When it comes to communication, confidence is key. Communication skills are vital in all aspects of life, especially in the workplace or in an office setting. Unfortunately, not everyone has the natural charisma and confidence built into their public speaking skill set.
Luckily, that’s not a deal breaker. Even if you’re not naturally an exceptional speaker or communicator, there are several tips and tricks that can help you become an effective, confident, and strong communicator – no matter who you’re trying to connect with! As an executive coach who helps women find their voice in the workplace, communicating effectively is the top problem that holds most of my clients back.
Check out a few of our confidence-building communication guidelines below to immediately begin improving how you communicate with your colleagues, employers, and friends!
Be Aware of Body Language
Most people are concerned with just their verbal communication and few people ever realize just how vital it is to have awareness about your body language. How you’re using your hands, how you’re standing, and your facial expressions have a ton do with how you communicate with people. Think about it, if someone’s talking to you and trying to convey an important message but they’re yawning, looking around, and have their arms crossed, do you really feel the need to listen to what they’re saying? How you present your body language makes a huge difference in how you communicate. Be confident. Be aware. Be present in your body while you speak.
Get a Grip on Your Emotions
The best communicators understand that emotion plays a powerful role in connecting with people, however, you need to be able to control your emotions as well. Be clear about how you feel about something when you’re talking about and ensure that other people understand the emotions you’re trying to convey, too. That being said, don’t go overboard. Check in with yourself before you speak. Are you going to say something irrational because you’re upset? Are you going to say something you’ll regret? Take time to check in with yourself and to gauge the appropriate level of emotion you need to communicate a point.
Practice, Practice, Practice
There’s no shame in practicing communication skills – it’s how we all get better! Try to think up likely scenarios in your office setting and practice communicating effectively in them. Even if that exact scenario never arises, you’ve taken the time to work on how you can present yourself to your coworkers and how you can communicate your thoughts, feelings, and more.
Trade Fear & Anxiety for Self-Assurance
Even if you have to fake it, trade out that fear and anxiety for confidence and surety. You know what they say “fake it till you make it” – that totally applies with communication. It doesn’t hurt to feign a little confidence every now and then, especially if you’re nervous or anxious. Eventually, your real confidence will kick in, you might just need to give it a little head start with some phony poise in the beginning.
Understand Who You’re Talking To
Who you’re talking to is going to gauge the way you communicate, and that’s okay! Before you can truly become a confident communicator, you need to understand who you’re speaking to and why you’re speaking to them. We don’t mean talk down to someone because they’re a lower level employee than you or speak in clever idioms and metaphors to appear smarter if you’re speaking to a CEO – but know that who your audience is will dramatically affect your style of communication.
