Four Tips To Help You Get Taken More Seriously in Meetings
As you progress through your career, increasing your levels of gravitas, having a strong level of impact and being viewed as a credible voice of authority become increasingly important. Not only do they add value to others perception of you – and help you to be taken more seriously – but they also help you feel more confident and in control.
Watch Love Public Speaking founder Carrie Swift sharing her thoughts on this here.
To help you boost your gravitas try:
- Slowing the pace of your speech down – by about 30%. Not only does this help the listener really take on board what you are saying, but it also helps your brain keep up with your mouth so that you can be confidently articulate.
- Introducing pauses into your talking pattern. The pause is powerful! They are an excellent tool for emphasising a point that you are making, and for ensuring your audience stay engaged. They also demonstrate that you are in control of your presentation.
- Commanding the stage by standing tall in a strong ‘power pose’ position, and using calm and intentional body language – positive, open gestures that complement your words.
- Avoiding the upward inflection at the end of a sentence. Ask a friend to listen to whether your voice normally goes up or down at the end of a sentence. In important meetings and presentations, try to ensure that your sentences finish on a downwards inflection.
If you’d like to find out more about boosting your gravitas, click here to take a look at our Presentation and Gravitas training course.
By Carrie Swift and Natalie Forkin from Love Public Speaking
Carrie is the Founder of Love Public Speaking, a presentation skills training company which helps people unlock their career potential by developing their speaking confidence. In 2021, she was recognised at Management Today’s Women in Business Awards as one of the “35 Women Under 35” rising stars in British business.
Carrie launched Love Public Speaking after spending several years tackling her own fear of public speaking as a former Director in the corporate world. She is now a regular keynote speaker, an NLP Practitioner, coach and presentation skills expert.
From working with individuals, to corporate teams, to training entrepreneurs to pitch on the TV series ‘Dragons Den’, Carrie is passionate about turning people into confident presenters. Her and her team deliver training in presentation skills, virtual communication skills and women’s leadership programmes.
Originally Released On 06 June 2023