In order for more people to respect you, then you need to know how to be taken seriously.
Today, I’m about to share with you the exact same process that I’ve used to get people to treat me well and listen to what I have to say.
What You'll Learn In This Post
Why Am I Not Being Taken Seriously?
If you’re wondering why you’re not being taken seriously it’s because you come across like a pushover.
This can happen when you’re too quiet, you don’t know how to be more outspoken and you can’t articulate your thoughts well.
The truth is, as soon as people predict that you’re someone insecure then they’re not going to pay any attention to you whatsoever.
How Can You Be Taken More Seriously?
1. Shift Your Focus
When I was younger, my height used to bother me a lot.
Standing at 5’5”, I’m considered shorter according to North American standards.
As a result, I automatically discounted myself.
In fact, I used to assume that most women just wouldn’t find me attractive.
I also thought that not many people would take me seriously and listen to what I had to say.
I ruminated about those things so much that I started to internalize them.
That’s why I acted timid in social situations and I never said anything.
Because of my behavior, most people just ignored me which reinforced my negative assumptions even more.
I was stuck in a vicious circle mentally and I didn’t know how to get out of it.
Check out this podcast interview with Susan Campbell, Author of From Triggered To Tranquil, where she talks about how to identify and manage your emotional triggers.
It wasn’t until I got into self-development that I realized that I am not my thoughts.
I learned to manage my emotions by being more aware of what I was thinking about.
So that’s exactly what I did.
I entertained the possibility that maybe some of my beliefs were not accurate and were actually very disempowering.
So I went online and did some research.
To my surprise, I found other shorter guys who were dating taller and more attractive women.
They were also highly recognized and very influential.
Seeing those things definitely gave me a lot of hope.
I started to think that if they could do it, I could probably do it too.
Again, if you want to know how to be taken seriously, you have to be mindful of what you’re focusing on.
At the end of the day, you can find evidence for whatever you want to believe in.
To succeed socially, you have to be selectively ignorant.
Remember, you can fill your mind with anything that you want.
So only consume information that supports your goals.
By doing so, you’ll feel more encouraged which will help you take the necessary action to keep putting yourself out there.
2. Become More Interesting
At the end of the day, there are things that you can control and things that you can’t.
If you’re wondering how to be taken more seriously, put all your focus and energy only on things that you can do something about.
The rest, you just have to accept it or let it go.
Regardless of your physical appearance, there are lots of other things that you can do to become a more interesting individual.
Personally, I like to travel and learn about other cultures.
I’ve attended a lot of personal development events and other conferences to help me level up my skills.
I also love listening to audiobooks.
It’s a great way to learn valuable information while running errands, during your commute, or any downtime.
That being said, one of the best things that I ever did to command respect from others was to develop my social confidence.
By overcoming my shyness and awkwardness, I was able to express myself better.
As a result, I was able to connect with more like-minded people and create an active social life.
From Shy To Social
Discover proven steps to approach and talk to anybody no matter how shy you are.
Again, I highly encourage you to acquire skills, knowledge, and experiences on a regular basis.
This will help you expand your perspective and become more open-minded.
If you keep doing this, you’ll have lots to say about many different things.
As a result, you’ll become more socially magnetic regardless of how you look.
3. Tell Good Stories
Are you tired of always being ignored in social situations?
If so, you’re not alone.
In fact, this is a common issue that I hear a lot with our clients in our social skills coaching program.
Most of them have introverted personalities which makes them quiet and reserved.
A lot of them have careers as engineers, programmers, and developers as well.
Because they’re usually isolated and are paid to think analytically, they don’t get a lot of practice interacting with people.
But, if you want to know how to be taken seriously, you need to know how to express yourself verbally.
Tired Of Feeling Lonely?
If you’re struggling socially and would like some help, let’s connect.
One of the best ways to do this is to learn to tell good stories.
If you want to make anything that you share sound more interesting, make sure you follow a structure.
To help you get started, you’ll want to set things up first and build some tension.
You can do this by giving some background information and creating contrast if it applies.
Also, use descriptive words to engage the senses.
Talk about what you saw, what you heard, what you smelled, how it tasted, and how it felt.
By doing so, you’ll pull whoever you’re interacting with to whatever you’re saying even more.
Lastly, release the tension you’ve built up when you talk about the resolution and conclude your story.
4. Work On Your Delivery
Remember, the majority of your communication is non-verbal.
It’s not just what you say but how you say it matters too.
To make whatever you share more engaging, you need to improve your delivery as well.
To speak louder, remember to talk from your stomach instead of your chest.
This is especially important to do if you’re someone who’s naturally soft-spoken.
