If you are not confident by nature the simple task of starting a conversation is enough to start the heart racing!
Yes you read it correctly! Cold sweats, heart palpitations, shaking, stuttering, are just some of the effects that the faint-hearted can be faced with whilst starting a conversation.
This can all be avoided by following these simple yet effective tips to help your confidence soar.
1. Shyness doesn’t pay. Being timid and shying away amongst the crowd really doesn’t pay off in this day and age. While sitting amongst your friends and listening to their conversations, teach yourself to not only be a listener.
2. Make sure that you contribute and offer your feedback to the conversation. By doing this you will in time gain confidence to start conversation topics with strangers, not just with those you are familiar with.
3. Confidence is the key! One of the qualities that make a great public speaker is the simple yet effective ability to be listened to! Whilst alone stand in front of the mirror, practise speaking stand straight and tall, and talk at a good volume (not shouting).
4. An assertive voice of authority will help to draw people to listen to you. In fact they won’t have the choice not to!
5. Make all eyes on you! If the person that you wish to start a conversation with has their back to you, don’t wait for them to turn around: say their name or say hello to help draw their attention. By doing this you will help to get them listening to you. You will appear confident (even if inside you have butterflies!)
6. Revise beforehand! - I don’t mean turn into a nerd, you don’t have to write it down and take a pen to paper. However if you can simply have a map of thought in your head, with the topic of conversation clearly planned out. Then upon opening your mouth the words will flow, you won’t be stuck in a trail of thought and you will be able to take the conversation just where you want it to go!
7. Communication is a YES! Learn to understand that the very way that you communicate with people will be the deciding factor of just how successful that you will be in this life. The very skill of being able to start a conversation will help to take your life to higher limits!
8. Sit and think are there any successful business people that are not able to start a conversation? Can you live your life in the shadows of others?
9. Nerves are what you make them! Teach yourself that nerves really are what you make of them. Don’t allow nerves to escalate and hold you back. A lot of people have difficulty in starting a conversation with a stranger.
Every one struggles in conversation, if you are able to take note and learn the skills provided above then starting a conversation needn’t be stressful. Don’t be nervous. Learn that that the people that you are trying to strike conversation with are probably just a nervous as you.
A lot of people lack the confidence to start a conversation, or perhaps fear talking to the opposite sex. This is a very limited way of thinking, negative thoughts such as they will laugh at me, they won’t find me interesting, etc are really just that. Be positive! Negativity doesn’t get you anywhere.
Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report: 10 Simple Steps to Developing Communication Confidence. Apply now because it is available for a limited time only at: communication skills