Confidence in both everyday life and in a professional capacity is always a sticky point. Even if you’re a confident person, there will always be little turns and hurdles that may require some extra pizzazz to hype you up and get you through! 

Whether it’s about showcasing your ideas or talents at work, professional networking, or even applying for a job, confidence is one of the primary pillars to excelling in all of these things. It’s about promoting your own skills, being able to have those conversations, and not shying away from letting your true capabilities shine! 

In this blog, we’re going to explore a couple of simple tips, exercises and tricks to give yourself that extra hype when you need it. 

EXERCISE: A great way to feel more confident is to mirror a time when you truly felt it in the past. 

• This is an awesome tip that we can thank The Digital Voice’s Business Coach, Nicki Coe for. So, try and think of a time when you felt really confident. What were you doing? What were you wearing? Had anything happened to make you feel that way? 
• Now, think about what that confidence felt like. Was it a warm feeling, an energetic or buzzy feeling? 
• How did it make you act? Were you more excited than usual, or more relaxed? 
• Write this down in your notes in detail. Now, whenever you need a boost of confidence, read through that memory, close your eyes, and try to feel that same feeling again! This is a simple exercise that can be really effective if you put your mind to it. 

CONFIDENCE = PREP! 

• When it comes to being confident in a professional capacity, a lot of this can come into play when pitching ideas, or trying a new skill/task at work that’s new to you. One of the main things that can help here is being really prepared, and having solid foundations for your ideas and your work. 
• Preparation - thinking of pitching an idea, or worried about putting it out there? Build it out! This means if you have a few questions coming your way you’ll be able to back up your reasoning with ‘why’s’, and not panic if you’re on the spot a little. Have your solid foundations for what you’re proposing, grab your research together, and smile!
• Alternatively, if it’s about trying something new or exercising a new skill, take your time looking it up, and don’t be afraid to ask away if you’re not sure. 

TRY SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT: 

• One thing that’ll break the mental barriers down? Put yourself out there. 
• Especially within the Events Industry, a lot of your work involves social situations, networking, brainstorming and meeting new people. If this is something you want to work on, have a think - is there an opportunity where you could perhaps attend a networking event, or a call you usually wouldn’t? 
• It might seem scary at first, but if you can get over the hump and go, you’ll be amazed at how confident you feel!

A little pointer for the networking: 

• The Author of ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’, Dale Carnegie, values a smile as THE most important tool for a positive first impression you can give of yourself. In fact, he even recommends smiling when speaking to someone on the phone, because it comes through in your voice. ‘The effect of a smile is powerful - even when it is unseen’. 

So, there you have it. Short and sweet, but hopefully this acts as a useful first few steps to mastering your professional confidence, with some practical tips to take away and try! Let us know what you think if you give them a go.