The Daily Express tells of a study reported in this month's issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, which confirms what many sales trainers up and down the country have known for a long time. A firm handshake is the way to create a good first impression.

The study at the University of Alabama involved 112 male and female students whose handshakes were assessed by four specially trained "handshake coders". The students, who were not aware that they were being studied, each had their hands shaken eight times, and completed four personality questionnaires.

According to Dr William Chaplin, the results of the study indicate that a person's handshake is consistent over time and is related to some aspects of his or her personality.

For both sexes, a firm and long handshake, is one of the best ways to create a favourable impression. Men generally had a firmer handshake than women.

Dr Chaplin said that the implications of the study would mean a lot for women wanting to get ahead in a male-dominated world. Women who were more liberal, and open to new experiences, had a firmer handshake and made a more favourable impression than women who were less open and had a weaker handshake.