| n presentation theory espouses a conversational | | | | of that time you will know what you need to |
| approach to presenting, because that’s | | | | know to move on to the next level of acquiring |
| the way to maximize both comfort and trust | | | | The Skills, but only if you make a conscious effort |
| between you and the audience. | | | | to do what the exercises ask you to do every |
| The conversational approach, a modern | | | | day. |
| refinement of the humanist style first made | | | | Exercises: |
| popular in western cultures by president John F. | | | | 1.Observe others' eye contact. In every situation |
| Kennedy, is quite a bit different from the oratory | | | | in which you interact with others, watch their |
| style that most people associate with earlier great | | | | eyes. Observe how long they maintain eye |
| speakers such as Winston Churchill. | | | | contact while they are speaking to you. Watch |
| The foundation of the conversational approach is | | | | how they maintain eye contact while speaking to |
| proper eye-contact, and the nature of that | | | | others. As often as you can, count the number of |
| eye-contact is quite unlike the way 99% of | | | | seconds they maintain continuous eye contact |
| presenters practice. In fact, once you know what | | | | before switching to a new target and note this, |
| to look for, you will discover that what first | | | | preferably in a log of some sort. |
| differentiates those who have The Skills from | | | | 2.In situations where someone is speaking to a |
| those who don't is the way they engage their | | | | group, again count the number of seconds the |
| audiences with their eyes. | | | | speaker maintains eye contact with each individual. |
| Make no mistake, proper eye-contact is only one | | | | Determine what the average amount of time is. |
| component of The Skills, but when you | | | | 3.Be conscious of your own eye contact. When |
| understand exactly how you must look at your | | | | speaking with someone, do you stay focused on |
| audience to be a great speaker, the other | | | | them? Do you look up, away, or down while |
| components tend to fall into place. | | | | speaking? Or do you maintain eye contact the |
| When you nail down these (surprisingly | | | | entire time you are speaking with someone? How |
| straightforward) eye contact techniques, you can | | | | often do you move away from eye contact and |
| deliver to a group of 500 without ever feeling | | | | then return? Do you look at other people for the |
| more anxiety than you would when discussing | | | | same amount of time when talking to one as |
| your job to friends around a lunch table. | | | | when you are talking to many? |
| Most people find that hard to believe until | | | | If you’ve vigilant in your observations, |
| they’ve actually received training in The | | | | you’ll probably be very surprised at the |
| Skills, but when you get it, it’s rather | | | | amount of time people hold continuous |
| powerful stuff! | | | | eye-contact when speaking. And yet it is this |
| These exercises sound simple enough, but they | | | | amount of time that sets the tone for what |
| do require a bit of vigilance on your part to have | | | | makes average speakers average and great ones |
| the desired effect. You must practice them at | | | | great. |
| every opportunity for a week or so. At the end | | | | |