Eye Contact As Body Language

EYE CONTACT

THE SHARPEST TOOL  IN NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION.

The quick glance, the look away, the look towards; the eyes have a way of saying a million things before a single word is spoken. It is a type of Body Language. The eye, with the dark concentrated center surrounded by bright white is designed to be seen from great distances. A person sitting at the back of a large theatre would still be able to see the movements of the eye and the direction that an actor on a stage is looking.

Eye contact is a focal part of communication as a whole, with its ability to either enhance or dampen your message depending on how you use it. What is considered “good” eye contact or “bad” eye contact is known and felt instinctively by virtually all people, even those who have never studied it. To truly be a master communicator, one needs to know the power of eye contact as a tool of effective communication.

Below are some ways you can maximise communication by body language through the window to the soul (the eyes):

Eye Contact as Body Language

SPEAKING WHERE YOU ARE LOOKING

Where you are looking while you are speaking can say alot about whether or not what you say is what you feel. Not looking directly forwards with the rest of your body hints to an audience that you are either unconfident with what you are saying or, at worst, that you are actively feeding them lies that you yourself don’t believe in (even if you actually do!). The disconnect between your eyes and your body are a sign of a disconnect with what you say and what you believe thus leaving the audience feeling like there is no point hearing another word of what you have to say. Anything you say with this body language will come off as indifferent and disingenuous so make sure to keep the eyes forward as much as you can.

 

YOUR AUDIENCE IS WORTH YOUR GLANCE

 

Receiving direct eye to eye contact with a speaker automatically gives audience members a positive feeling of their existence acknowledged and their presence appreciated. Good presenters will gift their gaze to the entire room, creating again a sense of genuinity in the speaker that he/she both believes in what he/she is saying and that the speaker truly wishes this message to be shared and understood by the audience in front of them. In contrast, a speaker who seems to be ‘spaced out’ will just alienate the audience by making them feel unimportant and cultivate the same feelings in return for the speaker and whatever they are saying. 

DO YOU SEE AS I SEE?

Taking the time to look into the eyes of audience members can help a presenter know what is or isn’t being communicated. Investigating the looks your audience is giving you can serve as a prompt to either change up your presentation, make it easier to understand, or even to take a moment to ask your audience directly if they have any questions. A well rehearsed presentation that flows quickly from beginning to end may not always be an effective one if there is no space for flexibility to respond to differing levels of understanding and interest among the individuals in the crowd. Make sure to watch out for your audience along the journey of your presentation.

 

OKAY STOP STARING 

Lastly, your gaze should cover the entire room but that does not mean lasering into each person’s eye for an extended amount of time. This is doubly true in the case of speaking to just one person. Attempt to maintain eye contact but also release it where possible so that neither party starts to feel uncomfortable or compelled to stare back. Being static or robotic does not feel natural to anyone, if your body movement has made it that your head moves, then bring your eyes with you even if it breaks eye contact. Forcing yourself to maintain eye contact in this case would just have people running away from you.

Anissa Nasirbody language, eye contact, tool, nonverbal communication, direction, communication, communicator, speaking, audience, investigating, presentation