Growing up I was REALLY shy and during my first 12 years working, I hardly talked in English as my job mostly with numbers. If I talked in a meeting, sometimes the pronunciation came out wrong and ‘terus rasa terkucil’ .. huhu..

Now, I can comfortably do a presentation in English in any meetings, events and speak on stage (the biggest achievement was to speak at Busan Marine Convention with more than 700 audience).

Here’s my TWO tips on how I gain the confidence…

1. READ IT LOUD.

I got this tip from my former boss. I tried by reading either Star newspapers or any book and I did it about 15 minutes everyday. Initially it was hard and my reading pace was pretty slow.

However, I noticed that by reading them loud I was able to hear my pronunciation and corrected it accordingly. And eventually it improved and sharpened my fluency.

2.  SPEAK UP.

Warren Buffet quoted that ‘if you improve your public speaking, it will raise your value by 50%’.

Speaking up in meeting or event is not an easy task as people would prefer to keep quiet and be safe instead.

However, speaking up will help you to think on the spot and if you do it often, you will be comfortable with your voice & opinion.

Have a courage and Just Do It.