Part 1 of 3 = Projecting Confidence

1.Have confident body language. The way you hold yourself speaks volumes about you – long before you even get a chance to open your mouth. Keep your shoulders squared and your chin up. Avoid fidgeting (put your hands in your pockets if you must) or covering your mouth when you speak. Look people in the eye when you speak to indicate that you don't intend to be brushed off.

• Try not to be easy to read, especially if you are nervous or uncertain. Hide your “tells” by controlling your hands, feet, and facial expressions so that they don’t betray your emotions.
• If making eye contact is a problem, practice with sunglasses and then work up to doing it barefaced. If you must avert your gaze, look off into the distance as if in thought, not down.
• Even if you are nervous or confused, you can still act confident. There's no shame in asking questions.

2.Speak slowly and clearly. Rushing when you talk is an admission that you don’t expect people to take the time to listen. Speaking slowly, on the other hand, will indicate to people that you’re worth the wait. Use a clear, calm voice. You don't need to be loud, but you do need to make yourself heard.

• If people aren't noticing you, say "Excuse me" clearly and firmly. Don’t be apologetic when you haven’t done anything wrong; it will communicate to people that you feel slightly embarrassed just for existing.
• Try to be concise when you speak. Even the most confident person in the world will lose their audience if they don’t make their point soon enough.
• Keep your suggestion or point short and sweet -- long enough to say everything you need to say, but not so long that you feel like you're rambling or getting away from the main point.
• Avoid saying um or like as much as you can when you're trying to make a strong statement. Make a conscious effort to get these words out of your vocabulary.

3.Work on your appearance. Shallow though it may be, people make snap judgments based on your appearance. People who are naturally confident and charismatic can change others’ minds, but the rest of us aren’t so lucky. If you're wearing clothes that look like you've just got out of bed, or if you wear a pound of make-up with fluffy high-heels, the average person won't take you seriously. On the other hand, if you look like you're ready to get things done, people will tend to be more respectful.

• Dressing well doesn’t necessarily mean dressing up. If you’re the naturally casual sort, focus on having clean, matching, unwrinkled clothes with no embarrassing slogans or inappropriate images.
• Going to the supermarket in sandals, socks, basketball shorts, and a ripped turtleneck, on the other hand, is an invitation for ridicule, even if you think you look just fine.
• Making an effort to be serious about your appearance will make it look like you're more serious about your demands.

4..Rehearse what you're going to say. This may sound silly, but if you want to project confidence, then you should sound firm and decisive when the moment comes. What better way to get there than to practice? You can practice in front of the mirror, into a recording, or even with a trusted friend, pretending he or she is your boss, significant other, or whomever you plan to speak with.

• When the moment comes, remember how confident you sounded when you were just rehearsing, and work to sound even more confident when it counts.

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