If you are a speaker, you know the value of eye contact. It helps you develop rapport with your audience and gives them a sense of connection with you. There are many techniques for developing good eye contact but one of the easiest and best is very simple…
Look at the person and make a mental note of their eye color.
This may sound strange at first, but it requires that you to make eye contact, and look at the person long enough to determine the color of their eyes. I’ve found that this works best with small audiences that you might find at a group meeting, a Toastmasters club, or other business setting with 10 to 20 members.
You just scan the room, pausing long enough to look at each person’s eyes along the way. With a little practice this becomes a smooth motion. You’ll be amazed at how well this works to draw people in. I’ve seen so many speakers scan the room but look past people and focus on the background. Other speakers may look over the heads of their audience. Looking people in the eye is a powerful connection tool to add to your speakers toolbox. It also works great one on one.
Question: What techniques have you used to connect with your audience?
