Shaking Hands

All the other stuff is secondary, really. When it comes to the true measure of a man, it's all in the handshake. This might be the purest form of "first impression". People will judge you based on this single, seconds long act.

Doctors have had their profession associated with a weak, limp handed shake. The "Doctor's Handshake" can also be called the "Dead Fish". Just throwing a flacid hand out there to be squeezed carries with it all the conitations that the inuendos imply. You just lost ALL the respect in the first 4 seconds of meeting someone. And they'll assume that you're a HUGE fan of Viagra.

The handshake is so much more than what you do with your hands. Men know to make eye contact when hands meet. You're basically saying "fuck you" if you're looking somewhere else while shaking another guy's hand. And he'll know it.

The handshake can be used other times than simply greetings and congratulations. For example, men know that shaking hands with a girlfriend's ex is a terrific time to establish dominance. Forget the bullshit you read about in business books about turning your hand to be palm down or starting your hand up at shoulder height and diving it down. That's all pomp and circumstance. Just grab ahold of that guy's hand and try to break his fingers. If he's smart, he'll intensify his grip as a defense measure...but he'll know what you're saying. You're saying "I'm better in the sack then you". This works even better when YOU'RE the ex.

Bottom line - work on your handshake. Frank Sinatra, George Patton, Teddy Roosevelt -- all of them had awesome handshakes, and all of them could crawl out of the grave and still kick the shit out of you. That's no coincidence.