Image source: http://image.slidesharecdn.com/essaywritingpowerpoint1-100503235152-phpapp02/95/essay-writing-powerpoint-1-4-728.jpg?cb=1272930771
The very achievement of being able to express yourself, and more importantly, be listened to is an extremely rewarding feeling. Just how can you express your ideas and opinions clearly and maintain that you are being listened to?
Below are some strategies that will help you to voice your opinions and ideas:
1) Know what your aim is
Make sure that before attempting to open your mouth and the words begin to flow that your 100% clear on the ideas that need to be expressed. Knowing where you want to go with the conversation will help to give you that extra confidence boost.
When your audience can see that you are confident then they will more alert and want to listen.
2) Ignore the definition of perfection
Just sit and ask yourself, exactly what is perfect? Is there anyone out there that is 100% perfect? The fact is that we are only human and not one of us is without flaw. A small error is acceptable; there's no need to be stringent to the point that you begin to struggle voicing your opinion! As long as you know the topic of importance, a simple error can be overlooked.
3) Keep it basic
Think about why you sometimes shut off when someone is voicing their opinion; remember your days at school and college with teachers lecturing in front of the class. Being lectured is boring!
There really is no need to use big words. The simple facts voiced in an exciting manner will be more than enough to keep the audience tuned in. It's extremely annoying to have someone chatting away for 30 minutes when the conversation could have been kept basic and ended in half the time.
Stay on the straight and narrow; turning left and right really is not going to turn into a success story. Don';t make the listeners fall asleep!
4) Pretend that you are alone
One of the major fears of having to express your opinion in front of a crowd is how you will be perceived by the audience. Can you really afford to let negativity like this get in the way?!
Picture that you are alone and voicing your opinion to yourself! Your nerves will remain calm and allow you to remain focused on the topic that you need to address.
5) Revise before you talk
Simple revision of your conversation will help you take it to the next level. The fact that you are confident and know what you are talking about will help significantly.
When people that you're talking to know that you certain on what you're expressing, they will have faith in you. Think about possible questions that might arise from your topic of conversation and have the answers readily prepared in your head.
Learning to voice your thoughts and opinions really is a simple process. We are all human and each of us has worries and fears. Talking should be fun, not a drag; you should have confidence in yourself. Just let the words flow.
By reading the above tips and putting them into practice you will be able to become a lot more confident and expressing your thoughts and opinions will become a piece of cake!
