How to Speak Confidently to Intimidating People
Prepare for the talk., Maintain eye contact., Speak slowly., Mind your tone., Smile., Maintain good posture., Recover from mistakes.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Prepare for the talk.
Begin overcoming your nerves by planning out what you will say in advance.
Perhaps you are anxious about an upcoming meeting with your boss about a project you are working on.
Use your time at work to ensure that you have met your deadlines and haven’t missed any details or overlooked mistakes.
Anticipate what questions your boss might ask so that you can be prepared to answer them.You might even ask a coworker to look over your work so they can catch things you’ve missed. -
Step 2: Maintain eye contact.
When you are nervous, you might find yourself looking down at the floor to avoid eye contact.
However, a confident person looks someone in the eye when they are speaking with them.
Maintain your glance, but do not stare blankly.
Nod your head, laugh and smile when appropriate., Your nervousness might also cause you to speak very fast or to stutter.
Take a moment to slow down the pace.
Think carefully on what you would like to say and then articulate that.
Remember that you are in no rush to speak and that people will understand you better if you speak at a steady pace.You might practice doing this by reading aloud to yourself or to others. , In addition to minding the quickness of your words, also be careful with the tone of your voice.
Avoid speaking at a much higher pitch, or too quietly or loudly.
Instead, use a voice that is natural for you and is noise appropriate based on the setting.For instance, if you are at a tea party, you will want to keep your voice down.
But, if you are at a concert, you will need to be much louder. , Even if you don’t always feel confident, you can fake it until you make it.
It has been scientifically proven that smiling, even if fake, is a mood booster.
Before you begin speaking, give a quick smile to the person and then proceed., Avoid slouching, dragging your feed, and looking down at the floor.
Instead, use your body to take up space and exude self-assuredness.
When sitting, sit straight up, either with your legs uncrossed or with your ankle resting upon your knee.
When standing, stand straight with feet slightly apart.
Avoid crossing your arms.Give a nice, firm handshake when meeting or greeting someone in a professional setting. , Perhaps you noticed that your voice has started shaking or that you said something that was a bit awkward.
Ask them a question that will take them a while to respond to and use this time to calm down.
You can also excuse yourself to the restroom and splash some water on your face.
You can ask them something like “So, I heard about your research with Dr.
Johnson.
Can you tell me a bit about it?” You can also say “Excuse me for a moment; I need to go to the restroom.” -
Step 3: Speak slowly.
-
Step 4: Mind your tone.
-
Step 5: Smile.
-
Step 6: Maintain good posture.
-
Step 7: Recover from mistakes.
Detailed Guide
Begin overcoming your nerves by planning out what you will say in advance.
Perhaps you are anxious about an upcoming meeting with your boss about a project you are working on.
Use your time at work to ensure that you have met your deadlines and haven’t missed any details or overlooked mistakes.
Anticipate what questions your boss might ask so that you can be prepared to answer them.You might even ask a coworker to look over your work so they can catch things you’ve missed.
When you are nervous, you might find yourself looking down at the floor to avoid eye contact.
However, a confident person looks someone in the eye when they are speaking with them.
Maintain your glance, but do not stare blankly.
Nod your head, laugh and smile when appropriate., Your nervousness might also cause you to speak very fast or to stutter.
Take a moment to slow down the pace.
Think carefully on what you would like to say and then articulate that.
Remember that you are in no rush to speak and that people will understand you better if you speak at a steady pace.You might practice doing this by reading aloud to yourself or to others. , In addition to minding the quickness of your words, also be careful with the tone of your voice.
Avoid speaking at a much higher pitch, or too quietly or loudly.
Instead, use a voice that is natural for you and is noise appropriate based on the setting.For instance, if you are at a tea party, you will want to keep your voice down.
But, if you are at a concert, you will need to be much louder. , Even if you don’t always feel confident, you can fake it until you make it.
It has been scientifically proven that smiling, even if fake, is a mood booster.
Before you begin speaking, give a quick smile to the person and then proceed., Avoid slouching, dragging your feed, and looking down at the floor.
Instead, use your body to take up space and exude self-assuredness.
When sitting, sit straight up, either with your legs uncrossed or with your ankle resting upon your knee.
When standing, stand straight with feet slightly apart.
Avoid crossing your arms.Give a nice, firm handshake when meeting or greeting someone in a professional setting. , Perhaps you noticed that your voice has started shaking or that you said something that was a bit awkward.
Ask them a question that will take them a while to respond to and use this time to calm down.
You can also excuse yourself to the restroom and splash some water on your face.
You can ask them something like “So, I heard about your research with Dr.
Johnson.
Can you tell me a bit about it?” You can also say “Excuse me for a moment; I need to go to the restroom.”
About the Author
Samantha Gonzales
Committed to making crafts accessible and understandable for everyone.
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