THE SECRET TO A PERFECT HANDSHAKE

70% of us have a real crisis of confidence when it comes to shaking hands properly -- even though the average person will shake hands nearly 15,000 times in a lifetime. So how can you master the perfect handshake? Geoffrey Beattie, a professor at the University of Manchester in England, says it's a combination of grip, eye contact and smile. Your handshake reveals elements of your personality. A soft handshake can indicate ins

security, while a quick-to-let-go handshake can suggest arrogance. We use handshakes to form impressions of others -- and they of us.

Top 10 handshake turn-offs:

1. Sweaty palms
2. Loose grip/limp wrist
3. Gripping too hard
4. Not making eye contact
5. Shaking too vigorously
6. Shaking too long
7. Standing too close
8. Shaking with the left hand
9. Not shaking long enough
10. Hot hands

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• Men shake on average 6.2 hands a week, compared with only 2.6 for women.
• Archaeological ruins show that handshaking was practiced in ancient Greece as far back as the 5th century B.C. as a gesture of peace by demonstrating the hand held no weapon.
• Researchers credit Sir Walter Raleigh with introducing the act to the Western World during the late 16th century.
• John F. Kennedy thought it so important he commissioned an entire study to determine the most effective handshake he should use when meeting other world leaders.
• The world's longest handshake took place on November 21, 2009 when Americans Matthew Rosen and Joe Ackerman broke the Guinness World Record after shaking hands for 15 hours, 30 minutes and 45 seconds.