--- title: How to Speak With Power description: Via The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism: Speak slowly. Visualize the contrast between a nervous, squeaky teenager... canonical: https://time.com/3652271/speak-with-power/ author: Eric Barker article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-01-10T05:01:57.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-31T08:06:53.774Z article:section: Ideas og:title: How to Speak With Power og:description: Via The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism: Speak slowly. Visualize the contrast between a nervous, squeaky teenager... og:url: https://time.com/3652271/speak-with-power/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0c6e4c2df14a4694/698777e4a988ca71576abac8/microphone.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: microphone og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How to Speak With Power twitter:description: Via The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism: Speak slowly. Visualize the contrast between a nervous, squeaky teenager... twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0c6e4c2df14a4694/698777e4a988ca71576abac8/microphone.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How to Speak With Power by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Jan 10, 2015 5:01 AM CUT  The speech The speechGetty Images by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Jan 10, 2015 5:01 AM CUT Via [The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591844568/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1591844568 "undefined"): * **Speak slowly.** Visualize the contrast between a nervous, squeaky teenager speaking at high speed and the slow, emphatic tone of a judge delivering a verdict. * **Pause.** People who broadcast confidence often pause while speaking. They will pause for a second or two between sentences or even in the middle of a sentence. This conveys the feeling that they’re so confident in their power, they trust that people won’t interrupt. * **Drop intonation.** You know how a voice rises at the end of a question? Just reread the last sentence and hear your voice go up at the end. Now imagine an assertion: a judge saying “This case is closed.” Feel how the intonation of the word closed drops. Lowering the intonation of your voice at the end of a sentence broadcasts power. When you want to sound superconfident, you can even lower your intonation midsentence. * **Check your breathing.** Make sure you’re breathing deeply into your belly and inhale and exhale through your nose rather than your mouth. Breathing through your mouth can make you sound breathless and anxious. Want your voice to to convey more warmth? Just smile: --- > “” --- **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/06/4-easy-tips-for-speaking-with-power/ "undefined")**_._** **Join over 151,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email** [**here**](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD "undefined")**.** Related posts: [6 Hostage Negotiation Techniques That Will Get You What You Want](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/06/hostage-negotiation/ "undefined") [How To Get People To Like You: 7 Ways From An FBI Behavior Expert](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/10/how-to-get-people-to-like-you/ "undefined") [How To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done – 5 Expert Tips](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/how-to-stop-being-lazy/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3652271/speak-with-power/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3652271/speak-with-power/"},"headline":"How to Speak With Power","datePublished":"2015-01-10T05:01:57.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T08:06:53.774Z","description":"Via The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism: Speak slowly. 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