Learning how to communicate is something we learn at a early age. Learning to communicate with confidence is often something many of you don’t embrace until much later. Being the oldest of my siblings I feel like I was always pretty confidence in myself and my communication.
Keys to Communicate with Confidence
One of my sisters told me once when I asked her what my greatest skill was being bossy. And this is so true, I am bossy both in my personal and professional lives. Clearly, I am confident in telling my siblings what I think and what they should do. However, I use these skills every day in my corporate job, and now you can use them too!
If you haven’t yet, sign up for our free download about Power Words to help you communicate more effectively. Using these power words can help you increase sales, provide better content, and increase confidence. Here are some extra skills I’ve learned along the way that can help you be more confident.
Don’t Lean Forward or Slouch
Leaning forward or slouching makes others think you are not confident in your subject matter. Confident people sit up straight and project. When you lean towards your audience, you convey interest in what they say, but if you are the subject expert, they should be leaning towards you.
Similarly, don’t slouch, no one wants to listen to someone who looks lazy. Slouching makes it seem like you don’t care about whatever you are communicating. If you don’t care why should someone who is listening to you?
Make Eye Contact
Draw people into the conversation by making eye contact with them. Making eye contact is impossible if you are speaking to a broad audience but purposely block off the audience in your mind and look at each section. This method will make your audience feel like you are making direct eye contact with each person, and will draw your audience naturally into your conversation.
Making eye contact makes others feel important. If I feel important, I will feel more drawn into the conversation, and so will you. Your audience, child, co-worker wants to feel special, and like you care about them and their outcome.
Use Hand Gestures
Talking with your hands is a universal sign that you know what you are speaking about. Often those with dramatic hang gestures are taken more seriously and there is a reason for this. Those extra theatrics help other people understand when you find something important and instill an extra level of confidence into your material.
If this does not come naturally to you, practice it. You don’t have to start with over the top all body hand movements. Strategically place a few common hand motions into your talking, chatting, or speaking. Using hand gestures is an important part of how to communicate with confidence.
Use First Names at EVERY Opportunity
If you are talking one on one or in small groups with someone, use their name. Not only do you make them feel unique, valuable, and part of the conversation. You additionally, instill in them how important what you are saying is for them. After all, you just told them it was by calling out their first name.
Admit Errors
When you make a mistake, tell people. Admit your errors. Everyone is human, so you are bound to make a mistake at some point. Being able to admit that and tell others will have those people believe in you more. In the future, they know that if content changes, the message is different, or you just plain told them something wrong that you will say to them.
Conclusion
There are many ways you can provide an extra boost of confidence in your everyday interactions including with your children.
Read about and then grab your printable all about Power Words and implement some of the strategies to help you communicate with confidence today. Share this PIN so others can get a confidence boost as well!
