Hand and Thumb GesturesThis gesture should be avoided at all times by any professional
person who deals with clients because it carries negative asso-
ciations about money.Hands Clenched Together
At first, this gesture can seem to signal confidence as some
people who use it often also smile. On one occasion, we
observed a negotiator describing the deal he had just lost. As
he went further and further into his story, he had not only
taken the Hands Clenched position, his fingers were beginning
to turn white and looked as if they were welding together. The
Hands Clenched gesture shows a restrained, anxious or nega-
tive attitude. It's also a favourite of Queen Elizabeth when she
is on royal visits and public appearances and it is usually posi-
tioned on her lap.Hands clenched in
raised position reveals
frustration, even when
smilingResearch into the Hands Clenched position by negotiation
experts Nierenberg and Calero showed that it was also a frus-
tration gesture when used during a negotiation, signalling that
the person was holding back a negative or anxious attitude. It
was a position assumed by a person who felt they were either
hot convincing the other person or thought they were losing
the negotiation.
The Hands Clenched gesture has three main positions:
hands clenched in front of the face; hands clenched resting on
he desk or on the lap; and, when standing, hands clenched in
front of the crotch.