How to Speak with Confidence and Influence Your Audience
Even the most accomplished individuals can find themselves struggling with communication confidence. Many successful professionals, despite their achievements and intellect, face challenges when it comes to confidently sharing their ideas. Public speaking or even group meetings can trigger nervousness about forgetting their message, facing judgment, or drawing unwanted attention. These anxieties are common, but can hinder your ability to make the impact you desire.
The good news? Research has found that delivering your communication in a strong and confident manner leads people to judge you as more effective and charismatic. But how can you appear more confident when you feel anything but on the inside? While there is no magic solution, there are effective strategies to help you overcome these challenges and convey your message with confidence.
Focus on Your Audience
Sarah Gershman, in her Harvard Business Review article, emphasizes the importance of prioritizing your audience to calm nerves and disarm your fight-or-flight response. She suggests shifting your focus away from yourself—away from anxieties about making mistakes or whether the audience will like you—and towards genuinely helping your audience.
Sarah explains, “Studies have shown that an increase in generosity leads to a decrease in amygdala activity. Showing kindness and generosity to others has been shown to activate the vagus nerve, which has the power to calm the fight-or-flight response. When we are kind to others, we feel calmer and less stressed. The same principle applies in public speaking. When we approach speaking with a spirit of generosity, we counteract the sensation of being under attack and start to feel less nervous.”
Rather than fixating on how you might be perceived, redirect your mindset towards sharing valuable insights. During preparation, invest time to understand your audience's expectations and how you can deliver meaningful value. What are they hoping to learn, and how can you provide them with value? Remember, they're there to gain knowledge from your expertise.
Have a Goal
According to Matt Abrahams, author of Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot, effective communication hinges on thorough preparation and practice. Whether addressing an individual or a large audience, Matt emphasizes the importance of defining a clear goal before speaking. He recommends using the "Know, Feel, Do" framework:
What do I want my audience to know?
What do I want them to feel?
What do I want my audience to do?
Then use a framework like “What, Now What, So What” or “Problem, Solution, Benefit” to organize your talking points. These frameworks can help organize your thoughts, making it easier to structure your conversation and remember what you want to say.
Know Your Subject and Material
Dr. Connson Locke, in her book Making Your Voice Heard: How to Own Your Space, Access Your Inner Power, and Become Influential, shares valuable insights on developing your inner power—the mental strength that fosters self-confidence and resilience, essential for speaking up—as well as your personal reputation, which she refers to as bases of power. These concepts are derived from social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven's five Bases of Social Power: Coercive, Reward, Legitimate, Referent, and Expert.
Expert power is our focus here. It arises from demonstrating deep knowledge and expertise in your field. Earning this respect takes time and dedication. To confidently influence others, strive to be more knowledgeable than your audience. Stay one step ahead by thoroughly understanding your subject matter. Audiences need to trust you, and knowing your content builds confidence.
Building expert power takes time, but it starts with taking action. Getting yourself out there and continuing to practice is essential. Stepping outside your comfort zone and consistently sharing your insights strengthens your power and confidence over time. This ultimately establishes you as a credible and knowledgeable expert.
Seek and Apply Feedback
Carmine Gallo, in his Harvard Business Review article, recommends rehearsing under pressure. He explains that neuroscientists studying high achievers found the most successful practice under moderate stress. They simulate the conditions they'll face during the actual event. Therefore, before your presentation, consider rehearsing with a small group and get feedback from them.
Carmine emphasizes, “Simulating even low levels of stress will keep you from cracking under pressure when delivering the real deal.” This approach allows you to refine your delivery and adapt to potential challenges you might face.
Additionally, recording yourself during practice sessions provides another valuable tool for improvement. Listening to your presentation afterward helps identify areas for enhancement, such as clarity, pacing, or confidence in delivery.
Practice Visualization
Nancy Duarte advises leveraging the power of visualization to enhance your presentation skills. By vividly imagining yourself delivering your presentation, you can capitalize on the brain's ability to blur the lines between imagined and real experiences.
“Since the brain sometimes has trouble distinguishing between actual experiences and imagined ones, use that fact to your advantage,” Nancy suggests. Visualize every aspect of your presentation, from the moment you are introduced to observing the audience's reactions. This practice helps you become exceptionally prepared and enables you to anticipate and navigate potential challenges with confidence.
Incorporating visualization into your preparation routine can help increase your confidence.
Warm Up Your Voice
Both what we say and how we say it matter deeply in effective communication. Julian Treasure, in his engaging TED talk, emphasizes the significance of vocal warm-ups. Before your next presentation, consider trying his six-step vocal warm-up exercise to prepare your voice.
Julian Treasure's approach highlights that warming up your voice not only enhances clarity and projection but also boosts confidence and authority in delivery. These exercises can help you start your presentation with a strong and resonant voice, ensuring your message is heard clearly and effectively.
Reframe Anxiety as Excitement
Did you know that our bodies often struggle to differentiate between anxiety and excitement? Both states trigger similar physiological responses, categorized as "arousal congruent” meaning they produce similar physiological responses. Research conducted by Alison Wood Brooks has shown that individuals who reframe their anxiety as excitement tend to perform better.
The next time you feel nervous about public speaking, try saying "I am excited" out loud. This simple reappraisal can significantly improve your performance. By shifting your mindset from anxiety to excitement, you can harness that energy positively, increasing confidence and improving your ability to engage your audience effectively.
Embrace Continuous Improvement
Confidence in communication develops through practice and exposure. Embrace discomfort by challenging yourself to speak up regularly. The more you engage with your audience, the more natural and impactful your communication will become.
Seek opportunities to refine your speaking skills, whether through workshops, practice sessions, or real-world presentations. Each experience contributes to your growth, enhancing both your confidence and effectiveness as a communicator.
Conclusion
Speaking with confidence is a skill that can be cultivated through preparation, mindset shifts, and continuous practice. By focusing on your audience, setting clear goals, mastering your material, and utilizing effective techniques like visualization, you can overcome speaking anxieties and influence your audience with greater confidence and impact.
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