Prepare
- Take plenty of time to write the speech
- Know the content so well that you can do the speech without your notes
- Sleep well and do breathing exercises or meditate beforehand
- What have you liked about others speaks?
- How can you put that into your speech?
- Think about how you want to respond if something goes wrong during your speech. It really isn’t a big deal if something goes wrong or if you lose your place. Be calm and continue on. People are unlikely to remember or care if you make a mistake so just improvise.
Write hand written notes such as
- relax
- pause
- pay attention
- slow down
- calm down
Fake it and you will become it
(Check out ‘Amy Cuddy: your body language shapes who you are’ on Ted talks).
- relax, breath slow and deep through your nose, keep hands calm and relax your shoulders
- show how enthusiastic you are about what you are sharing
- look like a confidence knowledgeable speaker with eye contact and varied tone
Think the best of the audience
- most audiences are kind and want you to do well
- think about people who care about you and imagine them near you
When you are not speaking and you are in the audience consider showing some care and be an active audience member by projecting care, enthusiasm and most of all your attention.
One way to tell the story could be to share your experience and background, share the discovery and then share the benefits.