How to Speak Up in Meetings & Have your Voice Heard
Public speaking is not always done with you standing in front of a crowd.
For most people, public speaking is done when sitting down.
This simple shift in body language move makes a big difference
And may explain why you find it uncomfortable to speak up in meetings.
Are you in a:
Business?
Corporate environment?
Part of the HOA team in your neighborhood?
If so, then you have to talk.
To others, it looks like you are disinterested.
In reality, you aren’t disinterested, just nervous or confused on what to say.
In this article, we are going to learn how to speak up in meetings.
Why Speaking Up In Meetings is Tough
‘So, you mentioned something about sitting down being a problem?’
Yes.
When we normally picture speech anxiety, we picture someone suffering standing up.
On the contrary, the most common speech anxiety happens when we are sitting down while being flooded with eyeballs.
It’s even tougher when your manager who is standing, calls on you while you’re sitting.
Whether we are consciously aware of it or not…
Body language plays a big role in communication.
When we sit, some of our power feels taken away.
This is why we feel nervous when speaking up.
Imposter Syndrome & Getting Cut Off
Imposter syndrome is another reason for not speaking up in meetings.
Sometimes, imposter syndrome is warranted.
Welcome to being a new employee in a company.
- Everyone is using different phrases & acronyms.
- Discussing pain points with detailed solutions.
- And talking about teams to contact.
You’re like:
‘What do I even say??’
This is a normal problem everyone has.
Fix?
Become a mega mind for your team.
Learn from the SharePoint, ask people questions & learn the ins & outs of the system you work on.
That’s when you’ll find yourself talking more in meetings because information just flows out.
Another reason you find it difficult to speak up in meetings is because you get cut off in the rare moments you do speak.
This may hurt your confidence and make you be like:
‘Fuck these guys! Why even bother?’
Understanding the pain points in detail helps a ton with overcoming them.
The more we know our pain, the more we are invested in the solution.
How to Speak Up in Meetings
One of the first things to do is set the intention to speak up.
This is like a light switch.
A person isn’t going to magically speak up, just like a guy isn’t magically going to get a 6 pack.
Set the intention for incremental improvements.
There are different reasons why people are not speaking up.
Are you not speaking up because:
- You are afraid of getting cut off?
- Don’t know about the topic?
- Are bored & want the meeting to be over?
Access what the issue is.
But don’t access too long.
Our main is goal is to simply set the intention of:
‘I’m going to speak up more in meetings.’
There is No Perfect Time
In school, you politely raise your hand and are called on.
In the real world, that’s really the case.
Speaking up with intention is the equivalent of you raising your hand.
The ego talks you out of it though.
It’s like:
‘Not yet. Let’s wait for the perfect moment.’
The problem with that mentality is that there is no perfect moment.
As you craft the ‘perfect’ thing to say, the outside world is already on a new point.
To learn how to speak up in meetings, you raise your own hand and call on yourself.
Speak up when you feel like you have a point to make.
Give yourself the 1-second rule:
- Your body alerts you to speak.
- Wait 1 second.
- SPEAK!!
What to Say & How to Say It
Assume most people have this big sticker on their forehead that says:
‘What’s in it for me?’
In meetings, most people are group thinkers.
Someone just says something with conviction and the others nod their heads and are like:
‘Yea, that sounds about right.’
Right now, the ego does not have a favorable narrative.
It thinks:
‘If I say something, one person will shut it down & the group will join in.’
Not to be the bearer of bad news, but that does happen.
Oh well…
Consider getting outnumbered a feature rather than a bug.
To learn how to speak up in meetings, be perfectly fine with getting shut down or someone blatantly disagreeing with you.
Let this truth wash over you.
And I guarantee you’ll feel more composed and bold.
Then once you do speak, talk to one person at a time rather than talking to a crowd.
- Average public speakers talk to a crowd.
- Great public speakers talk to one person at a time.
Since most people group think, you often need to convince 1 person with conviction & others immediately start to agree with you.
Work on the Outside Variables
It’s not like the meeting is the only option available for you to speak up.
Most likely, you have plenty of encounters to talk to the people you attend the meetings with. Therefore:
- Invite them to lunch.
- Invite them out for coffee.
- Chill at their cubes.
This makes learning how to speak up in meetings a lifestyle rather than a rare occurrence.
The body does not feel nerves associated with these people anymore.
Do you feel nervous speaking up in a room with your brother, cousin, and sister?
‘No.’
Why?
‘Because I know them.’
Exactly, so get to know the people you’re afraid of speaking up in front of.
Impromptu Speaking Class for Beginners
One underrated way to learn how to speak up in meetings is by learning impromptu speaking.
This is the art of speaking off the cuff, no planning needed.
A lot of fears happen because you think someone is going to pull a fast one on you.
If you are used to speaking on your feet, then the fear of being one-upped vanishes away.
Luckily, impromptu speaking is a skill set that can be learned, practiced, and mastered.
In my Impromptu Speaking for Beginners Class, I teach you how to learn this skill set.
In this class, you will learn:
- What is impromptu speaking.
- 3 different strategies to get started.
- How to integrate impromptu speaking into your life.
Learn this skill and learn how to speak up in meetings for your career!
MASTER IMPROMPTU SPEAKING
– ArmaniTalks 
