8 Tips to Walk the Talk in Any Situation

Who do you picture when you think of a confident person? Alan Sugar, Richard Branson, Oprah Winfrey, someone closer to home, or someone more deluded like David Brent perhaps. Whoever it is we all have an idea of what confidence is, and use that to measure whether we have it or not. Confidence in who you are, and what you do has never been more essential, especially if you are a business leader. It takes confidence to inspire the people who depend on you.

Why is genuine confidence important?

Confidence demonstrates that you are trustworthy, resourceful, knowledgeable and a good bet to be a safe ship in a rocky harbour based on our primitive purpose to survive.

And confidence is not...

David Brent, being the loudest, deluding people, taking risks that harm others or self, dismissing others ideas, aggression, relentlessly telling people you are the greatest or over compensating arrogance.
For many people their perception of confidence is the latter, and therefore no wonder they subconsciously try to avoid appearing too confident. People organically like people who are like them; it is a basic requirement for human social interaction. So if confidence is ultimately about trust and being capable check out these tips to revolutionise yours

1) Smile - Yep easy right. So why do most people dilute their smiles to appear more professional? A smile is your personal and business shop front. Not smiling is the equivalent of a 'not today' sign.

2) Passion - Passion for what you do cannot be faked (think recent politicians). Create passion in place of unconfidence when facing new situations. Passion is infectious and unforgettable

3) Practice - Prepare an elevator style (pretentious way of saying 1 min intro) speech so that you always have a confident intro for who you are, and what you do in your minds back pocket. You will also put others at ease by leading the conversation.

4) Ask questions - The person asking the questions always controls the conversation. Just don't tell my clients! Show interest in others by asking questions about them.

5) First impressions - Focus on making a good impression, words are only 7% of your communication, 38% is voice tone and 55% is your body language.

6) Certainty - we all like a balance of certainty and uncertainty in our lives. Decide what balance is right for you is it 60% certainty and 40% uncertainty? or a you a higher risk taker with an optimum 50/50. There is no right or wrong, just what suits you best. Understanding this will help to improve how you view new situations, which will increase your confidence.

7) Avoid introducing yourself and listing your weaknesses - 'Hi, I'm Dan, I'm not very good at this.'

8) Labels - Check your labels. How do you know 'that' feeling means you are feeling unconfident? It might actually mean that you are just experiencing something new.

'Confidence is the art of making others feel confident in your presence'