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The Eyes Have It

Skip the tips and tricks and look people in the eye.

Brandt Johnson

You may have heard that you should focus on a spot in the back of the room when speaking to a group. Or that you should look at people’s chins or the space just above their heads, instead of looking in their eyes.

It’s bad advice.

Whether you are speaking to one person or a group, eye contact makes the experience more personal, natural, engaging, and confidence-inspiring for your listeners.

If it’s a very large group, you may not be able to look directly at every single person. But the connection you establish through eye contact with some will be appreciated by others. The more specific your relationship to your audience the better.

Look people in the eye.