"A company which must hire leaders from the outside,
either doesn't hire good employees, or it doesn't
train or treat them properly."
- Raymond Rubicam, co-founder of Young & Rubicam
Recommended
book of the week:
'A
Higher Standard of Leadership - Lessons
from the Life of Gandhi.'
- Keshavan Nair, published by Berret-Koehler Publishers.
This
week's "moment of truth".
Handshakes.
To
shake or not to shake, that is the question. How
to shake is another one.
Depending
on the nature of your business, a well-intended,
well-executioned handshake can be the first step
in the development of a successful long-term customer
relationship. As we will talk about in greater depth
later, first impressions are vitally important in
the customer service delivery chain.
I'm
sure you have both pleasant and not so pleasant
memories of people you have met who you formed lasting
opinions of based primarily on what happened in
the first few moments of meeting or being introduced
to them. For some you clearly recall the wincing
pain shooting up your arm as the 'knuckle cruncher'
was applied with ill considered force. For others,
it was the 'wet fish' limp-wristed excuse of a handshake
that made your spine crawl.
It
is vital that your handshake is appropriate for
the person whose hand you are shaking. Variations
need to be observed depending on the gender, age,
nationality and combination of all three. It seems
hard to believe, yet I've witnessed men shaking
the hand of a frail older aged Asian woman with
the same gusto as if they were greeting one of their
business drinking mates.
Also,
as the world gets smaller and smaller through globalisation
and our interactions with people from different
countries and cultures becomes a regular part of
every day life, we need to be both aware and respectful
of the customs of others.
In
French business meetings, it is expected that you
will shake the hand of all in the room and the handshake
itself will tend to be light and quick.
The
Chinese are somewhat reserved about any form of
touching in public, however as they become more
influenced by exposure to the west, the handshake
is becoming more accepted as a form of greeting.
Traditional Chinese still greet customers with a
modest bow or nod.
In
South America, the Latins are very touch oriented.
Hugs, kisses on the cheek and pats on the back are
an everyday occurrence. Most hellos and good-byes
are accompanied with a generous warm and enthusiastic
handshake.
The
traditional greeting in Japan is still a bow although
most Japanese are fairly accommodating when it comes
to shaking hands western style. Overt public affection
is still a big taboo for the Japanese.
The
Middle East is different again, as is England, as
is Italy, as are different countries in Africa.
Message;
you can never do too much homework on understanding
the etiquette of other cultures.
Another
aspect of shaking hands has to do with the distance
you stand away from the person whose hand you are
shaking. The English for example are probably the
least kinesthetic people on planet Earth, so the
distance between you and the person you are greeting
is at its max. In fact you'll probably have to bend
at the waist in order to reach their extended hand.
If you also notice, the English also tend to place
their left hand in the small of their back when
shaking hands. My obtuse reasoning is that this
instinctively occurs as a natural counterbalance
to stop them toppling forward.
In
other cultures, like South America, the gap is almost
nonexistent. Once again, please do your homework.
So
next time you go to extend your hand in greeting,
take a momentary pause to consider the importance
of the act you are about to engage in. It may be
the making of a million-dollar relationship. It
may also mean instant removal from the next 'business
after hours' invitation list.
Until
next week, stay true to yourself and your customers,
and remember that great service happens in the moment,
moment by moment.
