Let’s start with a confession:

There was a time in my life (read: last year) when I thought the key to impressing people in meetings was to speak often and with authority — preferably in a tone that said “I have a color-coded Notion database for this.”

I’d show up with pages of notes, metaphors ready, and at least one industry buzzword I planned to casually drop like I just thought of it. (Asynchronous bandwidth optimization, anyone?)

Did it work?
Kind of. People nodded. My Slack DMs were decent.

But I also left most meetings feeling like I’d just run an emotional marathon.
And the worst part? I didn’t actually feel heard. Just… performed.

That’s when I started experimenting with something radical: what if I just… didn’t try so hard?

What if I said less, but thought deeper?

Spoiler: the less I talked, the more impact I had.
And not because I was mysterious or brooding (though, sure, that helped).
It was because I stopped trying to perform, and started practicing presence.

Here’s What I Do Now (and Why It Weirdly Works):

1. I Give My Brain a Buffer Before the Call

If I roll into a meeting straight from email/Slack/a Google Doc titled “final-final-edited-V3,” guess what kind of energy I bring?

Yeah. Scrambled egg energy.

So now I give myself 10–15 minutes of absolute buffer time before any important meeting. No screens. No Slack. No “quick email.” Just silence. A walk. Water. Staring out a window like a Victorian ghost.

It’s weird how effective this is. It’s like a palate cleanser for your nervous system.

By the time I log in, I’m not rushing. I’m ready. And apparently people can feel that.

2. I Ask Myself One Stupidly Simple Question

Right before the meeting starts, I write this on a sticky note:

“If I could only say one sentence in this meeting, what would it be?”

Not a paragraph. Not a five-point insight with a “TL;DR.”
One. Sentence.

Sometimes I actually say it. Sometimes I don’t. Doesn’t matter.

It’s not about talking.
It’s about knowing what matters.

When you’re the person who isn’t flailing around for a point halfway through their monologue (hi, old me), people notice.

3. I Let Silence Work for Me

Here’s something fun I learned:

When you pause before you speak, people assume you’re intelligent.

Wild, right?

You could be mentally calculating how many tacos you can afford until payday, but if you pause, look thoughtfully upward, and then say something measured?
Boom. Instant credibility.

I used to fill space with filler. Now, I let silence settle first.
And 90% of the time, someone else jumps in and says what I was going to say — and I get credit for “thinking it first.” Win-win.

4. I Don’t Talk Unless It Adds Weight

I no longer speak to be seen.
I speak when I actually have something useful to say. Or something kind. Or something that builds.

This also includes:

• Not repeating what someone just said, reworded in a slightly more impressive tone.
• Not throwing in “just to add on…” when I don’t need to.
• Not talking to prove I’m paying attention. My eyebrows can do that now.

Also: the more concise you are, the more people listen. It’s Pavlovian.

5. I Follow Up Like a Damn Professional

Here’s a secret weapon: I shine after the meeting ends.

I send a crisp follow-up with one takeaway, one next step, and one sentence that proves I was paying attention.

People will remember you more for that email than for the 47 words you said on Zoom.

Also, let’s be real: meetings are noisy. Your calm, clear follow-up is the thing people will read at 7 PM and think, “Wow. She’s got it together.”

(They don’t need to know you ate cereal for dinner. Let them wonder.)

So, How Does This Impress Anyone?

Simple.

Because in a world where people are trying so hard to look smart, confident, and important — the person who doesn’t chase that? Feels like oxygen.

Presence is rare.
Stillness is noticeable.
Clarity is magnetic.

And people crave all three — especially in meetings that feel like caffeine-fueled improv theater.

TL;DR (Because I Know You’re Probably in Between Meetings Right Now):

• Give your brain space before you enter the room
• Know the one thing you actually want to contribute
• Don’t be afraid of silence — let it add weight
• Speak with intention, not performance
• Let your follow-up do the talking

If you’ve ever left a meeting thinking, “Why did I talk so much and still feel invisible?” — try this.

Say less.
Breathe more.
Let your presence speak for itself.

You might just become the person everyone listens to — even when you’re on mute.