Winning arguments aren’t easy. As someone who interacts with clients small and large, I have to make recommendations on a daily basis. Convincing clients is actually pretty hard sometimes (e.g. recommending an increase in budget). But writing with confidence doesn’t just apply at work- it applies at home when you’re talking to your kids, writing a scholarship essay, or even convincing the store manager to accept your return (as a side note, I won over $45k in scholarship money and have been a trusted advisor for startup investors).

These are 3 simple steps I follow to write with absolute confidence.

1. Come from a plan

“Beginning with the end in mind” is a quote I am reminded of every time I start to write (from Stephen Covey’s book 7 Habits of Highly Successful People) This quote sounds something like this in my head… “Hey Josh! Know where you are going before you start.” So many times I catch myself writing as a direct response to something versus thinking about where conversation is going (or where I want it to go). Before furiously typing or writing away, you need to know where you are going. This includes knowing your end result (e.g. winning over a client) and having backup points to your case.

I often prepare using this simple format:

Intro

Supporting point 1

Supporting point 2

Supporting point 3

Wrap up (next steps)

Now we aren’t going to use this format for everything (e.g. arguing with your mother on the best way to raise your children). So think about the norms behind the type of engagement and how important it is for you to get your point across before going down this prep.

2. Comes from a place of preparation

I notice the more I prepare, the more comfortable I become. The first time I switched careers from finance to project manager, I found myself uncomfortable with the lingo and processes. I started out unsure of myself and not knowing if what I was doing was actually right, especially when leading teams of 6+ people. But after 6 months, I started finding my inner voice and in short, confident. Suddenly, everything I said came off naturally and with confidence. And my peers could tell I was finally getting it. I believe the same is true for writing. The more you put into your essay or email (whether it be a client email or an autobiography), the more confident it will sound.

A great way for me to prepare was by taking walks at the park. This allowed me to think about the way I wanted to write each supporting point before I even wrote anything down.

3. Comes from believing what you say

Try saying something out loud that you don’t believe. Now say something out loud that you do believe. Did you feel that? When you say something that is true, you feel more refreshed and a greater sense of openness. When you say something that you know is untrue, you will notice yourself tense up, get nervous, and just feels bad. Any time there something you don’t believe in your essay, the readers can feel that just like you can.

Cut out anything you do not believe to be true.

Wrap up

Writing with confidence doesn’t have to be hard. It just takes time, preparation, and practice to start writing with confidence. I hope you try using my 3 simple steps to writing with confidence and knock your reader out with a wow. Comment down below if you have any other tips for writing with confidence.

If you lead meetings and find them ineffective or frankly a waste of time, check out our tips to leading meetings well.