“The psychologist Carl Gustav Jung first introduced the terms introvert, introversion, extrovert, and extroversion in the early 1900s to describe personality types that focus a person’s energy on either the inner or outer world. The terms introvert and extrovert have since become widely popularized, with introvert often broadly used to mean "a quiet or shy person." Merriam Webster Dictionary
I think it is very important to put the emphasis on “focus of a person’s energy”.
As a voice coach, I know that the more energy we have in our voice, the more confident it sounds.
If communicating with others drains your energy it will be difficult to sound confident.
Here are 3 things you can do to keep up your energy level up, so you can create a bigger impact as an introvert:
1.) Draw on your passion. It is one of the first tips in the book “Talk like Ted” by Carmine Gallo. He writes: “You stand a much greater chance of persuading and inspiring your listeners if you express an enthusiastic, passionate, and meaningful connection to your topic.”
So when the content of your presentation is not something you are passionate about, find some element you do care for. If everything fails you can always draw on the circumstance that you get paid for sharing your voice. That could get you passionate about your success.
2.) Identify sources of energy surrounding your communication. Like certain colors in your presentation or your notebook, clothes that make you feel powerful, a stylish pen, a watch, the touch of a beautiful fabric. It could also be listening to uplifting music on your way to work.
3.) Move your body. Incorporate exercise and working out on a regular basis. Especially before an important presentation or meeting. The more active you are, the more energy you have. If you have a job that requires you to sit a lot, take running breaks or start your day with strength training. Your body is made to move.
I hope these tips were useful. If you would like to work on becoming a confident public speaker and share your voice with confidence, hop on a 30 min discovery call with me. Or check out my coaching program. You can also connect with me on LinkedIn.