Albert Mehrabian in his book Silent Messages determined that up to 55% of the message is received this way. We need to always be aware that our body language speaks as loudly – if not more loudly – than our voice can. And the most important part of body language – whether in a one-on-one or ‘public speaking’ situation is eye contact.

Don’t we all know how uncomfortable, even skeptical, we feel when someone won’t look us in the eye. The trouble is when communicating for business, nervousness, anxiety or simply concentrating on the details at hand can mean that we don’t make eye contact as much as we should with clients (or potential clients).

Eye contact equals credibility - and this is the one personal quality that a business person can NEVER compromise...if they want to stay in business!

Making eye contact frequently reassures the client that we are open, honest and trustworthy. It gives us invaluable feedback as to what aspects are really important to the other person. So, in any presentation or interview, no matter how much you may have on your mind, remember your greatest communication tool – the eyes have it!