Page 336 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

Chapter 11 Delivery: Engaging Your Audience 303

you say in this manner with little or no conscious thought. As you grow angry,
for example, the muscles in your face tense and your eyes narrow spontaneously.
The purveyor of bad news can make things even worse by accentuating it with
the face and eyes.
You can also use your face and eyes to neutralize the message you deliver.
Based on an analysis of your situation, you may know that at least some mem-
bers of the audience will disagree with your views. Suppose you are in a class
situation that requires you to deliver a persuasive speech. If your topic is a truly
controversial one, you can reasonably predict that not everyone in your audi-
ence will agree with everything you say. Although you may not be able to win
them over, you also don’t want to alienate them. As a result, you may want to
use your face and eyes to neutralize some of the more contentious and evocative
points you wish to make.
In a sense, what you give an audience in your face and eyes will determine
what you can expect to get back from that audience. An intensely worded argu-
ment accompanied by the delivery of an equally intense message in the face and
eyes invites the same from those who differ with you. On the other hand, using
the face and eyes to neutralize the message improves your chance of a more
favorable response from your audience. The city of Palo Alto, California, took
this to an extreme when it considered a guideline that would have discouraged
city council members from using facial expressions to show their disagreement,
frustration, or disgust at meetings. The idea behind the guideline was that it
would promote civility and defuse confl ict among council members and between
council members and constituents during public meetings. Good intentions,
however, do not always make for good policy. The guideline was unworkable
because it is nearly impossible to suppress nonverbal expressions of underlying
feelings. In addition, the guideline violated council members’ First Amendment
rights. 14
To close, keep in mind that what we have suggested here is based on North
American norms. Remember that many cultures frown upon the sustained and
focused eye contact that North Americans value. Members of many Asian cul-
tures, for example, view such eye contact as rude and even hostile. Both speak-
ers and audience members should keep this in mind. As a speaker, recognize
that when international students appear uncomfortable or don’t return your at-
tempts to make eye contact, it may be the result of their culture. As an audience
member, realize that your expectancies about eye contact may be at odds with
the norms of the international student who is speaking. 15

Tips and Tactics
Using Your Eyes and Face

• Always face your audience when speaking; avoid turning your back to the
audience unless absolutely necessary.
• Make eye contact with people before you begin. Maintain eye contact by
meeting the gaze of individual audience members in all parts of the room.
• Avoid excessive eye contact with one person; for example, your instructor.
• Don’t be afraid to be expressive with your face.