Confidence is a state of mind. It’s a quality that you can develop over time, but first you need to understand how it works in the first place. Here are some tips on how to look and sound more confident in any situation—no matter what that may be.
Keep your hands visible and still.
When you’re speaking, keep your hands visible and still. This is important because it shows that you’re confident and in control of the situation, which will make you sound more confident as well. If you’re nervous or anxious about something, fidgeting with your hands is one of the first things that people notice. It can be hard to resist doing this–especially if you have an itch or something on your skin that needs to be scratched off–but try to keep them at least partially out of sight so as not to distract from what’s being said by making others wonder what’s going on under there!
Make eye contact.
Eye contact is an important part of communicating confidence. When you’re speaking, look at the other person’s eyes, not their mouth or nose. This will keep you from being distracted by what they’re saying and help you stay focused on connecting with them. If you want to give off a confident vibe when making eye contact with someone else, make sure that each time your eyes meet theirs, they feel like they can trust what they see in yours–like there’s no reason for either one of us not to be able to say anything without feeling judged or criticized for it!
End phrases on a falling tone.
You can also end your sentences on a falling tone. This is the most natural way to end a sentence, and it makes you sound more confident. For example: “I’m feeling pretty good today.” (falling) or “Where are we going?” (rising) The difference between these two statements is that the first one sounds like you are asking a question, while the second one doesn’t have any question marks at all because it ends on an upward inflection instead of falling off at the end of each word or phrase in your sentence
Project your voice.
Projecting your voice is a great way to sound more confident. When you project your voice, it will help others hear you better and give them the impression that you are confident in what you’re saying. You’ll also feel more confident because people will be paying attention to what comes out of your mouth!
Pose questions instead of statements.
The more you know, the more confident you feel. Questions help you learn and understand more about a topic, so they can help to build rapport with others by showing that you’re interested in them.
Speak slowly, but not too slowly.
Be aware of how you speak. Try to speak more slowly, but not too slowly. Don’t rush through your words or mumble them together in a jumbled mess, and don’t speak too quickly either! Speak at a normal pace and make sure each word is clear and distinct from one another so that people can understand what you’re saying clearly without having to strain their ears trying to decipher what’s being said by listening closely (which makes them feel awkward).
Stand up straight and tall, but not too stiffly.
Stand up straight and tall, but not too stiffly. Don’t slouch. Don’t lean on anything (like a wall or chair). Don’t cross your arms over the chest or hold them close to the body–this makes you look defensive and closed off. Crossed legs are okay, but don’t cross them at the ankles; instead, rest one ankle on top of the other knee so that your lower leg is parallel with the floor (a posture known as open-knee sitting). This is an especially good position if you have something to say in response to someone else’s thoughts–it shows that you’re interested in what they’re saying without being too eager or aggressive about taking control of things yourself!
Stay away from filler phrases like “um” and “like.”
One way to sound more confident is to avoid filler phrases like “um” and “like.” While these words are sometimes necessary, they can also be used too much. You don’t want people thinking that you’re not sure of yourself or that you don’t know what you’re talking about–or worse yet, that they have to speak up for themselves because no one else will! Instead of using filler phrases as a crutch, try using them sparingly until they become second nature. If there’s a pause in the conversation where one person hasn’t spoken yet (and everyone else is waiting), this could be an appropriate time for a filler phrase such as “you know?” or “right?” However, if someone has already responded before these thoughts come into play then it would probably be better just keeping quiet rather than filling up space with meaningless sounds like “ummmmmmmmm.”
We hope this article has given you some ideas on how to sound more confident in any situation. If you’re looking for more tips on how to express yourself in the best way possible, check out our other articles here on The Muse!
