The Listening Gap Between Sight and Sound

Written by Catherine Franz


The truth is there is a gap between sight and hearing, between visual and auditory, between seeing and believing. Andrepparttar fact is that this gap creates a billion dollar industry. Improving communication has billions of books on how-tos sitting on shelves and training services galore. Andrepparttar 107987 topic keeps on selling.

People push themselves to improve their verbal and writing skills as a prediction to their increased success. How many have askedrepparttar 107988 question that Dr. Stephen Covey continually reminds us to ask, "Is it S.M.A.R.T.?" That is, is it specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. If you use SMART as a measurement,repparttar 107989 fact is, it doesn't work. Is great communication achievable and realistic? Is it SMART?

We want to believe so. We want to hope so. We want so badly to stand up in front of millions and say something as wisely as, "I have a dream...." Or simpler, we say something wise to our children or friends. Yet, have you ever asked if this was even possible? Martin Luther King didn't write this speech all by himself and possibly didn't even createrepparttar 107990 phrase first. Yet we assume it to be. Based on our personal growth with sight and sound since nee we assume we can do it all alone, all by ourselves. Has any wise communication ever really been written all by one person? Not usually. There also seems to be at least a spiritual hand.

Did you know that we see things at 1,086 miles per second and we hear at 1,100 feet per second? Our culture is speeding up because it’s crafted a "seeing is best" mindset. Television, Internet, movies,repparttar 107991 list goes on. Ifrepparttar 107992 visual world is communication, then is it based on visual alone? It seems to be going in that direction, doesn't it?

The truth is that neverrepparttar 107993 two shall meet -- seeing and hearing. They are too far apart inrepparttar 107994 spectrum. In order to hear, truly hear, one must slow down to what seems like a baby crawl in comparison torepparttar 107995 speed of light and our sight’s reflection.

Yet, it takesrepparttar 107996 two to fully understand communication does it not. Not sure, then that is correct. How wouldrepparttar 107997 visually impaired or hearing impaired communicate then?

What isrepparttar 107998 speed of feeling? Is it faster or slower than light or faster or slower than hearing? Is it measured by feet or by miles? No one knows, I don't think. Its never been quantitatively tested, at least anywhere I could find. Yet can it be? If you would measure feeling, what would that be? Maybe in nanoseconds. Feeling is instinctive and touch is a sense. Then is feeling a sense as well? Or are they bothrepparttar 107999 same? What is different between feeling and hearing? Can we define its difference?

Do you sit and watch television with a sense of touch or smell? Not at least from my blurb tube you can't. Did you ever think of hearing a television program? Of turning your back torepparttar 108000 box and watchingrepparttar 108001 show? Why not? Why not try it and feel this exact disconnect, this gap, that I'm talking about. Strain your ears to hear. Learn again what it means to hear.

Look 'Em in the Eyes: The Real Power of Eye Contact

Written by Debbie Bailey


"At that moment when our eyes are locked in silent communication, we are, in essence, touching." -Debbie Bailey Besides touch (not really an option in a presentation setting), eye contact isrepparttar most powerful and personal of all of presentation delivery cues. When you look an audience member inrepparttar 107986 eyes, for those few seconds, you are talking directly to him/her. Why is eye contact so powerful? Good eye contact cuts physical distance in half, helps you connect with your audience on a personal level, invites audience members to participate in your presentation (if I look at you long enough you WILL talk), enables you to gauge your audience's reaction to your presentation, stops hecklers from pestering you, and so much more.

The fact is, when you look someone directly inrepparttar 107987 eyes, it is as if you are standing much closer to him/her. In a presentation setting, close is good. The closer you are,repparttar 107988 more immediate you are, thusrepparttar 107989 harder you are to ignore. Think about it fromrepparttar 107990 audience's perspective-it is much easier to tune out a presenter who is farther away from you (I can't see you, you can't see me). Becauserepparttar 107991 audience members seated closest to you will haverepparttar 107992 best experience anyway, use your good eye contact to move yourself physically closer to audience members seated inrepparttar 107993 back ofrepparttar 107994 room.

Your eye contact also provides you with valuable feedback about howrepparttar 107995 audience is receiving your message. Approval, confusion, excitement, hostility, frustration, and many other emotions are all expressed through your audience's body language. Eye contact will help you read and react torepparttar 107996 silent messages your audience is sending you about their understanding, their likes, and their dislikes so you can determine what to reinforce, review, hurry through, etc.

There is definitely an art to making good, strong eye contact. The best eye contact is direct and sustained-lasting 4 to 5 seconds per audience member. That is MUCH longer than most people think. In fact, inexperienced presenters often makerepparttar 107997 mistake of glancing quickly aroundrepparttar 107998 room without holding eye contact for any length of time. Their eye contact appears to bounce from person to person.

Instead, look at each audience member until you see him/her silently acknowledge you before moving on to someone else. This will help you forge a much greater connection with each individual in your audience.

Be aware that most presenters show eye contact favoritism. This means that they look at certain people inrepparttar 107999 audience more than others. Research indicates that we tend to look atrepparttar 108000 audience members who give usrepparttar 108001 most positive feedback and alsorepparttar 108002 people withrepparttar 108003 most authority (i.e.repparttar 108004 CEO inrepparttar 108005 room). While it is confirming to look atrepparttar 108006 people who are enjoying our presentation ("they like me they really do"), make it a point to look at everyone as equally as possible. Audience members who don't feel that you are talking to them (as demonstrated by your lack of eye contact) will haverepparttar 108007 tendency to tune out. And as for looking atrepparttar 108008 people in power, remember, they are watching you to see how you treatrepparttar 108009 others in their organization. The best way to demonstrate your fairness and respect is through eye contact equality.

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