Learn how to speak up and be heard in meetings

We've all been there before. 

You're sitting in an important meeting with senior stakeholders and have an idea or opinion you want to share. 

But for some reason, you hold back. You second guess yourself thinking - will they think my idea is stupid? Is it worth interrupting? What if I say it wrong?

So you stay quiet while the extroverts take over the conversation. (Sales guys anyone?)

You leave feeling frustrated with yourself and wondering - why didn't I speak up?

If this sounds familiar, you're not alone! Many marketing leaders struggle to fully contribute in meetings. The reasons that often come up in my conversations with them are:

• Self-doubt and impostor syndrome
• Fear of negative judgement
• Lack of confidence in speaking out in public (especially in front of senior stakeholders!)

But keeping your ideas to yourself is detrimental to your career. To be a leader means owning nour voice. And by that I do not condemn introverts. Owning your voice doesn't need to mean being loud, extrovert. 

Heck, to prove my point, can you think of inspiring leaders that have charisma and are empathetic? 

In this e-mail today, I'll share 3 ways to help you speak up powerfully in meetings so your ideas are heard. Not only to your benefit, but to your brands' benefit. Your brand needs you to speak up too. Your brand heavily relies on you in these meetings. 

ADVICE ONE

Overcome the mental blocks holding you back from speaking up

The first step is identifying what's holding you back.

Based on my conversations with my coachees, here would be the top mental blocks I have come across:

• Imposter syndrome makes you doubt yourself
• Fear of embarrassment if you say something "stupid"
• Worrying you'll be judged  for having a different opinion
• Feeling you don't have the right to speak up in front of these senior people who have 10 years+ more experience than you

Once you know the root cause, you can start reframing your thoughts. So now grab a cuppa and start reminding yourself that:

• You deserve to be heard just as much as anyone else (the number of years of experience doesn't dictate the level of righteousness)
• It's ok not to have the perfect response - your ideas have value. Heck, they may really like what you're on about and build on it!
• Other people's judgments say more about them than you. Negative Nancy 

Nothing terrible will happen if you speak up. It's just [insert your industry here]. Eg: "It's just chocolate". Right?

ADVICE TWO

A simple formula for structuring your thoughts before responding.

When you want to contribute, first structure your thoughts using this simple 3Ps formula (yes, some other P's!!):

1. Point - Summarize your main point or opinion in 1 sentence
2. Proof - Provide reasoning or evidence that supports your point
3. Punchline - End with a strong statement or call to action

I find that in certain circumstances, asking a question instead of a statement is even more impactful, as it encourages others to join in, support or build on it. More on the importance of great questions later on!

Having this template in mind will make you sound polished and authoritative / confident.

For example: "I think we should lower our social ad budget next quarter (Point). Engagement has been declining steadily week over week (Proof). We should shift that spend to more performing channels like paid search (Punchline)."

ADVICE THREE

Tips for projecting confidence even if you don't feel it!

Finally, pay attention to how you deliver your message through your body language and tone. Yes, you've heard this one in trainings a gazillion time, because it works and is true. This is why we sometimes struggle on Zoom or Teams to read the room because we only see their heads, and sometimes pixelised - how's that for body language?

Here are some you can pay attention to easily:

• Speak slowly, loudly and clearly
• Maintain strong eye contact
• Sit or stand tall with an open posture
• Use gestures for emphasis (within moderation!)
• Pay attention to your face expressions (especially those we're not aware of!)
• Avoid qualifiers like "I'm no expert but..." Do not undermind your contribution!

Insert thoughtful pauses to command the room - silences and pauses are goldmines.

Employing these techniques will help you exude confidence and leadership - even if you don't completely feel it inside. 

This is your challenge:

1. look at your diary for the next 2 weeks
2. Pick a meeting and start applying these strategies in it.

I know with practice, you will gain the power to speak up and be heard when it matters most. 

Speak soon,
Mags