Work meetings are privileged moments to demonstrate your skills and your mastery of your professional field. As a worker, you must then prepare them with great care. You should also know that just because you are creative and full of ideas does not mean that your team will necessarily accept your ideas. In order to arouse the curiosity and interest of your peers in meetings, it is imperative that you know how to make the most of your speaking skills. But how do you convince your colleagues and bosses of the validity of your ideas? There are a number of strategies to do this, which we provide here.
1. Capturing the attention of your colleagues
A good speaker is distinguished by his ability to capture the attention of his audience. In a business meeting, you can’t claim to convince your team if you can’t capture their attention. This is why, before you speak, do everything you can to make sure that those present listen to you. Don’t jump in until you do. There is a very effective technique for getting the silence you need to be heard. It involves taking a deep breath, waving lightly to get the attention or look for the eyes of others. This will allow you to let them know that you are about to speak. Your interlocutors will then turn to you. When you speak, put your voice down. Speak in a loud and clear voice, at a rate that is not too fast, and avoid language tics that can quickly distract your interlocutors from your speech.
2. Make sure your speech is well structured …
The more structured your message is, the better it will be understood. A well-structured idea is, indeed, much easier to get across. It is therefore imperative that you avoid making a fuss. You will then gain by preparing the structure of your message in a meticulous way. To do this, take the time to announce your main idea first. Then mention the number of points you will develop. Example: “I think we should develop a new product: the training offer. This will benefit the company on three levels. “If you are afraid of losing track, take note of some very succinct keywords as a lifeline.
3. Prove your motivation to galvanize your colleagues
When the person who comes up with an idea shows some motivation, it contaminates its audience, which will be galvanized. If you yourself are completely enthusiastic, you have a better chance of convincing your audience. So, to get your colleagues to buy into your ideas, you need to must be sincere and passionate. Your non-verbal language should not be outdone either. Smile, use positive verbs and speak in “we” rather than “I”. Forget speeches that are too technical and formal to bring a real emotional dimension.
4. Illustrate your ideas
The simplicity of an explanation is one of its most beautiful qualities. So, if you feel that the content of your explanation is technical or complex, make sure you keep it simple. You can, for example, prepare a visual support. A PowerPoint is not a bad idea. For simplicity, you can simply stand up and draw a diagram or write down key words on a board. This will also be effective in making your ideas understood by your colleagues.
5. Do not interfere with others
It is well known that a long speech is very likely to put an audience to sleep. This is why, in order not to make your colleagues tired or angry, do not keep speaking for too long. Under no circumstances should you monopolize the floor. Try to keep it concise. If your speech is very long, interrupt it with moments of interaction with your peers to wake them up and get them involved in your project.