How confident do you feel? Do you picture yourself as a self-assured Boss who is unafraid to take on challenges, marching to the beat of a rockstar song? Are you just like the Instagram influencer whose perfect poses garner thousands of likes? Or do you wish you had that level of confidence?
Confidence can be achieved. You may not feel that confidence flowing inside right away, but with these three quick tips, you’ll appear more confident, and that’s a first step!
1. Pose to occupy space and show confidence
To appear more confident, expand yourself. When you’re standing, don’t hunch over, arms folded, or lean into a wall like you’re trying to disappear. Instead, stand up straight, one leg slightly out, or one arm in a triangle shape. You get the idea. Take up a little more space, and keep your eyes ahead, not to the floor.
Your posture is important. If you are walking, take bigger steps with back straight, and eyes forward. Once again, the idea is to take up space. When sitting down, you can put an arm or both arms onto the armrest.
Make sure you show your hands when sitting, standing, or walking. Hiding your hands or standing with hands folded suggests shyness.
For ideas about poses that make you look confident, check out YouTube videos or tips from Instagram influencers on how to pose for the camera.
2. Speak with authority
The words you choose and how quickly you say them can make you appear confident or apologetic. Speak with authority by checking for some expressions that you may be using in your everyday speech.
For example, don’t start sentences with, “I think.” Whatever you want to say, say it without those two words. So instead of saying, “I think that’s the best solution,” jump right in with, “That’s the best solution.”
Another expression to avoid is starting your sentence with “sorry.” Instead of saying, “Sorry I’m late,” try, “Thank you for waiting.” And instead of, “Sorry I forgot your name,” try, “I’m working on remembering names better. What was yours again?”
Another way to appear confident is to slow your speech. Don’t rush your sentences as if the world will end in two minutes. Also, well timed pauses and moments of silence can carry a heavy punch. For example, following “hmm” with silence as if you are thinking before you speak can give you an appearance of authority.
3. Use tonality to convey confidence
Your tonality influences how confident you sound to others. Speak a little more loudly, without yelling, to give your voice more strength. Speaking too softly or mumbling makes you appear timid and fearful. Open your mouth wider and you’ll sound louder already.
Avoid speaking with an upward inflection, as if you are constantly asking questions. If your sentences sound like questions, then people think you aren’t certain about what you are saying. When you speak with a downward inflection, you voice carries more certainty and conviction.
If you aren’t certain how you sound, record yourself speaking. If you haven’t heard yourself speaking before, it may be a little uncomfortable at first, like meeting a twin you didn’t know you had. However, listening to your tonality and how you speak is a way to quickly improve.
Summary
You can appear more confident with three quick steps. Start with your posture. Taking up more space makes you look more self assured. Speaking more slowly, timing your pauses, and using a downward inflection will give your voice more authority and conviction.
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