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Sweaty palms. Dry mouth. Stomach turning. Sweaty armpits. Let's face it, most of us have at one point dreaded having to stand in front of others and deliver a speech. Especially in a classroom full of peers and you're nearly the last one to give yours. The anticipation is exhausting. So how can one move past the nerves and deliver a successful speech?

First of all... RELAX! The anticipation and nerves are mainly induced by mentally stressing yourself out. Ask yourself, "What is it that makes me so nerveous about public speaking?". It may be the number of people you are presenting to. Or maybe you are trying to persuade an audience. What ever the case may be, going into a presentation fully prepared should help to ease the anxiety.

Here is a bit of advice to get you started on your way to a great presentation.

1. Draw on your own interests and strong points. You will find that you will naturally be able to talk freely about a topic you are familiar with and more importantly some what passionate about. The hardest thing in the world is to talk about some thing that bores you. How do you think your audience is going to feel if you as the speaker are bored?

2. Once you narrow down what you want to talk about, prepare an outline of the key points you want to address. A well organized outline will help you stay on track during your presentation. You may also want to prepare a power-point presentation for your audience to view and follow along as you address each key point.

3. Engage the audience with visual aides. Again, this can be through a slide presentation created on power-point, or you can incorporate poster size charts to display data and facts.

4. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE. It is important that you know to whom you are speaking. Take into consideration cultural issues and be mindful to be sensitive to those represented in the audience. Do not engage in offensive language such as slurrs, slangs or degrading comments that might offend audience members.

5. Be able to seperate what is legal and lawful information from that which is your own personal beliefs. This is important in order to remain politically correct and prevents you from infringing on the rights of others. Remember to always be respectful of others.

6. Remember to always site your references and give credit for where you have obtained your information. You must orally site these references in your speech as well as credit them in writing on any piece of information presented.

Always remember that public speaking is a way to build your communication skills. Communication allows you to develop confidence and shows you hold leadership qualities. Many employers look for individuals with developed communication and public speaking skills.

I recommend anyone wanting to improve their skills to obtain the booklet, "A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking" by authors, O'hair, Rubenstein and Stewart. In it you will find key ideas and explenations on getting started, developing outlines, siting references and explenations on the different types of speeches. This booklet explains the art of public speaking in simple, easy to understand terms that will help build your confidence and prepare you for your next presentation.

Learn more about this author, A. D. McDowell.
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