How important do you think eye contact in a presentation is? The answer is that eye contact can make or break your presentation.

Here are some top tips for ensuring that you use the powerful tool of eye contact in the most effective way possible.

• Connect and Engage with your audience – You should aim for the audience to feel involved in your presentation but be careful not to stare or single people out!

• For audiences of less than 10 you should aim to connect with everyone.

• For audiences of more than 10 and less than 30, you should aim to connect with between half and two thirds of the audience.

• Scan the room proportionately – Move from person to person in a smooth, flowing motion, be careful not to dart your eyes around the room!

• Begin by connecting with a few then gradually progress to connecting with more of the audience.

• 2 second rule – You should aim to connect with individual members of the audience for between 2 and 4 seconds. Any longer and they may feel singled out!

• Before you begin your presentation, have a point of contact that you can use to make eye contact with first – Be careful not to look at this person too much!

• Make yourself aware of where people are seated before you begin your presentation. You can then visualise yourself making eye contact with them. When it comes to the real thing, you will do this automatically.

We are equipped with a powerful tool in eye contact. This can be used in positive ways to effectively express confidence, intellect, honesty, love and desire, friendship, compassion and sympathy, and more. It can also be used detrimentally by reflecting lies, anger, lack of remorse, and a callous non-genuine attitude. In presentations, eye contact is an integral part of conveying meaning. Ensure you use this tool to the best of your ability for the best results.