Do you want to know how to speak with confidence and authority? Do you want to know how to get the audience’s attention and keep it? Speaking with confidence is something that benefits anyone and everyone.
Do Coaches Need to Know How to Speak With Confidence and Authority?
Though listening is one of the most important parts of their job, coaches also do plenty of talking. They speak one-on-one, but many coaches also give seminars or speak in front of groups. No matter if it is to one person or to one hundred people, speaking with confidence is crucial to good public or private speaking.
Yes – coaches, you need to learn how to speak with confidence if you want to help your career. The way you speak matters – if you don’t sound like you expect and deserve respect, you might not get it.
6 Keys To Speaking With More Confidence and Authority
Here are a few keys that are essential when learning how to speak with confidence, both one-on-one and in a group setting.
- Slow Down – Don’t act like you’re in a hurry and are just waiting to get the hell out of there. Talking fast may alienate your audience at worst, and leave them wondering what you said at best. Relax, take your time, and talk at a moderate pace.
- The Power of the Pause – This goes along with slowing down. Adding deliberate pauses while you speak will make you sound more authoritative. Just like good writers know when and where to use commas, a good speaker will understand the right way to use a comma when they speak.
* Practice, Practice, Practice – Confidence comes with practice and practice creates confidence. Speak in front of the mirror, practice with friends and family, and rehearse speeches any chance you get. You can also practice speaking one-on-one in the mirror. Just pretend your reflection is another person!
* Vocabulary Matters – the more words you know, the more you will be able to hold your audience’s attention. Using the same limited vocabulary over and over again is boring. Some experts estimate that the average high school graduate knows between 45,000 and 60,000 words. But, how many of those words are people comfortable using? The more words you get comfortable using, the more dynamic and entertaining your speaking will be.
* The Eyes Have it – It is important to look at people when you speak. If you are speaking one-on-one, make sure to look at people’s eyes. If you are speaking to a group, make sure to occasionally make eye contact with different people. When you look into someone’s eyes when you are speaking it tells them you are sincere and confident.
* Know Your Stuff – To be more confident when you speak, it helps to know your material. The more you know about what you are talking about, the more confident you will be. Read, study, understand, practice, and read some more – this will all help become more knowledgeable and better at imparting your knowledge to your audience. You can’t learn to speak with confidence and authority if you don’t know your stuff!
Hope you took some great value out of this post today! I’d love to hear your feedback, so make sure you leave a comment with your thoughts or questions. And also, you can click on the Twitter button below to retweet this article… Thank you!
Fred Philips
Business Coach
Writing Team, Coaches Training Blog Community
These points are really good & helpful in building confidence.
One cannot overemphasize the necessity of speaking with confidence and authority. It is a necessity to follow the steps oulined here in the article to achieve it.
Very important guidelines …confidence and authority are necessary in any business that requires one to convey ideas to a person or a group.
A lot of people I know get nervous when speaking in front of a crowd, some may even let their fear hinder them from speaking in front of a crowd but reading these tips could be beneficial for them.