Speak with Confidence

Whether you’re a PTA mom or assistant coach with your son’s soccer team, there are a hundred different ways that you are called on to speak with authority and confidence. If you don’t feel quite up to the task, Ravi Vora has come up with some simple tips on how you can gain the courage you need to speak up:

The 3-second rule. When you’re speaking with someone, take 3 seconds before you respond. This may seem awkward at first, but it gives you a chance to do a lot of things before you say something you might regret. In addition to letting you think about what you’re going to say, it also allows room for them to continue talking. If they feel uncomfortable in the silence, you’ve gained the upper-hand.
Have a plan. Go into the conversation with a plan and think about the responses you are likely to get. Play it out like a chess game. Where each move you make has an effect on them, and vice versa.

Be comfortable. Use your plan to leave room for awkwardness on their part. If they feel like they are fumbling for words and trying to gain your confidence in them, then you’re in control. You have to be comfortable and relaxed enough so that you can say what you want without feeling stupid.

Don’t talk so much. When you don’t say much, people have to try and assume what you’re thinking. Getting inside your head is much harder than knowing what you feel or think.

It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.
-Mark Twain