Do you know how long it
takes to get an audience on your side?
It's not
very long. In fact, audiences make decisions about your credibility,
believability, and likability within the first 30-60 seconds. If you're visible
before you speak—if, say, you're sitting on stage waiting to be introduced, or
greeting audience members beforehand—these decisions start even earlier.
More than
anything else at that stage, it's your physical
presence that
audience members are responding to. And we all know that impressions based on
body language can be powerful.
Why Eye Contact Matters in Public Speaking
Have you
ever listened to speakers who kept their gaze glued to their notes even as they
began their speech, using the dull-as-dishwasher opening: "Good evening,
ladies and gentlemen. Tonight I'm going to talk about . . ."
Why in
the world would anyone do this? Presumably, these speakers understand that
there are human beings in front of them, ready to receive whatever they're
going to say.
Using Eye Contact to Start a Speech Strongly
Here's a
general rule to bear in mind: When you're looking down at your notes, nothing
should be coming out of your mouth. Learn how to look down and "grab"
key phrases and sentences, then look back at your listeners to say them.
Even more
important, look at your audience and acknowledge them before you get into the body of your
speech. If
you've practiced sufficiently, you shouldn't need to look at your notes much
even then. But you certainly can't afford to bury your attention in your
written material when you first present yourself to an audience.
Establishing a Communication Bond with Your Listeners
What does
the above accomplish? Instead of gluing your attention to your notes, you'll be
establishing a communication bond between you and your listeners. Think of it
as an electric arc crackling between you and them.
Put more
simply, it's just a case of your focusing on them rather than your manuscript
or anything else in the room. And it works if you're talking to one person or
thousands.
Relating
to an audience this way allows them to feel that you are talking to them as
individuals. It also makes you accessible. That can matter later during the Q
& A, when people need to feel they can safely ask you a question when all
eyes are on them. If you're someone who's been showing them that they're the
ones who matter, it's much easier for every audience member to feel they have a
relationship with you.
