If you're like many introverts I've coached, you may be certain of one thing: you need to speak up more in business situations.
The problem? It feels intimidating for you as an introvert, especially if you’re not speaking in your native language.
Knowing you need to speak up more doesn't help you actually do it.
I hear you.
I used to be shy and much more introverted and didn’t have the courage to speak up before my fellow students.
Now I have been working as a business English trainer and coach in Bremen, online and in person, for 17+ years. And I enjoy speaking in front of people.
I had to get used to speaking up in team meetings when working in Ireland in the banking industry and giving presentations while studying European studies at university.
In addition, I host intercultural workshops now and also give presentations about Business English Coaching.
When you're shy or introverted and need to speak up in English, it can feel like you have to make an enormous amount of progress. But what I've learned as an international businessperson and an introvert is this:
Speaking up more as an introvert happens when you take the right set of tiny steps. Today you'll learn what it takes to be successful in business as an introvert, including:
✅ The impact of fear and how to deal with it
✅ How to get the right start
✅ A little motivation
#1. How to speak up more as an introvert? Tap into your worst fear.
Getting in touch with what really scares you about speaking up at work can help you overcome your fears and start speaking. Especially if you're an introvert.
When I had to speak English at school, I always feared that my fellow students would laugh at me when I made a mistake. It happened once, and it intimidated me so much that, from that day on, I hardly ever spoke a word in class.
Everything changed some years later, when I had some friends at school who reminded me of my strengths and encouraged me to speak up during class.
Even then, I only said something when I was 100 % sure it was correct. When I changed schools and felt a little more comfortable in my surroundings, I contributed my ideas more often. Then I noticed that my fellow students and teachers actually appreciated my comments.
My fear of speaking moved more and more into the background, and I could rely on my feelings for the language for the first time ever. It means that it wasn’t important for me anymore whether my comments were 100 % grammatically correct. And trust me, it is the same situation on the international business stage.
What is your worst fear? Maybe it is also being laughed at when you make a mistake or pronounce a word the wrong way. But believe me, shutting up is just not the right solution.
A tip for introverts speaking English in a business setting:
Face your fears incrementally and ask some friends and family to help you in the beginning. You can design a little talk in English and deliver it in front of them. Then ask them for feedback.
It is important here that they also give you feedback on what they liked about your talk and where you might need to improve a little. Think of people who would be supportive in this situation.
If you're still feeling too nervous to speak up in front of a friend or colleague, it could be that you need a more incremental approach. What would that look like? In my coaching, I help you step by step overcome your fear of speaking by building up the language you need, for e.g., speaking in a meeting. Then we roleplay the situation as often as you like until you are prepared to speak up. Once you’ve done it, we also review the situation together.
There are some techniques that help introverts speak up at meetings that are more complex and technical, and perhaps better worked on with a coach when you're also learning English. You can read on in this article.
Then you can work on these improvements step by step. You might also want to challenge yourself when you feel ready and speak in front of a small audience. For example, contribute your ideas in a meeting at work. You can also check my blog on how to speak English in video conferences here.
And review the expectations you have towards yourself. Are they realistic, and would you expect the same from another person? Maybe you want to lower your expectations and feel more comfortable when you need to speak in business.
#2. Looking for more confidence as an introvert? Get the start right!
It is crucial to get the start right because it gives you confidence, and you get into the flow of speaking. Therefore, choose some sentences in English that suit your purpose for starting a talk or contributing ideas in a meeting, videoconference, etc.
- I would like to share my ideas.
- May I come in here with my ideas?
- Today I would like to talk about…;
- Have you ever heard about …? In my talk, I’ll shed some light on the topic.
You can add your ideas to the list above. Maybe you want to check them for correctness to make sure you get a good start.
Now you may be wondering:
To continue and get into the flow of speaking?
The secret ingredient for introvert conversations: Linking words.
No doubt that you have a rough idea of what you would like to talk about and know how you would say it in English. What improves the flow of a speech are linking words. They structure your speech and help work like a kind of connector between thoughts. It gives you time to think, and your language might even sound a little better. Once you notice that others are able to follow you better, you might want to keep going. It gives you confidence, and you might get into a relaxed mode of speaking instead of being nervous.
Here are some examples of linking words:
- Anyway
- Besides
- However
- Moreover
- Due to
Surely there are a lot more useful linking words. You can download a free copy of Linking Words to keep introverts talking here.
#3. Harness your interests and passion for your area of expertise to get you talking.
You might not like talking just to fill the silence or to hear yourself speaking. So, as an introvert, you’ll feel more interested in speaking if you’re talking about your area of expertise.
Although speaking in front of people is challenging for you, think about it from a different perspective. You are an expert in your field of work, and your expertise and knowledge are important. In other words, others are interested in it, and how about learning how to share your expertise in front of people?
It was motivating for me to share my knowledge at university, and later, which helped me grow in the introverted part of my personality. Besides, I also enjoyed the process of delivering a talk in English because you dive into another culture through the language and become part of it.
Expressing yourself in this language is also a chance to enhance your skills. You can see it as a new start for your introverted personality and develop a little extroverted part when you give a talk or contribute your ideas.
#4. So, how can you speak up more as an introvert in business?
Speaking up as an introverted person in business can appear challenging. But there are ways to learn it step by step:
- Face your worst fear
- Get the start right
- Harnessing your interests and passion for your area of expertise to get you talking.
You can work on your worst fear and try to face it. Hopefully, you discover that speaking up in front of others is not as challenging as you thought. And your fears evaporated into thin air.
In addition, you can also learn several sentences and make sure you get the right start for your talk. With this confidence, you might find it easy to share your ideas, expertise, and knowledge.
Because others are interested in learning from you, and you can grow your personality.