Keys to Speaking with Confidence

When it comes to interacting with other people, and especially when we’re speaking in public, speaking with confidence will make others trust us and perceive us as smart people. Therefore, this may be one of the most important keys to success, especially at a professional level.

Now, how can we acquire that confidence? What can we do to inspire others to trust us? In this article, we share some fundamental keys to speaking with confidence that may help you. However, it’s important to note that practicing them will help you be more skilled at them.

Speaking with confidence means expressing your opinions with conviction

Before speaking, it’s important we make sure we actually believe what we’re saying. It’s also important not to be arrogant when we express ourselves. Instead, we must show ourselves as firm believers of our ideas and as people who want others to participate in them. Therefore, we replace a need-for-validation kind of attitude with conviction.

The importance of eye contact

First off, eye contact is a sign of good education and politeness. On the other hand, it allows others to listen to what we say in a more attentive way, which makes them immerse themselves into our speech.

Additionally, it helps us express our message more clearly and boost our confidence. Looking down to the floor, up to the ceiling, or at anyone in particular can make us feel more insecure and the audience can perceive it, even if you think they can’t.

This doesn’t mean that we should focus our attention on a single person since this may be uncomfortable for them. A good practice is alternating between different people every 2 or 3 seconds. But remember to always look them in the eyes!

Don’t worry if you notice some people in the audience look confused or worried because that can weaken your confidence. To be honest, when it comes to speaking with confidence in front of a large public, it’s more recommended to look at a small specific group since it’s very difficult to look at all of them in the eyes at once.

Recognize your worth

Speaking with confidence is part of loving ourselves. Therefore, in order to do this successfully, it’s essential that we’re conscious of our worth. However, it’s important that we take this with a grain of salt since vanity and arrogance will always go against us.

A good practice can be praising ourselves on a daily basis since this may boost our inner confidence. That way, self-confidence can be transferred to our speech, which will make others perceive it faster. To do this, focus on the things you do well or that you like about yourself and praise them over your faults.

Visualize your success

As you write, plan, and practice your speech, visualize your success and imagine yourself speaking with confidence before an audience that listens to you attentively. Think of the audience applauding you at the end of your speech and leave your fears aside. Imagining possible problems and focusing on what could go wrong are recipes for disaster.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be aware of possible setbacks. You should definitely keep them in mind and figure out appropriate ways to avoid them. However, worrying about them too much will feed your insecurities, keeping you from speaking with confidence.

Plan your speech appropriately

One of the most important keys to speaking with confidence in front of a large audience is carefully planning what we’re going to say. It’s important to create a script and practice the speech repeatedly. In addition, as you practice, you must also analyze the information you’re going to give and make it as easy to understand as possible.

It’s also important to interact with the audience and pay attention to body language, as it can make the audience perceive us as energetic, motivated, and secure instead of bored and dull.

In addition, we must get to know the place where we’re going to be giving the speech. Planning the possible setbacks and making sure our surroundings are in our favor will boost our confidence. Lastly, arriving early to the venue and having enough time to prepare ourselves will make us feel calm.

Know your audience

Knowing who you’re going to address can help you a lot when it comes to speaking with confidence. Discover where they come from, what their ages are, and their general knowledge levels on the subject. That way, you can adapt your speech to them so that your message comes across easily.