When speaking in public, it's all in the eyes

By Carmine Gallo

updated 6:47 p.m. ET Oct. 21, 2005

In recent weeks, I've seen at least two high-profile business and political leaders give what could be the most important talks of their lives.

In one case, a politician announced her run for high office. In the other, a commentator issued a stern defense of his record after a potentially damaging allegation was levied against him.

What did they have in common? They both read from prepared notes or scripts, a surefire way to lose that all-important emotional connection to your listeners. In my role as a communications coach, I've found that failing to maintain eye contact ranks as the No. 1 problem — but also the easiest to fix.

Titans who deliver
If you truly want to capture the hearts and minds of your listeners, then maintain eye contact during your presentation, talk, or speech. Great business leaders do. And they do it by not reading.

I've never seen Oracle CEO Larry Ellison read from notes. Ever. I've never seen Cisco CEO John Chambers read from notes. Ever. I've never seen Apple CEO Steve Jobs read from notes. Ever.

Nor does former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. In 1994, for his first budget presentation after election, Giuliani worked tirelessly on what to say about work-rules concessions, productivity gains, budget cuts, and revenue projections. Complicated stuff.

Look up
He began the preparation in October for a speech in February! Why? So he could present it from the heart, without notes. "I gave the whole presentation without a script," Giuliani writes in his book, "Leadership." "Beginning with that first speech, I've always done budgets without prepared text. A few years later as my confidence grew, I began giving my State of the City address the same way."

Giuliani gets it. People associate eye contact with honesty, trustworthiness, sincerity, confidence — all the traits you strive toward to make yourself a great business communicator. We like people who look us in the eye. Venture capitalists tell me that when entrepreneurs look down during their presentations, the energy drains from their performance.

Presentations fall flat when you can't see someone's eyes. Donald Trump thinks so. During one of the now-famous board meetings at the end of "The Apprentice," a young man named Troy was arguing his case in front of Trump, pleading with the billionaire not to fire him. I remember Trump barking at Troy for relying on notes he had written on a pad. Trump said he hates it when people read from notes. Troy was, indeed, fired.

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