Talking with confidence maybe one of your biggest challenge at work if you are a newbie. In fact, even some veterans at work still can’t speak confidently. So how do you overcome it?
1. Know Your Material
If you want to talk with confidence, the first thing you must know is your material. This can mean your work process, a project or future plans of your unit. Every discussion has an agenda, planned or unplanned. It can be a formal meeting or a chat by the corridor. Know what is being discussed and know your material well.
How do you know your material well? Get involved. Know your role in the bigger scheme of things. To start talking with confidence know who does what, why and how. When you know your work you will start talking confidently.
2. Organize Your Thoughts
Sometimes, you DO know your material. However, when it comes to a time the right words does not seem to come out. Or people do not seem to know what you have said. Learn to organize your thoughts. When your thoughts are organized you will start talking confidently.
How do you organize your thoughts? One way is to break it into sections. So, organize your thoughts into – what, why, how.
What is being discussed, state your point. Why is the situation so? How will the next steps be? When you section your thoughts that way you will not miss out any pertinent points.
3. Practice, Practice, Practice
Of course, as with everything talking with confidence at work takes practice. Take every opportunity to practice. One way is the tried and tested method of doing it in front of the mirror. Imagine a situation of an agenda that will be discussed the next day. Do it in front of the mirror.
Another way is to practice in small groups. There will inevitably be smaller meetings. Perhaps one that has only three to four persons, take the opportunity to speak up. When you do it often enough you become more confident.
4. Project Your Voice
The less confident you are the softer your voice. One way to talk confidently is to project your voice. Quite literally, speak up! Talk louder, when you project your voice you naturally become more confident. Do not swallow your words or mumble.
5. Read More
Reading more is one way to start talking confidently. When you know more, you have a lot more to add to discussion. You will also have the conviction to add to discussion. You start talking with confidence, as you know you can bring something to the discussion.
6. Know and Believe You Have Something To Offer
There is only one you. Your experience and background is different from the rest. The way you interpret things can be different from the rest due to your background. Talk with confidence knowing that you bring something unique to the discussion, believe that you have something to offer that others cannot. There is only one you.
Talking with confidence takes practice but with each practice the results can be immediate. One good result feeds on the next and before long you will be a natural and confident communicato.
