Do I need to shake hands when being introduced?
You arrive to give a speech — at a professional conference, at a workplace meeting, at a community conclave — what have you. The emcee, the manager, the person in charge says words such as “So-and-so will now talk to us about X.” You move toward center stage. What next?
That depends on the speaking situation, your identity and comfort level, the introducer’s identity, the physical setup of the speaking area and other factors. Maybe you approach the introducer and give a slight bow. Perhaps you extend a hand and shake her/his hand. Or maybe you close with the introducer, give a slight nod, turn toward the audience and begin speaking.
What are the most important factors in deciding whether to shake hands, then?
Important factors are:
What is the speaking situation? This means not only “Is this a conference, work or community meeting,” etc. but also, where is this meeting being held? In Tokyo? In Taiwan? In Texas? Think about what the context is so you have an idea what the local etiquette might be.
Who is in the audience? Are the attendees computer engineers, bankers or cattle ranchers? How do these attendees tend to behave. In planning your talk, it is fine to contact the person in charge and inquire about the kinds of folks who will be present.
Who are you? Are you accustomed to shaking hands in such situations, or is this a new behavior? If it is new to you and you are open to learning how to carry it out, can you practice a few times beforehand? If you feel really uncomfortable and don’t want to take a risk, that is okay. Just be sure to communicate in advance with your host about how you wish to take over the meeting at the start of your talk.
Who are they? Is the person who will introduce you from a hand-shaking culture, or is this person also unfamiliar with handshaking? Again, advance communication will help smooth things. If you are unsure, ask, “Should we shake hands when I take the lectern?”
How to do it:
If you decide to shake hands with your introducer when you take the lectern, do it right.
- Make eye contact with a smile.
- Clasp the person’s entire hand, all the way down to the base of the thumb. Do not just clasp their fingers! (See the illustration above.)
- Shake hands up and down three times while keeping eye contact, then release.
- Step up to the lectern.
As with all speaking tasks, whether and when to shake hands, and how to do it are matters of practice and learning. So get out there, get more experience speaking in front of an audience and strengthen your hand!
