Making eye contact with an audience is one of the most terrifying things about presenting a
speech in public. Because it’s scary and difficult, several myths about eye
contact exist to help us cope with our fears. These myths swirl around
meeting rooms, conference halls, Toastmasters clubs, and classrooms, and if
you listen closely, you might hear presenters whispering them to one
another.
Unfortunately, none of these
myths help a presenter’s delivery.
In this article, you will learn why
these myths don’t work, and discover how you can move toward effective eye
contact instead.
Myth
#1: Above the audience
What’s
the myth?
When I ask my students if they have
heard any eye contact tricks, the first “tip” they bring up is to look at
the back of the room. Instead of meeting the eyes of the audience, the
first myth suggests that you should avoid eyes altogether and instead
focus on a space on the back wall… above the audience’s heads.
