1 | Know the room |
| Be familiar with the place in which you will speak. Arrive early, walk around the speaking area and practice using the microphone and any visual aids. |
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2 | Know the audience |
| Greet some of the audience as they arrive. It's easier to speak to a group of friends than to a group of strangers. |
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3 | Know your material |
| If you're not familiar with your material or are uncomfortable with it, your nervousness will increase. Practice your speech and revise it if necessary. |
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4 | Relax |
| Ease tension by doing exercises. |
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5 | Visualize yourself giving your speech |
| Imagine yourself speaking, your voice loud, clear, and assured. When you visualize yourself as successful, you will be successful. |
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6 | Realize that people want you to succeed |
| Audiences want you to be interesting, stimulating, informative, and entertaining. They don't want you to fail. |
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7 | Don't apologize |
| If you mention your nervousness or apologize for any problems you think you have with your speech, you may be calling the audience's attention to something they hadn't noticed. Keep silent. |
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8 | Concentrate on the message -- not the medium |
| Focus your attention away from your own anxieties, and outwardly toward your message and your audience. Your nervousness will dissipate. |
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9 | Turn nervousness into positive energy |
| Harness your nervous energy and transform it into vitality and enthusiasm. |
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10 | Gain experience |
| Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking. |