The punctuation trick: A simple way to project confidence.

There are, of course, a lot of deep, fundamental things we can learn that will help us communicate more confidently or assertively.

But alongside those major shifts in our thinking, habits, and skills, there are also lots of little tips and tricks that can help us instantly project more confidence.

And one of my favorites is to speak with periods, not commas.

Project confidence by replacing commas with periods.

As I’m sure you know, most of us tend to talk faster when we’re excited, eager, nervous, or stressed.

And in situations where projecting confidence is important, this can sabotage us.

Luckily, there's a simple fix for this.

You see... It’s helpful to speak in short sentences with short breaks between them. It gives our words and sentences a better rhythm. And it makes us seem calmer and more focused. Which in turn tends to project confidence.

Now, read that paragraph again, this time without any periods - and for full effect, without any commas as well.

You see it’s helpful to speak in short sentences with short breaks between them it gives our words and sentences a better rhythm and it makes us seem calmer and more focused which in turn tends to project confidence.

Did you notice the difference?

I’m guessing you did. And this effect is even greater in verbal communication (just try to read those two paragraphs out loud).

As an extra bonus. When we speak. Proper grammar and punctuation matter far less. So. We can insert these pauses wherever they feel appropriate.

Just don’t. Overdo. It. Or take... Too long... Between sentences... Because that. Gets annoying. Really. Fast.

Ok, I’ll stop now ;)

Oversimplified, we can say that shorter sentences project confidence because they help counteract the nervous tendency to speak fast.

This calm pace and rhythm also signals that we believe and trust the things we’re saying. That we’re comfortable with ourselves and the people around us. That we know what we want.

Practice on your own and with others.

While the ultimate goal should be to practice this enough in actual conversations that you do it without even thinking about it, you can start by practicing on your own if you'd like.

Simply come up with something to talk about - and talk to yourself (or your pets, plants, or couch) about it.

It could be a quick story about your day, a piece of information, your opinion about current events, or anything else.

Once you’ve picked something, speak it out loud twice.

The first time, talk as fast as you can comfortably do without exaggerating (too much). Try to avoid full stops and pauses.

The second time, slow down. Insert periods wherever it feels right. Don’t worry about whether it’s grammatically correct or not. Just take a half-a-second-or-so break wherever your mouth wants to.

Repeat that second version several times, until it feels natural. Then do the whole exercise again, right there and then or later, with another little story.

It might take a little practice before speaking with more periods feels and sounds natural to you. But keep at it, and you’ll get there in no time.

And don't forget to practice in real life situations too. Whether with friends, colleagues, customers, or strangers doesn't matter. The more you practice, the faster this will become a natural way for you to speak.

Once it is, you've created a new confident communication habit that will help you project more confidence in social settings.