Maintaining eye contact is one of the most vital aspects of good face-to-face communication. Our eyes are wondrously expressive of feelings. When our partners maintain eye contact with us while we are sharing important thoughts or feelings with them, the message is clear: They care about what we have to say. When we fail to maintain eye contact, we deny our partners valuable feedback about how we are perceiving their messages.
Provide Feedback
The purpose of communication is to provide a message that has some effect on the listener. However, a message’s impact is not always the same as its intent, because
communications can be (and often are) misunderstood. This is particularly true with a topic such as sexuality, where language is often roundabout or awkward. Therefore, giving our partners feedback, or reaction to their message, in words can be helpful. Besides clarifying how we have perceived our partners’ comments, such verbal feedback reinforces that we are actively listening.
We can also benefit by asking our partners to respond to a message we think is important. A question such as "What do you think about what I have just said?" can encourage feedback that can help us determine the impact of our message on our partners.