Which essential involves greeting your client with a firm handshake?

• A. Building rapport and trust
• B. Connect
• C. Create
• D. Consult

Answer: (B)

Greeting with a firm handshake is the moment you establish a connection with the client. That contact signals confidence, professionalism, and a welcoming attitude, which helps the client feel understood and ready to engage. Because the handshake initiates engagement and opens the line of communication, it belongs to the connecting step—the act of starting the relationship. The broader outcome of that initial contact is building rapport and trust, which happens as you continue the interaction, while Create and Consult refer to later stages like generating ideas or gathering and sharing information. So, the essential that involves greeting your client with a firm handshake is connecting.