When presenting yourself in a professional environment, appearing confident in yourself and your business are of the utmost importance. No one wants to trust someone who doesn’t appear to trust themselves. While a lucky few may naturally project a confident air, the majority of us must work to develop this skill. For the next two weeks we will discuss ways to help you come across as strong and confident in all of your business interactions. This week, we will focus on how to change your speech to project confidence.
Changing the way you speak is one of the first and most important steps in achieving an air of confidence and success. Subtle changes in your voice and presentation create a significant difference in how your message is received. The first step, is to make an effort to speak slowly—this gives your listener the impression that what you have to say has value and is worth taking the time to listen to. It also creates a sense that you are calm and in control. You should also maintain a strong volume as you speak. Projecting your voice makes you sound authoritative and like a natural leader.
Finally, pay careful attention to your intonation. Take the time to listen to yourself as you speak on a day-to-day basis. Do you often end statements with a rising intonation like a question? This gives off an air of insecurity, creating the impression that you are unsure of yourself. Also, take care not to end statements with question tags such as “okay?” or “right?” You will appear as though you are seeking approval from your listener.
Stay tuned: next week, we’ll continue our discussion with tips on how to change your physical presentation to come across as a confident leader.