All articles and manuals focused on public speaking highlight the importance of eye contact between speaker and audience. It is a strategic tool helping to shape what other people think about us and how they trust us. It may seem uncomfortable at first but try to train eye contact every day for a while and you will see the change. It does not matter whether you are talking to a large audience or just with one person. Learn to look people in the eye for three to five seconds and you will win their attention much better.
The ten most important reasons why you should not underestimate eye contact were summed up on Inc.com.
- Focusing your eyes on one place helps you concentrate. Quick eye movements, on the contrary, slow your brain.
- If you do not look people in the eye, you lose your credibility and authority.
- If you do not look people in the eye, they also have a tendency not to look at you. And if they do not look at you, they stop listening.
- If, on the contrary, you do look people in the eye, they tend to look at you and listen to you more.
- Looking in the eyes of others shows belief in yourself and what you are saying.
- A focused look in the eyes of the audience will give you more confidence and allow you to be more assertive.
- If the listeners see how you look in their eyes gradually, they will feel more connected to you and pay more attention.
- The audience will start to nod and respond, i.e. move from passivity to active participation in your performance. A monologue becomes a dialogue.
- To keep the dialogue running, you must respond to signals from the audience. For example, if you see doubt in their faces, you should assure them they can trust you.
- If you look someone in the eye for three to five seconds, you will automatically slow down your speech, which gives you more credibility. Feel free to use pauses as well when you really want to emphasise something.
What about your experience with eye contact? How long did it take you to stop feeling uncomfortable when looking in the eyes of your audience during public speeches?
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