FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact: Joyce Hoff

856-751-6141 (NJ)

joyce@pachter.com

In today's workplace, shaking hands is not for men only. The handshake is the business greeting, and both men and women need to shake hands, and to do so correctly.

Yet, according to Barbara Pachter, business etiquette expert and author of numerous books, including the upcoming book, The Essentials of Business Etiquette: How to Greet, Eat and Tweet Your Way to Success (August, 2013, McGraw-Hill), "Many women are reluctant to shake hands, and others do so incorrectly."

Pachter explains that the reasons vary why women may feel uncomfortable about shaking hands, including:

1. Some women were never taught to shake hands.  It is not that women were told not to do so, it is that they were not taught to do so. One woman in Pachter's etiquette class was shocked when she realized that she was not teaching her four-year-old daughter to shake hands, but she had already started teaching her two-year-old son to shake hands.

2. Women bring the personal greeting of kissing friends on the cheek into the workplace. This can be awkward, since you will not want to kiss or hug everyone you meet at work, nor will everyone be comfortable with that greeting.

3. Many women were taught that they did not need to stand when shaking hands.  Before each of her seminars, Pachter walks around the room to introduce herself to her participants and extend her hand in a greeting.  Approximately 70 to 75 percent of men, but only 30 to 35 percent of women, stand to shake her hand.  You establish your presence when you stand.  Both men and women need to stand when shaking hands.

Pachter suggests to shake hands properly, you should extend your hand with the thumb up. Touch thumb joint to thumb joint. Put your thumb down, and wrap your fingers around the palm of the other person. Your grip should be firm, but don't break any bones – it's not a competition. Two to three pumps is enough. Face the person, and make eye contact.

Pachter adds one more thing: It used to be that men needed to wait for the woman to extend her hand. Not anymore. The new guideline is to give the higher-ranking person a split second to extend his or her hand, and if he or she does not, you extend yours.  

The key is that the handshake needs to take place.

 

Barbara Pachter is speaker, coach and author of numerous business books, including The Power of Positive Confrontation ( Marlowe & Co.) and NewRules@ Work (Prentice Hall)

She specializes in business etiquette and communication. Her client list features major organizations worldwide, including Cleveland Clinic, Microsoft, Pfizer, Chrysler, and Con Edison.

For a review copy of The Essentials of Business Etiquette: How to Greet, Eat and Tweet Your Way to Success (August, 2013, McGraw-Hill), contact Chelsea Van der Gaag at chelsea.van.der.gaag@mheducation.com.

For a free copy of Pachter's communication e-newsletter, "Competitive Edge," your readers can sign up at www.pachter.com.

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Blog:   www.barbarapachtersblog.com

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