The Five C’s of Effective Eye Contact

Why you should master this powerful influencing tool

The Window to the Soul

Can you remember a time when you met someone for the first time, introduced yourself, shook their hand, looked them in the eye, and they didn’t return the eye contact? How did that feel? If you can remember that scenario happening it was probably awkward and left you feeling like you weren’t sure if you could trust the other person. If you don’t remember a situation like this it’s because the interaction just wasn’t very memorable. Either way, eye contact or lack of it works the same in public speaking.

One of the most common things people struggle with when it comes to presentations and public speaking is eye contact. It can be uncomfortable and many people just avoid it and look elsewhere when pitching an idea or delivering a presentation. This can be disastrous, or at the very least, make the presentation forgettable.

Why is eye contact so important in public speaking?

You’ve heard the cliche, the eyes are the window to the soul. I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s true. Looking someone in the eyes creates a connection by letting people know you’re interested in them and you have nothing to hide.

It’s important to get your audience to trust you if you want to influence them to do something. Whether it’s a presentation, conversation, interview, or pitch, effective eye contact is your strongest tool for building trust.

Here are the five C’s of eye contact

Connection

Everyone knows that part of what makes someone a great public speaker is their ability to connect with an audience. The question is, how do you build rapport and create a powerful connection with a group of people that you may or may not know in a short period of time? The answer is effective and purposeful eye contact.

Building rapport is essential for delivering a powerful presentation and your greatest tool for rapport building is eye contact. Good eye contact shows you’re interested and creates a connection. It makes the presentation more personal and helps your audience bond with you and connect with your message. A good rule of thumb for making a connection with eye contact is to look long enough to notice the color of their eyes. Usually, this trick will help you look just long enough to make a strong connection but not so long it becomes creepy.

Concentration

Speaking to a group can be intimidating. It’s easy to lose your concentration, get distracted, and be self-conscious. Eye contact helps you direct your energy outward toward your audience and eliminates inward focus that can magnify your anxiety.

Also, if you avoid looking at your audience you’ll be forced to look at other things in the room and be more susceptible to distractions around you. Purposeful, sustained eye contact with one person at a time shrinks the room and simulates a one to one conversation, making it easier to focus on your message.

Conversation

Eye contact engages people and makes them feel like they’re part of the conversation. It makes you accessible and projects authority. Effective eye contact will inspire your audience to reciprocate the interest you’ve shown in them, and instill a desire in them to actively participate.

Eye contact transforms passive listeners into active participants.

When you sustain good eye contact with a person they’re more likely to look at you and listen to what you’re saying. This leads to a better understanding of your message and inspires them buy-in to your ideas more often.

Remember, it’s a conversation. Think of your presentation as a chat with a friend. Whether you want vocal responses or just cognitive interaction, your audience must feel involved. When you neglect eye contact with individuals your presentation becomes an information upload and loses the feeling of a personal connection.

Confidence

Influential public speakers all have one thing in common, great stage presence. The hallmark of exceptional presence is confidence. It’s important to show confidence and to build your audience’s confidence in you.

Looking people in the eye shows you have nothing to hide and you believe in yourself and your message. When people feel that confidence in you, it’s more probable they’ll buy-in to your message and be moved to the desired action.

Credibility

Have you ever introduced yourself to someone who avoided looking into your eyes? How did it feel? If you’re like me, it felt awkward and left you questioning whether or not you could trust them.

On the other hand, confident eye contact helps build the trust you need to ensure your audience believes in you. Looking them in the eye sets you up as a credible resource for whatever you’re presenting. In fact, people expect you to be the expert and your job is to not give them any reason to doubt it. The easiest way to lose credibility with your audience is to disregard eye contact.

Remember the Five C’s

One of the most important principles of persuasion is authority. That doesn’t mean you have to boss people around. It just means you should present yourself in a way that illustrates you’re the expert and you can be trusted. Eye contact is one of your strongest tools for doing just that.

The five C’s may not make eye contact any easier but they’ll help you understand and remember how important it is in public speaking. Step out of your comfort zone and practice good eye contact. There are many tips for practicing good eye contact and once you master this important skill you’ll be well on your way to being a powerful public speaker.

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I’m passionate about helping people become better communicators. Join my community at theroweco.com for tips and insight on becoming a powerful presenter. You can also follow me on Instagram and Twitter @therowecompany and Facebook @theroweco