How to Speak with Confidence as a New Speaker
Watch the video below to find more insights on how to speak with confidence or scroll down to read the full blog post.
Find this video on how you can learn to speak with confidence on Youtube.
First, let me just give you a little background. So, you might be thinking, “This lady is probably confident all the time when she presents.”
Sitting on My Hands to Stop the Shaking
The reality is that I used to go to networking meetings, and I’ve literally had to sit on my hands because they shook so much. I literally had to sit on my hands to stop the shaking. I also had nervous laughter. I used to giggle after I spoke, which is like an eraser every time you communicate.
What Happens at Grammar School Doesn’t Stay at Grammar School
I actually had two things happen at grammar school. My classmates laughed at me. They didn’t laugh at me because I was funny. They laughed at me when I was onstage. Not just once, but twice!
I’ve had my challenges. So, I’m here to tell you can overcome your fear of public speaking, and you can learn how to speak with confidence. Some people will tell you to imagine the audience is naked.
That doesn’t work, not at all.
#1 How to Speak with Confidence through Affirmations
There are other things you can do that do help such as affirmations. So let me share with you my first tip about how to speak with confidence. Affirmations are powerful.
What are Affirmations?
An affirmation is a positive thought that you repeat over and over again. The challenge with affirmations is that sometimes we might say, I speak with confidence, but then our mind says “Well no, you don’t. You bumble and stumble over on words and make all these mistakes.”
Let’s change it up a little bit.
Let’s say, wouldn’t it be wonderful if I spoke with confidence.
Say that with me now,
“Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I spoke with confidence?”
Repeat, Repeat, Repeat!
When you repeat that over and over again, you feel just as good as you would if you believed that you spoke with confidence.
Create a Mind Shift
By adding, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if” you can use those powerful words to shift the way that you talk about things.
I borrowed the “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if” with from the teachings of Abraham by Esther Hicks. I do want to give them credit because I used to do affirmations the old way. When you don’t believe something, you need the “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if” part. Try this with me
- Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I could speak with confidence?
- Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I commanded a room when I present it?
- Wouldn’t it be wonderful if people saw me stand in my power of who I am?
Millions of Ways to Say “Wouldn’t it Be Wonderful If?”
You can come up with a million ways of saying it. The “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if” we’ll change the energy of your statement and make your affirmation more powerful.
#2 Breathing
Now, when I would get really nervous in front of speaking to audiences or at networking meetings, the first thing I started to do is watch your breath.
Why Your Breath is Crucial to Your Speaker Success
Your breath is crucial to your success in learning how to speak with confidence. Because if we are breathing shallow, you will become short of breath and you’re not using our entire diaphragm to present. You want to imagine that the air is going flowing down and flowing up. Now there are lots of videos on YouTube that you can watch about breathing exercises and how to breathe properly.
Focusing on Your Breath
Focused breathing is super important to me. If I feel like I might feel nervous or a little shaky or uncomfortable for some reason I just breathe. I like to breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth. I feel the breath going all the way down, and that really relaxes me.
#3 Kegel
Let’s get to my secret power move on how to speak with confidence. It’s going to shock you! My secret power movable will instantly, instantly, instantly eliminate your fear, which is a Kegel.
Yes, a Kegel!
Many women have heard the term because they have had children. Guys can do it too!
What is a Kegel – aka My Secret Power Move
Some people can talk about the Kegel as being similar to the lower Chakra. In yoga, it is called Mula bandha. I like to call it a Kegel because most people can relate to it that way.
How do you do my Secret Power Move?
- Imagine that you’re going to urinate and you stop the flow. You lock up those lower muscles.
- If you lock those lower muscles, you’ll be shocked by the results.
- When you do it, your shoulders go back, and you stand up taller. And the best part is that you can’t have a negative thought at the same time. Shocking!
Yes, when you use my Secret Power Move, you cannot have a negative thought at the same time.
So, go ahead, try it.
- I do this move on phone calls when I feel like I’m not in my groove.
- I do every single time I present at the beginning.
- And then if I feel like I’m off centered, I Kegel it, and it puts me back in my power every single time, so I can continue speaking with confidence.
So that was my three tips on how to speak with confidence. Give them a try. They worked for me and they will work for you!
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