Table of Contents

Introduction .....................................................................................................................3

How to Access Great Online Resources ...........................................................................6

How to Know if It’s a Credible Source................................................................................6

Organize Your Research Notes .........................................................................................7

Exercises for Chapter 1 – Hunting and Gathering .............................................................8

Analyze Your Audience ..................................................................................................9

Keep the Audience Interested............................................................................................9

Know the Difference Between Informative Or Persuasive Speech ..................................11

The Benefits of Analyzing Your Audience ........................................................................11

Exercises for Chapter 2 – Analyzing Your Audience ........................................................12

Writing Down the Bones of Your Speech ...................................................................14

The Power of the Introduction ..........................................................................................14

Writing Down the Meat of the Speech .............................................................................15

Wow Them With the Conclusion ......................................................................................18

Exercises for Chapter 3 – Writing Down the Bones of Your Speech ...............................18

Editing and Practicing for Timing ...............................................................................20

The Cycle of Editing Your Speech ...................................................................................20

What if You Get Writer’s Block? .......................................................................................21

The Best Ways to Practice Your Speech .........................................................................22

Exercises for Chapter 4 – Editing and Practicing for Timing............................................23

Getting Rid of the Jitters ..............................................................................................25

From Butterflies to Nausea – How Bad Can it Get? ........................................................25

Tricks to Keep You Calm and Engaged With the Audience .............................................27

Exercises for Chapter 5 – Getting Rid of the Jitters ........................................................28

 Introduction
The Public Speaking Handbook is all you’ll ever need to be able to craft
and deliver speeches that will dazzle your audience and ensure you get
through it calm, cool and collected.

You’ll learn some tricks of the trade on how to research information about
the subject of your speech. The exercises at the end of each chapter will
help you craft your speech and provide tips about how to deliver it in a
masterful way.

Compiling a speech that will be both dynamic and that will connect with
your audience is just as important as the speck delivery. If you hate
research or don’t know how, this handbook will provide you with information
to help you zero in on your subject and ‘hunt and gather’ the information
your audience wants and needs.

Analyzing the group you’ll be speaking to is also addressed in the

handbook. You should know your audience even before you begin to craft
the speech from the information you’ve gathered. For example, does your
audience know a bit about the subject you’re presenting or do you need to
begin from Square One?

After you’ve gathered and compiled your speech information and know
what type of audience you’ll be addressing, it’s time to get down to the
nitty-gritty of writing your speech. While the introduction is important to
capture you’re audience’s attention, the remainder of the speech should
keep them riveted.

The conclusion of the speech is also all-important. It should leave your

audience wanting more information and wondering how the time passed so
fast. You’ll learn tricks of the trade of some of the most amazing public
speakers of our time that will help you craft a dazzling speech that your
audience will remember for a long time.
 Hunting and Gathering
The Internet has made the act of hunting and gathering information an easy
task, but it’s sometimes hard – with all the information out there – to zero in
on the exact information you need to make your speech the best it can be.

Your research, no matter what the topic, should help to validate any claims
you’re making in your speech. If it’s a sales speech, you should back up the
claims about the superiority of your product or service with statistics and
other supporting evidence.

The supporting evidence you gather should help you to feel more confident
about the speech you’re giving. If there’s a “question and answer” period
after the speech, you can use those statistics to further back your claims.
The last thing you want is for someone to successfully refute what you’ve
just proclaimed in your speech.

There are several ways you can research material for the speech. One is
the old method of books. The problem with books is that they may have
been written in the past while other facts were being discovered. Factual
information can become out of date very rapidly in books.

Here are several things to remember when hunting and gathering

information for your speech:

• Verify the facts – All of your data and references should be credible,
accurate and up-to-date – especially if you’re speaking of scientific or
technological advances. Check and double-check your resources.
• Acknowledge your sources -- Even if you don’t specifically refer to
them in your speech, you’ll want to be ready to answer questions
after the speech about where you got the information.
 • Beware of plagiarism – This is the most deadly way to ruin a speech
or writing venue. Even if you don’t copy a speech or source verbatim,
it could be seen as plagiarism, so be sure to run the final version of
your written speech through one of the online programs (such as
Copyscape) that’s designed to catch plagiarizing comments.
• Use interesting and persuading evidence – If your speech isn’t
interesting, people will soon lose contact with you and the purpose of
the speech. To keep it interesting, remember to use a range of
methods to reinforce your thesis.

