You should try to achieve eye contact during ___ % of your speech.
To determine the recommended percentage of eye contact during a speech, we can look to general guidelines for public speaking. It's generally recommended to maintain eye contact with your audience as much as possible to establish a connection and convey confidence and authenticity. However, it's also important to strike a balance and not make sustained eye contact throughout the entire speech, as this can come across as intense or intimidating.
A commonly suggested range for maintaining eye contact is around 50-70% of the time while speaking. This means that during the speech, you should aim to look directly at your audience for roughly half to two-thirds of the duration. This percentage allows you to engage with the audience, build rapport, and hold their attention without being overly fixated on any one individual.
To implement this recommendation in your speech, here are a few tips:
1. Scan the crowd: Divide the audience into different sections and make brief eye contact with individuals or small groups throughout the room. Try to evenly distribute your attention to engage with various audience members.
2. Focus on receptive listeners: Look for people who appear engaged, nodding, or smiling. When you establish positive eye contact with receptive individuals, it can boost your confidence and reinforce your key messages.
3. Vary your eye contact: Avoid fixating on a particular person or area of the room for an extended period. Instead, make eye contact with different people throughout your presentation, aiming to connect with as many participants as possible.
Remember, eye contact is just one aspect of effective public speaking. It's equally important to have a well-structured speech, clear delivery, and compelling content to engage your audience. Practice your presentation several times to improve your confidence and naturalness in maintaining eye contact while speaking.