Self-Confidence Builders - Preparation Your Key to Success

If you want to succeed prepare well, the different between being successful and failing is preparation. Preparation increases self-confidence. “The key to winning is self-confidence and the key to self-confidence is preparation” said tennis champion Arthur Ashe.

Prepare before you speak, if you do not have time to prepare, then think before you speak. Preparation is the key. No one knows everything about every topic. Therefore, you have to do the research so you will be able to speak intelligently about your topic. If you know what you are talking about based on research or life experiences you can speak with confidence.

Always watch your voice tone, maintain constant eye contact, and be aware of your body language. Listen to your voice tone. Ensure it is not too high or too low because of nervousness. You want to avoid a high pitch voice which can be extremely annoying for your listeners. Furthermore, ensure you can be heard; do not mumble or speak too low. Practice your delivery in front of a mirror and ask family or friends to listen and give their honest opinion.

Ensure you maintain constant eye contact with your listener(s); moving your head and your eyes from one side of the room to the other, if you are speaking to a large crowd. Note: an old trick from my public speaking class is to look at the top of their heads that way it appears you are looking directly in their eyes. You should not be as nervous because you are not looking at your audience facial expression.

Finally, your body language, does it appear you are on the defense with your arms folded, and rigid posture. Loosen up, you want to avoid that type of body language, it is a defensive position not extremely inviting to an open line of communication. Use your body as a sign of being open for discussion. Although, you have your points to get across do it in a manner that makes you appear confident. Relax, unfold your arms, do not place hand on hips, or point your finger. Just keep your arms at your side, implement an active listening technique, and then calmly speak with a smile.

Prepare at least three positions 1) Best case – if the other individual(s) are in agreement with you; 2) Worst case- if there is total disagreement and; 3) the most probable case - this is the case that will most likely occur. It is a mixture of best and worst cases.
Prepare to present all three scenarios, listed above. Practice all three of them and be able to deliver them calmly, intelligently with a conversational voice tone, maintaining eye contact, and use open body language. Some forms of open body language are – arms at side, relaxed, and smiling when appropriate. You should only have to use one of the three scenarios based on the response you receive from your listener(s).

Practice, practice, and more practice that is a critical part of the preparation process which leads to a successful pathway to achieving self-confidence. “Men give me credit for genius, but all the genius I have lies in this: when I have a subject to hand, I study it profoundly” said Alexander Hamilton a founding father of the United States. Therefore, if it is your desire to be a confident speaker, then you have to prepare and you will speak with confidence because you are prepared.