Those are the key elements to remember when hunting and gathering your
speech resources. Now you’re ready to search according to the topic of
your speech and what you’re aiming to convey.

How to Access Great Online Resources

Hunting and researching information for your topic is easy these days,
thanks to the Internet. There are many downloadable software applications
you can get for free or purchase, but you can also use the search engine
platforms such as Google, Yahoo, Bing and others.

Whatever your platform on the Internet is, type the phrase or words that
best describes your speech topic. The search engines will display a
number of pages (usually) of information about your topic.

Pay extra close attention to the websites you’re using for your searches. If
there are ‘claims’ involved, you’ll want to substantiate those claims and be
sure to back them up through credible resources.

How to Know if It’s a Credible Source

True facts that are irrefutable are usually credible. For example, “The earth
is round,” is a fact that everyone knows is true. But, if you have a topic that
expresses an opinion about the earth, such as “We’re being invaded by
extraterrestrial beings,” you’ll want to be sure to have information to back
up your declaration.

Journals and other publications from Academia circles are usually a good
and reliable source of information. You may also interview an expert on the
topic you’ve chosen and quote him or her along with mentioning their
research and findings in your speech. Also, the expert may be able to
suggest other resources from which you can gather more information.

Organize Your Research Notes

Everyone has their own methods of organization, but some of the most
helpful can be to keep copious notes (printouts or your own written notes)
in a binder or envelope (a binder is more effective to keep the notes in
order by date).

Colored 3 x 5 cards are used by some researchers and if you’re

transcribing them online, using “Cloud” on your computer or Evernote on
the web can be a great way to organize and gather your notes from remote
locations. There are also other software packages that are specifically
designed for electronic note and file organization.

Don’t forget to keep a file on where you did your research, whether from
online sources or individuals. That information will be invaluable to you
during a question and answer period at the end of the speech.

As you wind down on the research part of hunting and gathering

information for your speech, you’ll be getting a better idea of how you want
to formulate and present it. But, before you begin to write your speech,
you’ll need to analyze your audience.
Exercises for Chapter 1 – Hunting and Gathering

Before you begin to write your speech, it’s important that you hunt and gather
information about the topic you’re presenting. Here are some ideas to help you
begin the process:

1. Using pencil or stylus and paper or notepad, write down the topic of your
speech and some keywords you might use to find information. Also, jot
down people you might interview or other types of resources you might
use.

2. Begin the interview or search process. Set up an appointment to interview

an expert in the topic first. Now, you can begin the online research phase
of your speech. Using your own search engine platform or another (such
as Google, Bing or Yahoo), type in the focus of your topic using words or
phrases.

3. Choose credible sites from which to gather your information. Be sure to

give credit to any quotes or websites you might use in your speech. You
can print out helpful pages or jot down the most important points (always
keeping in mind that you can’t use the exact phraseology in your speech).

4. Organize your notes and other information. A folding envelope file works
fine or you might use a binder to organize the information by dates, topic or
other method.

You’re ready to craft your speech! Before you begin to write and formulate notes
for your speech, take a few minutes to look over your organized notes and have
in mind what you’re going to use for the opening (an attention getter), meat of the
speech (elements that prove your point) and conclusion (leaving them feeling
good and excited about what they’ve learned).
 Analyze Your Audience
Whether you’re speaking to a group of academics, a group of car
salespersons or a group of students, it’s good to take some time to really
know who they are. You may be making a speech meant to motivate,
teach, inspire or other reasons.

Knowing your audience before you begin to write the speech can help you
target the presentation to a specific type of audience. You may need to
appeal to the audience on many levels including their interests,
demographics, values, goals and/or beliefs.

If you are speaking on a difficult on complex subject, be sure to break it

down into more understandable parts rather than throwing out the entire
message all at once. If it’s appropriate, you may want to consider adding an
anecdote or a personal account of a situation that deals with the topic to
help your audience empathize.

Keep the Audience Interested

Throughout the speech, you’ll need to keep the audience interested in what
you’re saying – and how you’re saying it. You’ll want to inject some humor,
learn about the body language involved in giving a speech and how to get
the audience to identify with you.

