Speaking or giving a talk publicly can be very nerve racking. If you find it hard to speak in front of a crowd then doing so may make you panicky, break out in a sweat or just extremely nervous. To try and avoid nervousness and to speak confidently it is best to be prepared.

Unless in can’t be helped and you have a set topic to speak on, always try to speak on a subject you know well and may be comfortable to talk about. The better you know the topic and the more information you know about your subject matter, then the easier it will be for you to talk about it. Try to prepare your talk or speech first. Write out exactly what you are going to say or at least some strong points to go on. The more prepared you are the more confident you will feel about giving your speech or talk.

Unless you will be standing behind something like a lector or table, try to put the points for your talk on to small cards that you can hold in the palm of your hand. This way it will be easier for you as you will not be struggle with sheets of paper. It also it hides your notes from your audience.

If you can, only check down at your notes every now and then or as needed. Try to look at your audience as you talk to them. If you find it daunting to look at your audience and all the faces, try looking just above their heads and be sure to move your eyes around the room, so that everyone feels like you are talking to them.

Try to stand with good posture because this will make you look confident even if you are not. Use hand gestures as necessary to explain yourself and your points. Try to pace yourself and not talk too quickly, and remember to pause at moments when a pause is needed, so that you can catch your breath and get your thoughts together.

If you really struggle to have confidence to speak to publicly, try to build confidence a step at a time. Try speaking in front of smaller groups first and gradually increase the size of your audience. You could also join a group like a drama group or poetry club. Groups or clubs like this will encourage you to gain confidence and will offer exercises that you can do to build your confidence.

Confidence can be gained through practice. Once you have practiced something and feel safe in the knowledge that you can do it, in this case – when you know what you are talking about, you will feel more confident about doing it. Practice your speech or talk as much as you can prior to your speaking engagement. Get someone you trust to listen to you give your talk and ask them to give you their opinion and any suggestions that may help you. Although it may sound stupid, practicing in front of a mirror is another good way. This helps to you to see what you look like as you give your speech. You can get your posture right and see how your hand movements and so on look to the audience.

The best thing you can do is to relax. Don’t worry too much about. Every public speaker starts somewhere and everyone has nerves, so just relax and try to enjoy it. The more relaxed you are, the easier you will find it and better you will come off to your audience. Before starting your talk or speech, take a few deep breaths and try to relax. If you still feel uncontrollably nervous you could always try the good old “picture your audience in their underwear” trick!

I have an uncle that played the organ for chuches, wedding, concerts, etc. He said (and this can be applied to public speaking as well) that when you make a mistake the tendancy is to react in some way, a pause, a grimace, whatever. Instead, don’t react at all. I know that seems hard to do, but with a little practice anyone can master it. He demonstrated by playing an easy piece of music. He played it correctly, but slowly and haltingly, as if unsure of himself. It sounded like it was full of mistakes even though it wasn’t. He then played the same piece with confidence and it was full of mistakes. But because of the way he played, it sounded good!

Then of course there is the standard, picture everyone in their underwear/naked scenario. That never worked for me, because I would end up with a nervous case of the giggles. Not good for public speaking.

My Speech Teacher used to say that most people are glad it’s not them up there speaking and keeping that in mind, knowing that they would be as nervous as I am always helped. Knowing that I wasn’t alone. When your classmates laugh at your nervousness, just know they are sweating bullets knowing their turn is coming.

You must know people and have friends in the class. When you go up front to speak, pause and locate your friends in the class. When you look up from your notes, focus on the friendly faces and remember your friends are there for you and they are silently rooting for you.

I also agree with “ohmygosh”, you must be prepared. Take the time to research and know your subject. See if you can find some really fascinating thing that would spark your listeners’ interest. Part of preparation is practice. As a dramatist, I practice the piece I am preparing to perform several times a night until I’m comfortable. Practice in front of a mirror, so you can see what you look like. When you discover you don’t look silly, that, too, will help to boost your confidence. And, conversely, if you see something you don’t like, you can work on it until you do like it.

Last, but in my book, certainly not least, pray. If you have prepared through research and practice, you have done your part. Once I have done all that, I give it to God and ask Him to help me do my best. He’s never failed me yet and He won’t fail you either.

God bless you!

you just have to get on with it i guess.

well that’s what i do..