We all want to come out of every interaction that we have with others feeling good about it and secure in the notion that we’ve presented ourselves well. Therefore, it’s a great idea to focus on self-improvement and building our confidence so that we can simultaneously improve our communication skills.
In order to sound smarter and more confident when interacting with others, try the following strategies:
- Prepare before any high stakes interactions. You will sound better and feel more confident when you know what you’re talking about. Ensure that you put in the time to research the subject, situation, project and/or people that you will be working with or talking about. That way, when it’s your chance to shine, you will.
- Work on overcoming impostor syndrome. You might come across as less confident and capable if you don’t feel comfortable or if you feel like an impostor in a situation. Do what you can to remind yourself that you are more than capable! Don’t let impostor syndrome get the best of you. You have a lot to offer.
- Focus on what you do well. Make a list of all of the things that you are good at and that you do best. Add your many talents and achievements on there too. Hang it somewhere where you can refer back to it in order to remind yourself when you’re in doubt. We often need little nudges so that we can recall all those wonderful things.
- Look for personal areas of defecit and address them. If you feel weak in any areas when compared to your peers, come up with a plan to try to fill those gaps! You can do this in a number of ways such as taking courses or practicing your pitch. Through continuous self-assessment and tweaks, you’ll grow more confident and skilled with each passing day.
- Read and listen to podcasts! The more that you take in, the smarter you’ll become and the more effectively you’ll be able to add to any conversation. Don’t limit yourselves either. When you push yourself by taking in content that it outside of your comfort zone and current interests, you will grow even more.
- Practice makes perfect. Whenever I want to look and sound my best, I practice beforehand to ensure that my communication and delivery are crisp. You should too. You can even go so far as videoing yourself and watching the replay to make improvements. Ensure that you are wearing clothes that are comfortable and make you feel good about yourself as well.
- Get out there. Networking, particularly after coming out of remote work situations, will help you build your social skills and confidence allowing you to communicate and come across much better in all situations. Get in on the mix!