How to Sound More Confident at Work

In the professional world, the way we communicate has a significant impact on how others perceive us. The words we choose can either undermine our confidence or project a strong and assertive image 🙊👀 If you're looking to level up your communication skills and sound more confident at work, I've got you covered!

It all comes down to 2 rules:

1️⃣ Use “sorry” sparingly

The more you say “sorry” the more you dilute your own apologies, rendering them useless 🚿

You don’t need to apologize for things that aren’t your fault 🚫🙅🏼‍♀️ You don’t need to apologize for doing your job. You only apologize when necessary. If you make a mistake that inconveniences others a great amount, say sorry 🙇🏼‍♀️ “I apologize for being late.” BUT keep it brief. Don’t linger on excuses or explanations and move right along 🏃‍♀️

2️⃣ Always propose solutions

Avoid energy-sucking responses like “sorry doesn’t work for me” or “sorry idk how to do that” — people hate that! ✋🏼 Instead answer with “while we can’t do A, B might work” or “I can’t do A, but I can do B.” — people will love this so much more! 🫶🏼

Here are a few examples to get you started:

❌ “Sooo sorry I’m late I was stuck in traffic and then my mom called and then…”

✅ “Thank you for waiting, please continue!”

❌ “So sorry I can’t do 10am!! I have another meeting that is really important and I would reschedule it if I could but I don’t think I can sorry”

✅ “I can’t do 10AM but I can do 2PM.”

❌ “oh yeah sorry I fixed a typo it was repetitive and didn’t make sense I should’ve asked you if that was okay, sorry!”

✅ “Yes, I edited that. What do you think?”

❌Oh no, I haven’t sent the files yet. I’m so sorry! I’ll do that right now.

✅Thank you for reminding me! Sending it now.

❌Oh no, sorry, I don’t know how to send invoices!

✅I’m unable to send invoices but I’ll check with Dave in accounting.

Practice these consistently, and over time, they'll become second nature, transforming the way others perceive and respond to you 👩‍💼🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 At the end of the day, everyone appreciates clear and concise communication. And well, it doesn’t hurt when you sound more confident too. You got this!

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