A Senior Manager was running a team meeting on project review. Everyone in the team stood up one by one, shared their work in progress and proposed further ideas.
There were many decisions to be taken in few minutes on issues they may have worked for weeks. There was a pattern in the way he took decisions. The Manager approved proposals of people who spoke confidently. People who were uncomfortable with speaking confidently ran the risk of seeming insecure about their ideas. Hence they were not quickly approved.
Business leaders pay a great deal of attention to communication. Mastering what you say and how you say it are important factors in being an effective communicator.
Some tips to learn to speak confidently:
- Slow down your speech.
- Speak clearly
- Don’t be loud, but be audible.
- Take a deep breath
- Eliminate filler words
- Add authority and credibility to your speech
- Know when to speak and when to stop
- Work on your voice
Speaking with confidence will improve all areas of your life. Learning to speak with confidence will help you develop a strong and powerful tone that projects authority in any situation. It also will help you earn more respect and credibility in your workplace.
Take strategic steps to improve the quality, tone and how you express your ideas. It just takes a little know-how and practice. Keep continuously learning to communicate effectively.
