Tag Archive for: eye contact

How to Appear Confident

The passing of the torch from the outgoing White House press secretary to the incoming White House press secretary is a monumental thing. Though it’s an honor to hold the job title for any amount of time, it’s also a very tough job as the world watches and waits for and grades your performance.

This week, we watched as Karine Jean-Pierre replaced Jen Psaki. And while there was a lot to critique in her answers to tough questions, her body language also deserves a conversation. Karine Jean-Pierre will likely improve as time goes on—the first week is usually the toughest—but there are lessons to learn in how she handled herself behind the podium. We all knew she was nervous (who wouldn’t be?!) because she looked nervous. But even if you are, there are ways to hide it and project confidence instead.

#1 — Don’t shift weight.

In this clip, you can see how the new press secretary shifts her weight from leg to leg. Doing so causes her to move around in the frame, which is distracting. Occasionally shifting weight is fine as you don’t want to lock your knees, but you want to stay centered behind the podium the majority of the time. Standing planted helps you look like you’re in control.

#2 — Maintain eye contact.

Referencing your notes to answer tough questions is wise. Reading straight from your notes without making eye contact with your audience makes it appear as if you don’t know the content. It’s better to alternate between referencing your notes and looking at the audience—spending more time looking at the audience. Of course, it’s best to have had enough practice to be able to speak without relying on notes. But if you’re not at that point, don’t let your fallback be to read your notes verbatim. Again, maintaining as much eye contact with the audience helps you look like you’re in control.

Road Rage

We’ll all encounter road rage this holiday season – some of us will cause it by “driving defensively,” and some of us will experience it thanks to the too-slow driver in the passing lane.

Regardless, here are a few tips to communicate effectively from the driver’s seat and avoid the fender bender that keeps on giving in the form of a higher deductible.

Eye Contact
Just like eye contact is key in an on-camera interview, it’s also a great way to guilt someone into letting you merge. And if you smile while making eye contact? Game over.

Once you’ve successfully merged, make sure to wave “thank you” to the driver who let you in.

Use that horn for good
Not all honks are created equal. If possible, communicate with a friendly honk. A light “excuse me” or “you’re about to hit my bumper” tap go a long way to de-escalate the situation.

Be self-aware
If you follow no other rules of the road this holiday season, please follow these two:

  1. The left lane is for passing ONLY. You will anger other drivers and impede the flow of traffic if you stubbornly choose to drive in this lane regardless of speed. Please drive on the right.
  2. If you anticipate needing to merge because your lane is ending, don’t drive all the way to the end of the lane and cut in front of those waiting in line. Abide by the zipper effect. Be kind, and get in line.

We wish you happy and safe travels!

Can’t take my eyes off of you

In honor of October baseball, we thought we’d take this opportunity to highlight a lesson Chicago Cubs’ catcher Taylor Davis can teach us about eye contact for TV.

While Davis was playing for the Iowa Cubs, the Triple-A affiliate for his current team, he made quite an impression on the camera…

If you’re doing TV interviews, Skype interviews, or Facebook Lives, you can learn a lesson from Davis.

Prolonged eye contact with a TV host or camera lens can seem really uncomfortable at first, because that’s not how we communicate in real life. But TV interviews aren’t real life and therefore play by a different set of rules – you have to maintain eye contact at all times to avoid looking distracted or disengaged.

Don’t be tempted to look away as you gather your thoughts; keep your eyes fixed on the camera or host.

TUESDAY TIP: Sunglasses in a TV interview. Yay or nay?

NAY. ALWAYS NAY. But let us explain…

Temps are rising, days are getting longer, and we’re finally moving outdoors – both personally and professionally.

What do we mean?

The possibility of a TV interview outside is a real and present danger in the coming months, and so we want you to be prepared. Over the next few weeks, we’ll highlight what to do and what NOT to do in front of the camera in the great outdoors.

Today’s focus is your eyes. Specifically, what NOT to do.

Q: “Can I wear sunglasses in TV interviews outside?”

A: “No. And here’s why…”

Obviously, this is an extreme example, but it proves our point. Though we understand that the sun (or any bright light) can be distracting, resist the temptation to keep those cool aviators on when the camera is rolling.

We know that wearing sunglasses makes your experience better, but it makes the viewer’s experience worse. We want to be able to make eye contact with someone, or watch people make eye contact with each other. It’s how we judge people’s character and the validity of their statements.

Leave the sunglasses at home, grin and bear it. And if the bright rays prove intolerable, ask the camera crew to move you to the shade.