4 Types of Confidence that Determine Your Effectiveness

While you may know all the techniques of expressiveness, the factor that most determines the level of your expressiveness—how effective you really are—is confidence.

Four types of confidence determine your expressiveness. The first is your confidence in the quality of your speech. That is one of the reasons it is important to have a well-written speech. If you believe that your speech is only so-so, you will not present it boldly. Take the time to learn how to craft a good speech. Seek help, if you need it.

The second is your confidence in your knowledge of, and comfort with, performing your speech. The more you know your speech—the words and phrases that are coming up, how you are going to say them, and what you are going to do on stage—the more demonstrative and expressive you will be. If you are constantly trying to remember your script, you will hold back. Your attention is focused on your words, not your audience. As a result, you will sound flat, mechanical and rehearsed. That is why practice is so important. Plan plenty of rehearsal time into each speech or presentation.

The third type of confidence is confidence in your speaking ability. If you don’t think you can do it, you won’t. Don’t worry. Your confidence will grow over time, as you speak more and more.

The fourth type of confidence is confidence in yourself. Let’s face it. It takes guts to perform at a high level. If you are worried about what others will think, you will hold back. The more confident you are in your own skin, as the saying goes, the bolder you will be on stage.