Tips on how to improve eye contact

1. See your audience as individual listeners

Before you speak, take a moment to pause and scan the room for friendly faces. Connect with listeners
who you think will engage with you and focus on one audience member at a time. You’ll be more
conversational and confident if you do so.

2. Involve everyone in the conversation

The key here is to connect with as many people as possible. If you’re dealing with a large crowd and
it’s impractical to make eye contact with everyone, divide the audience into sections and just choose
one member from each group to connect with. When shifting your focus from one area to another,
don’t follow a pattern otherwise you’ll appear unnatural.

3. Sustain eye contact long enough to make a connection, then move on

According to Toastmasters, the organization dedicated to developing public speaking skills, it takes no
more than five seconds to establish proper contact. Five seconds is usually the time it takes to finish a
thought, so there’s minimal risk of losing your focus if you follow this tip. This can also help you slow
down your speaking rate.

4. Avert your eyes when a person grows uncomfortable

Not everyone appreciates being looked at directly in the eye. While it’s true that eye contact is a
universal communication signal, there are certain exceptions that you should consider. Some cultures
and norms find eye contact offensive under certain circumstances.

5. Prepare your presentation more

Most speakers look to the ceiling or floor when struggling to find the right words to explain a thought.
If you do this for long periods of time, you risk disconnecting from your audience. Better
preparation means you spend more energy and focus talking, and less time thinking of what to say.

6. Ensure eye contact as you deliver all critical lines

Nobody expects you to sustain eye contact for an entire 30 minute presentation. However, be sure to
highlight key points with strong eye contact. This includes your opening, your closing, and all other
critical lines throughout. If you combine this with expressing emotion, the impact of your words will
be much stronger.

7. Meet audience members before the presentation starts

Most speakers have poor eye contact at the beginning of their presentation, improving only as the
audience begins to engage with the presentation. This is natural for humans - it’s hard to connect
immediately with total strangers.

A good tip is to meet as many of them as possible before your presentation begins by greeting people
at the entrance. By the time you start speaking, at least some of them will be on your side.