It’s one of the most common pieces of public speaking advice. And it’s one of the least useful.
“Just be more confident.”
It’s about as helpful as telling someone who’s learning tennis to “just hit the ball better.”
Confidence isn’t something you switch on. It usually shows up when you stop thinking about yourself, and start thinking about your audience.
The best presenters aren’t trying to look confident. They’re trying to make one idea crystal clear. They’re trying to help people understand, remember or take action.
Ironically, that’s when they come across as confident.
If you’ve got a presentation coming up, don’t try to change your personality. Change a few habits instead:
- Consider what you’re doing to ‘engage’ the audience.
- Speak one idea per sentence.
- Pause after each key point. Let it land.
- Know exactly how you’re going to start.
- Tell one real story that proves your point.
- Finish with a clear takeaway or next step. Not “Any questions?”
Stop aiming for polished. Start aiming for understood.
It’s nice if people leave thinking, “She seemed confident.” But I’d just rather they also leave thinking, “That made sense.”
Public Speaking and Presentation training can help
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Why train with ThinkBox?
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