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Handshakes and Body Language

Do you know how many seconds it takes a person to form an impression of you?

It usually takes the other person from 5 to 10 seconds to form an impression of you. I'm sure you are now wondering what is it you can do to leave a positive impression in this very short period of time!!
Actually, more than one thing takes place in this short period of time; as you may have already guessed one of these things is the handshake.

I am Stronger than You

Why do you think you experience fear while watching a horror movie, despite the fact that you're perfectly safe at home? That's simply because your subconscious mind follows some primitive rules in its operation and so it may incorrectly interpret an external stimulus as a threat, even if there's no real danger.

Now, let's go back to the handshake. When you firmly hold the other person’s hand while handshaking them, his subconscious mind will think that you are stronger and more confident than him!!

So by assuring that your handshake is firm, without extra unneeded pressure, you will be leaving the impression that you are more confident than he is.

Follow My Command

Have you ever noticed how some people position their palms horizontally instead of vertically while shaking hands with their friends?
We have two cases here; the first is when the palm is parallel and facing the floor while the second is when the palm is facing the sky. The first reflects the desire to dominate, while the other position represents a state of submission. The person who positions his palm so that it faces the ground while shaking hands will usually be doing so because of his unconscious desire to dominate the other person. On the other hands positioning the palm so that it faces the sky usually reflects the state of being submissive to the other person.

What if Someone Wants to Control Me?

So what if someone tries to shake hands with me with his palms facing the ground?
Simply hold his palm and firmly return it to the vertical position. By doing so, you are sending a small message to his subconscious mind that states: “Sorry, but I'm not the kind of person whom you can control”

As you've just seen, very slight changes to your body language can have a big effect on your relationships with people. In my book, How to make someone fall in love with you, I described how slight changes, such as keeping your back straight, can increase the chances of having people fall in love with you. The more confident you appear, the more attractive you will become, and nothing can make you appear more confident than a straight back.

Learning more about body language can give a very strong boost to your communication skills. 2knowmyself is the only website on the web comprising the full body language postures, along with their detailed explanation; make sure you visit the body language section.

Want to know more?

I want to learn about other body language postures

What else can I do to leave a positive impression?

Yes, tell me more about these subconscious mind rules