Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “confidence”
Speak with more confidence
When you are speaking, which do you believe Is more important? To feel confident or to appear confident? Think about that. You probably want both, but you can’t have both all the time. The question is which is more important? The answer is, it’s more important to appear confident. Why? Because that is the perspective of your listeners. Once you recognize that it’s about the audience experience and not your experience three factors work in your favor.
What is Executive Presence?
I believe that executive presence means that you look, sound and feel like you belong in a leadership role. Presence means that you show up and look like you are present. That you are comfortable and most importantly that you belong in your position. Presence might mean looking good when you don’t feel good. Presence means owing your space – physical, emotional and relational.
Pause right before an important point to create suspense and heighten the value of the important point because they need to catch their breath and wait a few seconds for the message.
It is not about you. It’s about your audience. What did they see, hear, believe and feel? That means that during your presentation you might experience those moments of anxiety – but the audience doesn’t need to know. Confidence starts by becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable.
You can expect your audience to have questions about your presentation. That indicates interest in your presentation message.
When you answer questions from the audience, that allows you to engage them and reinforce your message. The question-and-answer session can convey your confidence, reveal your depth of knowledge and enhance the rapport between you and your audience – if you handle it well.
It might be the most difficult communication skill, the dramatic use of silence. Consider that the most effective technique is to say nothing. That means, that sometimes, you need to stop talking. The use of the dramatic pause might be the most powerful tool in your communication toolbox.
Those opening moments of your presentation are critical to establish your credibility and confidence with the audience. Don’t waste that time trying to work up your confidence. Instead, start with confidence and convey that with your first words. You owe that to your audience before you can expect them to listen to your presentation.
Have you noticed that the best presenters tell captivating stories? Did you know that you can improve the power of your presentations and conversations by telling more stories?
Do you need encouragement to use stories more often when you speak.
Three reasons why you should tell more stories…
