Are you the type who consistently has trouble making your voice heard in a meeting? Perhaps the only sound you make is the crunching of another Rich Tea biscuit? Or maybe you’re just struggling to articulate your innovative ideas? Well, here’s the thing; you are not alone.
In fact, many of us struggle with confidence in such a setting. But sometimes it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it, and your conduct in these situations can speak volumes about your capability in the role. Make an impact, then, with these; our 5 IDEAL ways to command attention in every meeting.
KNOW WHAT YOU’RE SAYING
If you’re to hold the attention of the floor, and have people genuinely listen to you, first you need to be the master of what you’re saying. Going into a meeting with a blase, complacent attitude only opens you up to scrutiny, or worse, ambivalence. So, to speak with confidence and assertiveness, it’s crucial you know your subject matter from back to front and top to bottom. Prepare thoroughly and prior to the meeting, try to predict what you’ll be asked once you open up the floor to ‘any questions?’.
TALK WITH CONVICTION
We’re all able to speak with power and precision in our heads, or in the mirror on the morning of your meeting. But in practice, words can get rushed or stumbled over. It’s therefore vital if you want to command attention to speak in a measured, controlled way. That means it’s imperative you pace yourself; use punctuation as a sign for a moment’s pause, apply stress and intonation on keywords, and weaken function words equally. Hand gestures can help to emphasise the important ideas within your pitch, but don’t overuse them or you’ll start looking like an overschooled David Cameron type.
LOOK SMART
It’s a sad truth of the modern corporate world; looking the part matters. This isn’t about conforming to society’s expectations of how you should dress. Rather, dressing smartly can imbue a sense of confidence and power which simply wouldn’t be present if you rocked up to your meeting in flip-flops and a Singha vest. Dressing appropriately shows you understand the nuance of the occasion, and that attention to detail will get people sitting up when you speak.
TRY A STATEMENT STYLE
If you really want to grab the attention of the room, consider channelling your very own statement style. This doesn’t necessarily mean wearing the brightest colours that the rainbow allows (although that wouldn’t do any harm, now we think about it). Instead, simply dress in a way that captures attention.
Should your hair usually be long and luscious, a sudden change to a buzzcut at your next meeting will have people taking notice. Or, you could grow a beard, using the right beard care products so it looks deliberate rather than a product of laziness, to ensure people pay attention to your next pitch.
BE READY FOR ANY POSSIBILITY
An inflexible, rigid and rehearsed approach to meetings is the enemy of anything attention grabbing. How many times have you listened to a monotonous, recited presentation and simply switched off? Instead, be lithe and supple in your delivery, responding to the meeting’s subtle changes in atmosphere, and working the crowd accordingly. In doing so, you’ll command the attention you richly, rightly deserve.