It’s great to be friendly and put your hand out first – child or adult. There is no wrong way to start. The most important thing is to smile, have warm eye contact and an enthusiastic tone of voice. For people who are shy or introverted, this may take a little practice and a little courage. According to research studies, walking up to a stranger and starting a conversation is one of our top social fears – and we often start with that seemingly simple handshake.