1)
Why
should I use eye contact?
It
helps you connect to the audience, no matter how big or small. Whether you're speaking to an audience of
four or four thousand, it can help to create a one-on-one communication
experience for each audience member. It
also demonstrates your confidence and proves that the information resides in
your head, not in your notes or on the slides. And it helps you get feedback on how people
are reacting to your presentation.
2)
How
long should I look at each person?
Approximately 5 seconds, which is about the time it
takes to complete a thought. Then move on to another person. Avoid darting your
eyes around the room, trying look at everyone at the same time.
3)
What
if I'm uncomfortable looking at people's eyes?
It is very intimate to look in someone's eye;
remember the old adage, "the eyes are the window to the soul"? If
you're uncomfortable looking directly into their eyes, you can start by looking
right
above their eyes, at their eyebrows. The difference won't be obvious to them
and as you practice and get more comfortable, you can try looking them straight
in the eye.
4)
What
if someone in the audience is uncomfortable with my looking at them?
He or she can choose to look away. If someone repeatedly looks away, don't take it personally. Just glance over him or her on your way to focusing on someone else.
He or she can choose to look away. If someone repeatedly looks away, don't take it personally. Just glance over him or her on your way to focusing on someone else.
5)
Who
should I look at in the audience?
Your
goal is to look at everyone and not ignore any section or person. You want to communicate that each person in
the audience is important so don't focus only on the highest-ranking person in
the room or the one friendly face. And
since no one should be able to predict where you will look next, avoid what I call
"tennis eyes," where you move your eyes from one side of the room to
the other in a repetitive pattern, as if you were watching a tennis
match.
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