Maintain Sincere Eye Contact

Eye contact is one of the most essential techniques used on oral presentation. It is important for a speaker to make a strong and steady eye contact at all time.  The old proverb says “the eyes are the mirror of the soul”.  Eyes can captivate an audience and deliver the meaning of the presentation that words may not be able to carry. When a word is accompanied with the sincere eye contact, it enhances a conversation and delivers the message more effectively.

Eye contact is a key element in non-verbal communication as it often speaks as much as your voice does. Making an eye contact not only creates a bond between speaker and audience; it also shows that you are confident about the content you are communicating. When a speaker read their note word-for-word and not makes an eye contact, the speaker will lose their credibility and the attention will likely to decrease.

Suppose you are listening to his presentation. How would you rate her presentation?

Since non-verbal skills often speak louder than the words, here are some tips on using eye contact effectively on presentation:

1.  Before the presentation, scan the audience and make few focal points
2.  Do not scan the back wall hoping to fool the audience that you are looking at them – make an eye contact with individuals
3. Divide the room into sections – make sure you give each section an equal amount of time and energy
4. Try to catch the audience’s reaction when presenting and adjust accordingly
5. Use eye contact to show that you are in control of the room – when an audience is talking, focus eye contact directly at that person until he/she stops.

A key to effective communication is building a bond with the audience. More eye contact you make, more likely you will have an effective presentation.