The Eyes Have It: The Power of Eye Contact

Here at SlideMagnet we like a great party as much as the next guy, but we prefer the dinner party to the party-scene. Its not that we’re against being the life of the party until the sun comes up – somebody has to do it. It’s just that an intimate setting provides better opportunities to actually connect with our friends and family in a more meaningful way.

You’ve probably had the opportunity to show your PowerPoint presentation to a small group in a cozy space where the whole event felt more like a casual gathering than a spectacle. On the other hand, you’ve probably also made your pitch to a capacity audience in a large conference room where you couldn’t make out the back wall through the throng of audience members you were faced with mesmerizing.

The real challenge posed by a large audience is attempting to make it feel as warm and intimate as a small, casual meeting. We rarely have the opportunity to wander through the crowd, shaking hands, giving high-fives and making actual contact with individual audience members, but there is another kind of contact that can be almost as powerful: eye contact.

Draw Them In

When we make eye contact the effect can be very powerful. Just think about how much communication takes place in a bar on a Friday night using this silent language. How much can a gaze communicate? A lot! The main benefit that eye contact offers us during a PowerPoint presentation is that it effectively cuts the distance between you and an audience member down to nothing. When you look a listener in the eye and speak directly to them it’s as if you having a private conversation.

Mirror Mirror

Another great benefit of making eye contact with your audience is that it affords you an accurate gauge of just how well you are actually coming across. Is the lady in the front row laughing at the jokes? Did the guy near the window put his magazine away? Has the anxious fella in the back found a seat and actually decided to stick around and hear the rest of your PowerPoint presentation?

Who and How

When it comes to making eye contact during your presentation we aren’t talking about casually glancing around at random faces while you continue to plow through your presentation. It’s important to look a certain audience member in the eye and hold their gaze for 4 or 5 seconds. Watch 4 or 5 seconds tick by on a clock. It’s a long time! This will be much more effective than a casual glance and it will have the benefit of helping you slow down your pace. Don’t put a lot of energy into making eye contact with the people in the front of the room who already feel close to you, focus on the people in the middle and toward the back who need to feel more included. Also, don’t focus on folks who are clearly enjoying your presentation. Try to engage the listeners who seem like they are on the fence. Win ’em over!

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