Monday 4 July 2011

Importance of Eye Contact in Communication

Researchers studying human psychology are of the view that non verbal communication plays an important role in effective communication. Eyes are known as the "windows of the soul" and express our emotions when words fail us. We all are well aware about the importance of eye contact in communication. It enables us to develop a connection with the person we are speaking to and not making an eye contact can send out signals to others that we are disinterested. Maintaining an eye contact doesn't mean staring constantly in other person's eyes, doing this, in fact can send an offensive non verbal message.

Public speaking still ranks highly on the list of most dreaded things in America, but there are times when we have to come out of our comfort zone and deliver a speech, especially in our professional life. If you are an able orator and impress people with your oratory skills, then your bosses are more likely to sit up and take notice. There are a lot of things that make a good speech, but as this article is on the importance of eye contact, we will focus our attention on the necessity of engaging your audience through effective eye contact.

Importance of Eye Contact during Speech

While delivering a speech, it is important that you make eye contact with several people or groups of people. Fixing your gaze on one particular individual or group may make other members of the audience feel that they do not hold any importance to you and this can cause them to be disinterested. It is important that you know the appropriate duration till which you are supposed to make eye contact with the members of the audience. There is a difference between making eye contact with your friends and loved ones, and members of the audience and it is important that you remember that. When you are speaking to one particular individual, all your attention is focused on that one person, but in case of an audience, you have to make sure that you make eye contact with as many people as you can. Successful orators agree that the way they use their body language to put their point across plays an important role in delivering an effective, well-received speech. (Also see, eye body language).

Importance of Eye Contact in Interviews

Interviewers often make statements like, "we selected him because he appeared more confident" or "he came across as an assured young man, with a lot of potential". How does an individual make himself appear more positive than others? The answer to this lies in how we communicate both verbally and non-verbally in an interview. If we fail to make eye contact in an interview, we run the risk of being labeled an introvert or the interviewer may get a feeling that there is something not right about us. Making eye contact portrays one in the right way and ensures creating a positive impression on the interviewer.

While we have mentioned the importance of eye contact in communication, it is also very important to know that in various cultures, making an eye contact is considered offensive. For example, in China people tend to avoid making eye contact as they consider it as a mark of respect. In Middle Asian countries, eye contact between a man and a woman is minimal (unless you are closely related to each other). It is very important therefore that you do a bit of research on how to conduct yourself in public, if you are planning to make a trip abroad.

All of us know the importance of eye contact in communication, but still sometimes it gets neglected, may be because we are not comfortable with the situation or we take the other person for granted. Our eyes have the power to communicate what we are feeling or how we perceive a situation. It is imperative for us to put in the required effort so that we master the art of making appropriate eye contact to ensure that we are good with our social and interpersonal skills.

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