Confidence is a trait we admire in others and lament the absence of in ourselves. But while some people may just be born confident, it’s a skill the rest of us can easily acquire. These expert tips will prepare you for success in any professional or public speaking situation.
Practice
The key to doing anything well is doing it often
- Practice what you’ll say beforehand
- Use a real or stand-in microphone if you’ll be using one during the actual event
- Recording yourself is a good way to evaluate your voice for clarity and volume
Express Gratitude
Thank coworkers and direct reports for their contributions and achievements. This will help create a positive atmosphere and instill confidence in the company.
Use silence to your advantage
Silence can be a powerful confidence-projecting tool
- Audiences need strategic pauses to retain and understand important points
- Having the ability to live with silences makes you seem confident
- Don’t worry about forgetting an important idea or losing your train of thought
Maintain good posture
Holding your head high and rolling your shoulders back won’t just make you look confident, it will improve the sound of your voice as well
Throw away caveats and filler phrases
Don’t begin your sentences with “this is just my opinion,” “sorry,” or “I’m still working on this,” etc.
- Say what you mean, and nothing else
- “I think we should take this pitch in a different direction,” is much more persuasive
Don’t articulate a statement as a question
To project your ideas with confidence, don’t let your voice creep upward at the end of a sentence. Maintain an even tone of voice and finish your statements with periods, not question marks.
Stay hydrated
Professional singers use pre-show beverages to soothe and prepare their vocal cords
Insert smiles into your speech
Smiling makes your voice more pleasant to listen to and conveys confidence.
- You appear friendly, approachable, and composed, to the audience and as a speaker, you will exude confidence and self-assurance, which can be seen in your words and actions.
Slow down
190 words per minute is the ideal rate of speech for public speaking. At this speed, your audience will feel less like you’re talking at them and more like you are having a conversation over lunch.
- If you speak too slowly you run the risk of putting your audience to sleep and sound amateurish or nervous.
Use your hands
Gestures accompany your message
- Warmth and energy evoke more positive traits in audiences
- Use hands to convey excitement and knowledge
- Physical gestures such as fiddling with clothing or touching hair can distract or convey lack of confidence
- Learn more about body language