Also, try to use your hands to accentuate your points and vary your tonality to emphasize certain parts of your story.
When you do all these things, you’ll be able to hold people’s attention much better.
As a result, you’ll have a much bigger presence in any social situation and you’ll have an easier time during any group conversation as well.
5. Look More Approachable
Back in the day, I never really paid attention to the clothes that I was wearing.
I’d just put on whatever was clean and comfortable and call it a day.
As a result, not many people noticed me simply because I didn’t look like I cared.
Sick and tired of my situation, I decided to look more into this issue.
That’s when I realized that in order to get more positive attention, I had to work on my appearance.
The truth is, your looks really do matter.
At the end of the day, we all make snap judgments about people right away based on what we see.
And then, we make assumptions about the kind of person we think they are.
If you rub people the wrong way, then you’re going to have to work even harder to form a connection with them.
Keep in mind that your style, body language, and overall demeanor are the first few things people see.
That being said, if you want to know how to be taken seriously, you have to put some effort into your presentation.
Check out this video if you want to learn how to be outgoing and likeable.
To help you get started, make sure you dress intentionally.
Before you go to any event or gathering, figure out what the dress code is going to be.
And then, put together your outfit accordingly.
Whether it’s casual or formal, make sure your clothes are clean, up-to-date, and well-fitting.
Make sure you groom yourself properly as well.
I know it sounds obvious but remember to shower, do your hair, and brush your teeth regularly.
On top of that, remember to have a more open body language.
Whatever you do, avoid crossing your arms or legs.
If you do, you’ll come across as unfriendly which will push people away.
To appear more warm and approachable, stand up straight, maintain proper eye contact, and have a genuine smile on your face.
When you do all these things, you’ll look like someone high-value and others will be inclined to what to get to know you.
6. Get In Shape
When I was a kid, I was really into watching cartoons and playing video games.
I’d spend hours in front of the television eating junk food as well.
I also didn’t have any athletic hobbies so I quickly put on weight.
At my heaviest, I tipped the scale at 200 lbs and had a 36-inch waist.
As a result, I was often looked over by others.
The girls that I liked never liked me back and other guys weren’t keen to hang out with me.
It wasn’t until I got in shape that things changed for me.
That being said, if you want to know how to be taken seriously by others, I highly encourage you to adopt a health and fitness routine.
Pick a workout program that you like and eat mostly whole foods.
Drink lots of water and get enough sleep.
When you’re physically fit, you’ll feel good about yourself.
Your clothes will fit you so much better as well.
Getting in shape was one of the best things that I ever did both for my self-esteem and also my social confidence.
Because I paid attention to my appearance, people noticed me more which allowed me to build rapport with them very quickly.
7. Raise Your Self-Esteem
Have you ever been around someone who doesn’t feel good about themselves?
Even though they’re not saying much, you can tell that there’s something off about them, right?
You feel uncomfortable being around them because they feel uncomfortable about themselves.
As a result, this probably discouraged you from wanting to interact with them.
Speaking from experience, I know this to be true.
Because I used to be insecure about so many things, I’d always complain about them whenever I interacted with someone.
And because I made a big deal out of my shortcomings, others did as well.
I undervalued myself and that’s why nobody took me seriously.
That being said, if you’re wondering how to be taken seriously, you have to raise your self-esteem.
Check out this video if you want to learn how to be socially attractive to anybody.
At the end of the day, whatever you feel others feel as well.
I mean just think about it.
How can you expect people to like you if you don’t know how to like yourself?
Before I figured this out, I used to be so mean to myself.
I would beat myself up mentally which made me feel even worse.
If you can relate to that, let me ask you a question.
If you talk to others the way you talk to yourself right now, would you still have friends?
If the answer is no then you need to practice self-compassion.
Be more encouraging and speak to yourself the same way you would to someone you care about.
Also, instead of being so concerned about whatever you’re insecure about, try to think more about your other positive traits.
When I started focusing more on what’s good about myself, that dramatically improved my self-image.
Since then, I never mentioned or complained about any of my insecurities to others.
And because I didn’t think it was a problem, not many people cared about it as well.
When you truly believe that you’re a person of value, you’ll be less intimidated by others.
You’ll realize that you have a lot to offer in any interaction and that you’re someone worth getting to know.
You won’t put people on a pedestal and sell yourself short because you also believe that you’re on the same level as them.
Conclusion
If you’re wondering how to be taken seriously, I just gave you my best tips.
Feel free to go through them again and implement them as much as you can.
And now, let’s turn it to you.
Which one of these tips are you going to implement first?
Are you going to work on becoming more interesting or on expressing yourself better?
Send me a message on Instagram and let me know.