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Establishing Trustworthiness Through Eye Contact

Never underestimate the power of good eye contact where presenting to an audience of 1 or 100.

One of the most important things an audience determines is whether they can trust you.  Good eye contact tells the audience, “I have nothing to hide, you can trust me.”

To accomplish this, do not scan the room with your eyes.  I call this the sprinkler effect.  Instead, think of your presentation as a series of individual conversations.  Therefore look at individuals not at the crowd.  When you make eye contact, hold it for a few seconds or a complete thought before moving on to someone else.  This will establish a real connection with your audience increasing your likeability and trustworthiness.