An anecdote can help your audience identify with you and make them feel
more of a connection with you. If your subject is heavy, a personal story or
anecdote can also lighten the mood and help your audience to relax.

You can bore an audience in many ways and make them lose interest in
you and what you’re saying. Here are a few things to remember about
keeping your audience interested and in touch:
• Tell them something new – If they’re already familiar with what
you’re telling them, they can become bored very fast. When you
analyze your audience, you’ll know how educated they are about the
subject matter and write the speech to inform them of something new
and different.

• Appeal to the needs of the audience – If you’re giving a speech

about nutrition, the audience probably consists of people who want to
know more about how to stay healthy or are nutrition experts who
want to know more about what to tell their clients about nutrition.

• Know the opinions of your audience – If you’re speaking to a

group of senior citizens about health care, you should know that
they’ll have emotional opinions about what’s going on in the world
today in regards to the care they’re receiving. That’s extremely
important to know if you’re trying to persuade them to think differently
about a situation.

• Be aware of the demographics of your audience – You should be

able to take into consideration demographical details about your
audience such as age, culture, ethnicity, religion and education
levels. This information can direct your speech more than anything
else you discover about your audience.

• What are your audience’s attitudes about the subject of your

speech? Depending on the demographics of your audience, it’s
usually easy to find out what their attitude might be on the topic of
your speech. An attitude is different from a value or belief in that it
 tells you what a person likes or doesn’t like, whereas a belief can be
true or false and a value has to do with standards.

• Surroundings and set up analysis – It’s going to be important to

you to know how the area where you’re giving the speech is set up.
What is the seating arrangement? Is it in a theater, classroom or large
hall? You should also know how many people will attend and know
the lighting situation in the room.

Knowing your audience before you begin to write the speech helps you to
understand what situation you’ll be in when you deliver the speech. You’ll
know how to better formulate the style of delivery, the important points you
want to make and the various strategies you’ll use to make it successful.

Know the Difference Between Informative Or Persuasive Speech

Are you giving an informative speech or a persuasive one? This is an

important fact to keep in mind before writing the speech and when you’re
analyzing the audience you’ll be presenting it to so you can gauge their
interest in the topic.

If you’re giving an informative speech, you’re not trying to change their

minds, but you should still know what they’re thinking about the topic. A
persuasive speech means that you should know how interested they are
about topic because you’ll be trying to change their minds.

The Benefits of Analyzing Your Audience

Knowing all you can about your audience can help you create a link with
them and can boost your speech techniques tenfold. When you’re
preparing your speech, you can adapt the words and plan the delivery
much better by knowing the elements that make up the characteristics of
your audience.

Analyzing your audience is only one step in preparing your speech, but it
will help figure out the ultimate strategies you’ll use in the development.
Here are just a few of the benefits of analyzing your audience:

• Gives you a general understanding about your audience’s views and

knowledge of the topic of the speech.

• Helps you know how to deliver a speech in a way that your audience
will relate to.

• Knowing your audience may prevent you from saying the wrong thing
or something that might offend most of the group.

• Demographics of your audience tell you much about their age and
economical status so that you can formulate your speech accordingly
and be able to anticipate the audience’s response.

Analyzing your audience is just one of the ways that can help you
strategize your speech techniques so you’ll be ready for anything.

Exercises for Chapter 2 – Analyzing Your Audience

Realizing that analyzing your audience is an important part of your speech

preparation, you can go ahead with the elements of your speech. Here are
some things you can do to help in knowing what makes your audience tick:
1. Keep a file on everything you can find out about your audience. For
example, the age, gender, education and likes or dislikes should tell
you much about your audience and how they will relate to the topic.
Be precise.

2. Address the needs and desires of your audience. You can then
customize your speech to fit exactly what they need. Write down what
you know about your audience’s desires and then jot down how you
can best address them.

3. What are your audience’s expectations? It’s important for you to know
how you’re going to meet the expectations your audience has for your
speech. Try to anticipate their reaction to each part of the speech and
be prepared to answer questions.

4. Begin planning the conclusion of your speech by anticipating the

audience’s reaction to what you’ll say. As you continue to analyze
your audience, be sure to write down thoughts and plans about
delivering the conclusion in a way that will make them feel good when
they leave.
 Writing Down the Bones of Your Speech
Now that you’ve gathered information that reflects the topic of your speech
and you know the audience you’re going to be presenting it to, you’re ready
to begin the actual writing process. First, you’ll write down the bones that
will be the skeleton that supports the rest of your speech.

