We’ve all heard how important it is to make eye contact with your audience during a presentation to an audience in the same room. But if you are recording yourself and can see yourself on your screen, it can be incredibly tempting to stare at yourself. Unfortunately, when you do that, it looks to the viewer like you are staring at his or her chest. Force yourself to look at the lens – strong eye contact allows you to build trust and create a connection with your viewer.
But a word of caution, if you maintain constant eye contact with the camera and never waver, it can make the viewer feel really uncomfortable. Viewers need a break. In normal conversation, we all look away periodically. It’s natural and can be very effective on camera too.
If you’re using the teleprompter, it can be even more difficult to look away. For example, what if the words disappear? Still try to cheat your way back to looking at the lens as much as possible. Simply staring at the words will also look unnatural.
Watch this video as Karin Reed shows you how to master making good eye contact on camera.
Learn More: On-Camera Coach
If you found this information valuable, check out my book, On-Camera Coach: Tools and Techniques for Business Professionals in a Video-Driven World, now available from Wiley Publishing. On-Camera Coach aims to take the mystery out of communicating through the camera and provides specific tips and techniques that can make your message sing—and you, the messenger, feel confident in a job well done.
