Page 30 - Kindness - No Forward
P. 30
Silver Rule #3
The Rule of Regard
We must show our regard during the first 45 seconds of contact
“I ne’er could any lust see
In eyes that would not look on me”
-Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Whether we’re speaking to one person or to a thousand, one good way to
build a relationship is to your audience in the eye.
Look Eye-to-Eye with the other person
Looking others “in the eye” accomplishes a number of things.
It shows confidence. Steady eye contact shows that the speaker (or the
listener, for that matter) is comfortable with what is being said. It is
perceived as a sort of litmus test for honesty. It answers the unspoken
challenge “Can you look me in the eye and tell me that?”
Establishing eye contact shows we are listening. That we are
concentrating on the other person and NOTHING else. Glancing away or
looking elsewhere indicates distraction or a focus on something or
someone else.
Eye contact shows we care. We tend to watch what we are interested in.
Good eye contact displays a concentration on what is being said and
communicates this interest to the other person.
