You only need 20 seconds. That's all it takes for people to connect with you through eye contact, to engage with you, deem you trustworthy and decide you're worth getting to know.
So stop staring at your phone and pay attention to the people around you.
Unfortunately, it's become acceptable in some circles to answer the phone or check sports scores during dinner. It's called FOMO, "fear of missing out."
However, when you have your eyes glued to a device—keeping up with what's going on "out there"—you miss out on the people right in front of you: your loved ones, colleagues, customers and prospects.
Look at me or lose out. A recent Wall Street Journal article, "Just Look Me in the Eye Already," explored the decreased eye contact in our tech-driven society.
