A grandson would never “fist pump” his grandmother to say hello. Everyone always talks about the importance of a first impression. However, before the impression is the seemingly simple and often overlooked welcome, and he or she must nail the proper first greeting.

Before mastering the greeting, a basic understanding of a greeting is key.  Greetings around the world vary. For example, according to Fox News, a common welcome in New Zealand requires head and nose rubbing. Therefore, before venturing to other countries, it is as important to look up common greetings in that nation as it is to look up tourist attractions. One also must recognize of his or her surroundings. A business meeting would require a much different welcoming than a football locker room. The second most important aspect of a greeting is a consciousness of who one is greeting. Within a certain environment, greetings can vary widely based upon who one is meeting.

With that in mind, one can control the quality of his or her greeting. However, a good hello is much harder said than done. A greeting is like a blind date because so many things can go wrong so quickly.

A good greeting is much more than just a firm handshake. While a firm handshake can lead to a good hello, it is more important to be confident. A firm handshake is confident. Eye contact is confident. However, over-confidence is never good. A greeting must be assertive yet also relaxed. Calmness creates a sense of trustworthiness and charisma.

In reality, the only controllable variables are composure and confidence. A lot of aspects of a greeting are variable. For example, the moistness of a hand is uncontrollable. Nevertheless, everyone knows a sweaty hand is disgusting to shake. A balmy hand automatically makes for a bad greeting.