"Look your listener in the eye. Most inexperienced speakers lose the attention of their audience by looking up at the ceiling to collect their thoughts, looking at the floor, or darting their eyes around the room.
Whether you are addressing a small or large group, lock your gaze on one person, and keep it there for about five seconds - long enough to complete a thought. Then look at another person, take a breath, and continue with your next thought.
If you are talking to only one person, you'll want to break eye contact once in a while to avoid staring. But looking at one person per thought, and pausing slightly between each thought, is the most important technique of presenting."
-- From How to shine at presentations by Kevin Daley, founder of Communispond.
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1 comment:
Great post. This is so valuable, but I am shocked at how few people actually put this into practice in a professional setting.
When you are presenting, it is not about your notes or slides -- it is ALL about your audience.
Lock your gaze on the audience and you will feel an immediate connectedness that will help you feel better about what you are presenting.
Thank you.
Dan Naden
Naden's Corner
http://dannaden.blogspot.com/
'Learn to be better leaders, professionals, and helpers in this collaborative era.'
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