The document provides tips for maintaining eye contact. It defines eye contact and explains its importance in public speaking by showing respect, understanding, bonding, and revealing thoughts and feelings. It recommends practicing eye contact with yourself in a mirror, establishing eye contact right away when speaking, slowly increasing the amount of eye contact used, looking near but not directly into eyes, using a 50/70 rule for speaking and listening, maintaining eye contact for 4-5 seconds, and practicing with friends and strangers.

1. C
HOW TO MAINTAIN AN EYE
CONTACT
GROUP MEMBERS:
SYEDA HADEESA ZAHRA, AROOJ IFTIKHAR, MAIDA , BENISH AND LYBA IQBAL

2. KEY POINTS
•What is Eye Contact
•Importance of Eye Contact in Public speaking
•Practice by yourself. Use a mirror
•Establish eye contact right away
•Slowly increase the amount of eye contact you use.
•Look near the eyes, but not into the eyes
•Use 50/70 rule
•Maintain it 4/5 seconds
•Practice
•Practice with Strangers

3. WHAT IS EYE CONTACT
Definition:
The state in which two people are aware
of looking directly into one’s another’s eyes
• Eye contact is a type of body language that is extremely important during
communication and conversation.
• In other words, our eyes and body language speak even more than words.
Keeping eye contact with the person you are talking to shows that you are actively
listening and paying attention.
• Eye contact is one of the easiest and most powerful ways to make a person feel
recognized, understood and validated.

4. 1.IMPORTANCE OF EYE CONTACT IN PUBLIC SPEAKING
Whether we realize it or not, we use our eyes as a form of communication at all times.
Even actions like avoiding eye contact show a person has something to hide. For
example, Police officers can even use them to tell if someone is lying or not.
People are often uncomfortable giving eye contact due to shyness or anxiety. These
same people might show other signs of shyness like a slight stutter, sweating, and
blushing.
Eye contact is imperative in conversation in following ways,
•Respect
•Understanding
•Bonding
•Reveal Thoughts and Feelings
•Reveal Thoughts and Feelings

5. 2.FOR ENHANCING EYE CONTACT PRACTICE BY
YOURSELF. USE A MIRROR
• Have a conversation with yourself in the mirror.
• Maintain good eye contact with yourself.
• What will be the topic of your conversation? Perhaps you can discuss how good
looking the face in the mirror is.
• The proper amount of eye contact shows that you are socially astute and confident.
You will also be considered more capable and trustworthy. A little effort can enhance
your ability to communicate with others. And you will be taken more seriously. Just
look them right in the eye.

6. 3.ESTABLISH EYE CONTACT RIGHT AWAY
• Before you begin talking, establish eye contact.
• Don’t look down or look at something before you begin speaking. Establish eye
contact right away and then begin talking.
• Listening with your eyes is important too: Remember the 70 percent rule (you should
maintain eye contact for 70 percent of the time while listening)? Communication
happens with your eyes while you’re listening just as much as when you’re talking.
Remember that while you’re listening and maintaining eye contact, you should smile,
open your face and look interested.

7. 4.SLOWLY INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF EYE CONTACT
YOU USE
• Add a few additional seconds of eye contact during your conversations.
• It may take some time to reach a normal threshold, but the world is not going
anywhere in the meantime.
• Take your time and continue making improvements.
• The first few days will be the toughest. Your progress will soar after that. Just keep
going.

8. 5.LOOK NEAR THE EYES, BUT NOT INTO THE EYES
• This is difficult to do if you are too close together.
• At normal conversation distances, the other person cannot tell if you are
looking at their eye, their nose, or their forehead.
• Pick a spot between the eyes, but just above or below the eyes.
• This can be much easier than maintaining true eye contact.

9. 6.Use 50/70 rule
• To maintain appropriate eye contact without staring, you should maintain eye contact
for 50 percent of the time while speaking and 70% of the time while listening. This
helps to display interest and confidence.
7. Maintain it for 4-5 seconds
Once you establish eye contact, maintain or hold it for 4-5 seconds. After this time
passes, you can slowly glance to the side and then go back to establishing eye
contact.

10. 8. Practic
• Eye contact will come easy to some, but if it doesn’t for you
• it’s okay to practice until you become confident. You can look at an eyebrow or the
space between the eyes and mouth.
• You can also practice with yourself in the mirror.
9.Have a staring contest with a friend.
• If you can stare someone in the eye for 60 seconds straight, you will have an easier
time maintaining normal eye contact during social interactions.
• Avoid just staring silently at each other. Carry on a conversation while you are at it.
• Try this same activity, but with a child. Not only will you enhance your eye contact, but
you will also get a good laugh out of the process.

11. CONT.….
10.Practice with strangers.
• Walk through your local mall or other crowded location. As you pass by others, look
them in the eye and smile. When that becomes easier, say, “Hi” while maintaining
good eye contact.
• Ask a stranger for directions.
• Ask a store clerk a question. Look the cashier in the eye while you are paying.
• Take advantage of every opportunity to practice your eye contact skills. Have a chat
with your neighbor. Have good eye contact with the other patrons while you are out
having dinner or drinks. People are everywhere.
• Imagine that everyone was put on earth to help you with your eye contact.

12. CONCLUSION:
Eye contact is a very important part of non-verbal communication. The proper
amount of eye contact shows that you are socially astute and confident. The
previous slides explained that how you can maintain eye contact during public
speaking or presentation.