Prepare your one key point before the meeting
You don't need to prepare everything you might say — just the one point you most want to make. Walking in with a single clear thought ("I want to raise the timeline risk on this") makes it far easier to find the right moment to speak than walking in with no plan at all.
Use a simple opening phrase to enter the conversation
Phrases like "Can I add something here?", "Just to build on that..." or "I have a quick question before we move on" give you a natural entry point instead of waiting for a pause that may never come. Having two or three of these ready removes the hesitation of not knowing how to start.
State the point, then the detail
In a meeting, leading with your conclusion ("I think we should push the launch by a week") before explaining why keeps people's attention and gets your point across even if you're interrupted. Leading with background first risks losing the room before you get to the actual point.
Accept that a slight accent or occasional pause isn't the problem
Confidence in meetings has far more to do with clarity and structure than with a perfect accent. Professionals who focus on being clearly understood — rather than sounding a certain way — come across as more confident, not less.