Engage Your Audience, Not Your Slides by Gilda Bonanno LLC
When giving an in-person presentation, maintaining eye contact with the audience is essential. It’s one of the most powerful ways to engage your listeners, demonstrate confidence and convey your message effectively.
Common Mistakes Presenters Make with Eye Contact
However, I often
see presenters make the mistake of turning their backs to the audience and
facing the big screen onto which their slides are projected. Others rely too
much on the screen in front of them, whether it’s their laptop on a podium or a
confidence monitor.
Whether it’s
out of anxiety or habit, presenters end up making eye contact with that screen
instead of with the audience because they're talking to the slide as they're
reading the information directly, or being reminded of what's on that slide.
But here’s
the key: making eye contact with the audience is a powerful tool. It shows that
you know your material, that you respect your listeners and that you're
checking to see if they understand what you're saying.
How to
Improve Eye Contact During Your Presentation
Here are a
few tips for better eye contact during your presentation:
- For small audiences, make an
effort to look at each person.
- For larger audiences, focus on
different sections of the room to create a more inclusive connection.
- Avoid only looking at the most
important person in the room; spread your attention evenly.
Practice
Your Content to Avoid Over-Reliance on Slides
One way to
improve your eye contact is by practicing your presentation until you’ve
internalized the content. This will help you speak to your audience naturally,
without relying too much on the slides behind you or the computer screen in
front of you.
The next
time you give a presentation, focus on the people in front of you. By making consistent
eye contact, you’ll create a stronger connection, keep your audience engaged and
deliver a more impactful message.
© Gilda Bonanno LLC - Gilda Bonanno serves as a trusted advisor to executives and entrepreneurs to transform their communication, presentation and leadership skills. She has worked with companies on 4 continents, from Chicago to Shanghai and Rio to Rome. The instructional videos on her YouTube channel have received over 1.5 million views and her e-newsletter has reached subscribers in over 45 countries since 2008. For other articles or to receive Gilda's e-newsletter, visit www.gildabonanno.com