| Is there a great speaker hiding with you? | | | | Address, and you'll find it tough not to be charged |
| "Not hardly," you may be thinking. Think again. | | | | up to deliver the best speech of your life. |
| The fear of speaking in public is well-documented, | | | | 5. Nail your first few sentences. There's no |
| often discussed, and probably overrated. The | | | | question that the first minute or so is the most |
| great news is that speaking in front of a group | | | | nerve-racking. Practice your first sentences over |
| can be an entertaining and energizing experience | | | | and over until you have them nailed! The more |
| for even the most fearsome among us. | | | | comfortable you feel with the first words out of |
| Try these 10 ideas to enjoy speaking and to | | | | your mouth, the sooner you'll stop feeling |
| sharpen your delivery: | | | | nervous. |
| 1. Be yourself! Every person is inherently charming | | | | 6. Act like you're comfortable. "Fake it 'til you |
| and interesting, especially when we feel confident. | | | | make it," as the old saying goes. Pretend that |
| The only trouble is that we don't always let the | | | | you're an accomplished, confident presenter. Think |
| good stuff come out! Let your natural personality | | | | about what a seasoned speaker thinks about |
| come out, and you'll be terrific. Enjoy what you're | | | | when they're ready to speak: "This is gong to be |
| speaking on, and the audience will love you. Often, | | | | great"; "I can't wait to get started"; "I know my |
| the more you try to sound impressive, the more | | | | information can help the audience"; "All I have to |
| you come off sounding insincere. | | | | do is my best." |
| 2. Give yourself permission to feel nervous. Don't | | | | 7. Practice, practice, practice. Abraham Lincoln, a |
| concentrate on your nerves. Even the most | | | | true master of self-improvement, was committed |
| seasoned, experienced presenter can get nervous. | | | | to becoming an outstanding speaker. He carried |
| There's no shame in feeling a little scared. But | | | | slips of paper in his hat, and while walking to work, |
| here's a common mistake: Many people, when | | | | he pulled the slips out and read them aloud to |
| they begin speaking, start to focus on how | | | | practice. Nothing will skyrocket your confidence as |
| nervous they feel. They worry about their hands | | | | much as practice and preparation. |
| shaking, and they notice their voice quivering --- | | | | 8. Work on speaking distinctly. To help you |
| which, not surprisingly, makes them feel more | | | | sharpen your pronunciation, read aloud from |
| nervous! Instead, realize that it's OK to feel a little | | | | Shakespeare, from the King James Version of |
| nervous for the first minute or two, and | | | | the Bible, or from any other work that has |
| concentrate instead on serving the audience. | | | | beautiful, lyrical writing. |
| 3. Forget about yourself. Stop worrying about | | | | 9. Be grateful for your nerves. A little bit of |
| your hair being perfect or your voice sounding | | | | nervousness is a sign that your adrenaline is up |
| odd and start concentrating on serving the | | | | and running and your body knows you're about to |
| audience. Focus on delivering value to the | | | | do something interesting. That adrenaline can help |
| audience. Think about accomplishing your | | | | you stay excited and energetic. So remember, |
| objectives for the talk. The truth is, most people | | | | your nerves are your friends. Just don't let them |
| overestimate how much the audience focuses on | | | | run the whole show. |
| the speaker's abilities. All most audiences want is | | | | 10. You're the expert! Being asked to present on |
| good information that's not boring. | | | | a topic is a pretty strong sign that you know |
| 4. Learn from the greats. Get copies of speeches | | | | more about it than the audience does. It's possible |
| you really enjoy, and read them to "prime the | | | | you may get stumped now and then, but overall, |
| pump" as you prepare for the speech. Invest a | | | | you have the advantage of knowing more about |
| couple of minutes reading Lincoln's Gettysburg | | | | your subject than anyone else in the room. |