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You have been asked to make the toast at your best friend’s wedding and the thought terrifies you. Public speaking is something you try to avoid at all costs; but, the invitation is coming from your best friend and you have no choice. Worrying about it in advance is not a good idea so let me give you some advice that can make your job easier and even fun. 1. Know your material. Since you will be preparing a speech – versus a presentation – create your script in outline form, jotting down the main points you want to cover, and then write it out word-for-word. Once you have finished the creation, start practicing it out loud. Reading it over in your mind is not practice. Only by saying your words orally will you know how it sounds and how it flows. 2. As you approach the lectern, breathe. Aside from knowing your material, this is the most important advice I give because breathing allows you to control your nervousness. I am not talking about upper chest breathing which is common for the majority of the population but rather diaphragmatic breathing. To do this properly, your shoulders should not rise but your mid-torso region should expand down and out. It is a refreshing breath that can ease your panic. 3. In addressing your audience, smile and make eye contact, acknowledging those on the right, on the left, and in the center. You will have smilers because every audience does. Focus on them. They will boost your confidence. In addition, everyone sitting in that particular area will think you are looking at them. 4. Speak with color, with life, with emotion. You know many in your audience. Treat them just as if you were having a conversation in your living room. 5. Believe in yourself. If you stand at the lectern, telling yourself that you cannot do it, I guarantee you will not do it. Not that I am suggesting overconfidence. That is a mistake as well. What I do propose is that if you can deliver your speech according to the above 4 conditions, then you can strive to do the best job possible. That is all anyone expects of you. Public speaking is not as difficult as we make it out to be. While it may be man’s greatest fear, no one yet has died from public speaking and I doubt you will be the first to win that prize! Relax and enjoy the job at hand because toasting your best friend will hopefully happen only once in your life! The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels offers private, corporate and group workshops in voice and presentation skills as well as Voicing It!, the only video training program on voice improvement. To see how voice training can improve your life, both professionally and personally, visit Voice Dynamic or watch a brief video as The Voice Lady describes Dynamic Public Speaking.
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