To ensure that your message is getting through to others, you should look and sound the part. Dress appropriately for each meeting, and make sure that you speak clearly and confidently whenever making a contribution to proceedings.
Looking the Part
A professional appearance can gain you extra respect when stating your case, since people tend to make instant judgments based purely on appearance. If you are attending a meeting with another company, find out about its dress code so that you are not the only participant wearing a formal suit while everyone else is in jeans. At a formal meeting, wear a formal suit, especially if you are not known to other people there. Whatever you wear, check that your outfit is clean and pressed, your hair is tidy, that your nails are clipped and neat, and your shoes are polished.
Gaining Confidence
Confidence-building is a circular process. If you appear to be confident, people will perceive you as such and are more likely to be convinced by your arguments. Once you feel that other members of the meeting believe you, your confidence will increase. In any verbal communication, it is estimated that your tone of voice has five times more impact, and your body language has eight times more impact, than the actual words that you use to present your argument. Concentrate on speaking clearly and at the right time, as well as on your words and the tone of your voice. Spend at least as much of your preparation time on the quality of these presentational aspects as you do on the actual content of your speech.
Points to Remember
- First impression counts. The opening sentence of an argument should be rehearsed.
- Since you may get only one chance to have your say, the facts need to be right first time.
- Any mistakes that are made while presenting a case should be corrected immediately so the other participants can see that you know your subject.
- Varying voice tones – warm, congratulatory, forceful, or formal – will affect the outcome. At the end of the meeting, main points should be summarized.
Participating Strongly
The level of your participation in a meeting will depend very much on its size. If a meeting is small and intimate, you may be able to interject and make points frequently, but always make sure you have something relevant – and preferably interesting – to say. If there is a chairperson, use positive body language to show him or her you would like to speak. In a large gathering, you may get only one chance to participate. Be well-prepared so that you can concentrate on your delivery, which should be strong and succinct. In a meeting of any size, if someone tries to interrupt you or prevent you from putting forward your views, look them in the eye, use their name to get their attention, and tell them you have not finished. If they persist, seek support from the chairperson.
TIPS
- Take deep breath before starting to speak.
- If an idea is your own work, take credit for it.
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