricate the PVC pipe in the MFC either. What;'s your point?

[Kiteman]

The point is, members are supposed to show their own, original work when at all possible.

How hard would it have been to show these techniques in stills or a video of your own?

[egbertfitzwilly]

This ain't the patent office....this is a site about disseminating information.... It is an original work that aggregates the results of significant experience and research then packages and presents it in a way that is greater than the sum of the parts. Unlike the physical world in the information world it is the aggregation and presentation of information rather than the content itself that differentiates originality. Otherwise neither Google nor Yahoo can meet the definition of "original" although each clearly is.

[Lithium Rain]

The search engines (and presumably their underlying algorithms, what with the shroud of secrecy surrounding such things...) are original. The results they serve, however, are not "original" to Google or Yahoo.

Original doesn't mean nobody ever had an idea like it, but it does mean that at least some part of it is unique to the creator.

^{Why yes, I am playing with the rich editor again...}

[Kiteman]

This isn't Google, or Yahoo.

This is Instructables, and there are terms you should have read when you signed up, and a guide you should have read when you wrote the text.

I say again: How hard would it have been to show these techniques in stills or a video of your own? After all, if you aren't going to go to put in the effort to do this properly, when should anybody pay attention?

[valleycrosser]

I have a question, what do you recommend to do when someone shakes your hand violently during a handshake?

[egbertfitzwilly]

There's really no good way to deal with this. In the final section she recommends that one just disengage. It might be awkward but it about the only alternative I can think of. It's possible that the old "left hand cup" could be brought into play. By taking control with both hands a similar enthusiasm can be expressed and you can disengage.

[mrmath]

I have two problems with this video. First, she tells you not to use the fingertip handshake, which is absolutely correct, but I noticed the first time through that when she first greeted her friend, David, that's exactly the handshake she used. Second, a female image consultant should know how to do makeup better than this woman does. If I was going to hire an image consultant, met her for the first time, and she gave me the fingertip handshake, I'd find someone else. Her visual image is off putting, and her handshake was weak.

[egbertfitzwilly]

I agree it has many drawbacks. That's why I included so many videos with overlapping content. There are nuances to be picked up from each one. If I find a better feature video I will replace it.

[Blofish]

you where great to put up this illbilly! body language speaks the truth...