Confidently speaking out at meetings

Confidently having a voice in meetings can take a lot of skill. When other people have greater confidence, louder voices or more effective communication skills it can be hard to be confident.

Here are three tips on confidently speaking out at meetings.

Tip 1 Confidently speaking out: Time yourself.

Speak out early. Set yourself a time limit by which time you will have spoken out. That's it! Don't just sit there hoping and waiting. Speak out as soon as possible. Be confident.

Tip 2 Confidently speaking out: Agree.

Say something. Even if all you say is, "I agree". At least you will have a voice. Just because someone has already said what you were going to say does not mean you have to stay silent. Let everyone know you had the same idea, thought and opinion. Don't let everyone think the other person was the only one to come up with this idea.

Confidently speaking out, even if it is simply supporting someone else, still means you have a voice.

Tip 3 Confidently speaking out: Write it down.

Self-confidence can be built through preparation. Before a meeting, read the agenda, chat to people about the topics and formulate your point of view. Then confidently write it down and take it to the meeting with you. In this way, you need to have no anxiety about forgetting what to say and can confidently make your point.

Confidently speaking out can be so much easier when you know what you want to say.
For more tips on confidently speaking out at meetings watch our video, "How to be assertive and confident when speaking out at meetings."

The more tips you gain, the easier it will be for you to confidently speak out, have a voice and be heard.

Written by Rachel Green. Keynote Speaker | Confidence Coach | Author.

Rachel is the Founding Director of Confident Woman Australia.

She is the author of a DVD on networking skills, a number of books, and 20 CDs including her popular: Confidence for women in public speaking.

She also speaks to groups of women and can speak at your conference or event on: Sparkling with confidence at work. This is an inspiring speech, hilarious, practical and relevant. It is ideal if you or your staff want to overcome a lack of confidence or learn to be more assertive in speaking out.

Copyright Confident Woman Australia, 2012.

NB: This article is for your information only and does not constitute individual advice. Everyone is different.  This is general information only. It is not provided as an alternative to obtaining professional advice from an appropriately qualified practitioner. Please seek the help you need to speak out confidently.