What does it take for someone to be taken seriously by others?

@Blackie  
yeah basic/standar spanish is cool, maybe if i had grew up whit that i would prefer it.  
but where i live the lexicon for it has been tiwsted to such point i rather not talk spanish at all for fear of sounding like either a hillbily idiot or an idiot trying to sound smarter than it truly is.

If you can’t be physically imposing, be vocally imposing. Think about what you say and speak with confidence.

@Itsthinking
 
Gotta love my smooth bass, shit’s saved my ass so many times in high-school. I could be saying the stupidest of things and teachers would still shut up and listen what I had to say. It also came in handy when I needed to shut up a noisy classmate from the other side of the room.
 
That + respect + maturity = success. Bonus points for complex language.

@Blackie  
Oh, and getting involved in discussion helps a lot. Almost to the point of dominating it.

I don’t know if its the same thing, but I know that feel, I never manage to get any form of attention or consideration as soon at their is a third person in a room. No matter the conversation subject, my knowledge about it or even if the subject is me. It will alway turn out to be the other two talking and me having to listen without placing a word or if I do it is apparently hear by none. But no matter this when I finally got the opportunity to talk, I don’t feel look upon or not taken seriously.

@boz  
I know what you mean. I’m ignored or otherwise treated disrespectfully by others and people only pay attention to me when they want to tell me what to do or tell me why they are right and i am wrong; I’m like a punching bag for people because I’m supposedly so easy to dominate.

@Blackie  
That’s actually another thing. Talking in a deeper voice tends to make people take you more seriously(Or so Cracked.com says), it does seem to work when I do it(anecdotal evidence aside). Seems to work best on guys(I’ve had four guys complement my sexy voice when I did so)
 
@Itsthinking  
I’m gonna have to say that depends. If you’re a master debater(stop laughing) and can speak coherently for long periods of time, go for it.  
But it always seems(and this is backed up in a few books on conversation I’ve read) that people who try too hard to dominate the conversation will be seen as attention whore-y or, if they talk above their intelligence, a know-nothing-know-it-all.
 
The advice I seemed to get is, when in group conversation, quietly listen to the conversation and answer when you are most confident. Remaining quiet will enhance your mystique and answering confidently will make you seem like you don’t need to run your mouth to win their respect.
 
Otherwise? There doesn’t seem to be a hard and fast rule. Different people are different. Sure there are tricks that can make things easier but whether they work or not is really down to the person.