The main elements of your speech are:

1. Introduction
2. Capturing and keeping your audience’s attention.
3. Conclusion

You can begin to write your speech on a computer, electronic notepad or a

legal pad or on lined notebook pages. Whatever you feel comfortable with
is the way you should begin to write the speech.

Many famous authors use legal pads to scratch out the first draft – and
even the second or third drafts of your speech. They feel the connection
between the brain and the movements of the hand does the best job of
writing down the bones of what they want to convey.

Others are perfectly happy with the easy write, copy, paste and delete
methods of the computer. Whatever method you choose to begin the
writing process and how you see it through editing and polishing is up to
you.

The Power of the Introduction

When planning to give a speech, the power of the introduction is huge.

You’ll want to take a minute to thank whoever introduced you to the
audience and thank the audience for being there. Be sure and make notes
about this in your outline so you don’t forget to do it.

You may want to open your speech with a personal anecdote – one that will
endear you to the audience and help them know you better. If you can
insert humor, a quote or something that surprises your audience, you’ll be
setting up the thesis (subject) of your speech.

Why should your audience believe you? This is the time to establish your
credentials so there are no second thoughts from the audience on whether
or not you’re qualified to speak on the subject you’ve chosen.

The introduction of the speech is sometimes called “the hook” of the

speech. It’s a crucial point where you can build rapport – or not – with your
audience. The introduction should be more like talking to an old friend
rather than formal and stiff.

Think about the speeches that have moved you in the past. What did the
speaker do to hook you into looking forward to the rest of the speech? You
may want to do some online research about great and/or motivating or
inspiring speeches given by others. You should find all the information you
need online to spur your memory.

Writing Down the Meat of the Speech

The segue from the introduction to the meat of the speech should be
effortless and hardly noticed by your audience. You’ve set up your thesis in
the introduction and now you’ll want to get to the reasons and facts about
the topic of your speech.
After the introduction, you’ll want to establish – without becoming too
detailed – what the audience can expect out of your speech. You may want
to give them specific actions they can take to increase sales or you may
have a belief or premise that you’re going to tell them about.

At this point, you’ll want to reference any resources you’ve used to come to
your conclusions or how you did the research to come to the premise you
have. Here are some things to remember when writing down the meat of
your speech:

• Pause often – As you’re writing the speech, think about which points
are best for an effective pause. When you listen to speeches given by
powerful people, you’ll note that there are many pauses that are
specifically choreographed to make the audience take notice and get
the point. Include reminders about pauses throughout your speech.

• Use thought-provoking anecdotes – You can use appropriate

anecdotes and examples throughout your speech to break up the
monotony of thinking. The audience gets a break from your “telling”
voice and is entertained with the story.

• Write down some points that support what you’re saying in the
speech – Begin with the strongest point and then write down other
information that also support the premise (put them in order from
strongest to weakest). You should have at least three key points to
unveil in your speech.

• Always include your resources – If you’re quoting other experts in

the field, be sure and give them the credit for the quote. If your
 speech includes facts from someone’s research, give them credit for
that also.

• State the other side – If you’re stating a point that has an argument,
you should be clear in stating the points of the other side and then
use the outline to formulate reasons (with facts) about why the ‘other
side’ is wrong.

• Avoid clichés – A cliché is an overused term that indicates you

haven’t put very much thought in what you’re saying. For example,
“A diamond in the rough” means that a person has a great future, but
think of another way to say it rather than using that tired, old cliché.

• Be all-inclusive – When referring to things or ideas, use “our” or “we”

to include everyone in the thought so they’ll feel they belong. Take a
lesson from other famous speeches and writings such as the
beginning of the Declaration of Independence, “We the people….”
Notice the writers included everyone, not just those who were
campaigning for independence.

• Put points in order of importance – Your strongest point should be

first and the middle of the speech should contain the weakest point.
Then, the second strongest point should appear at the end of the
speech.

What you write the first time around in crafting your speech won’t be the
final version. You’ll use your outline as a guide when you refer to your
research notes to carefully craft and flesh out your speech.
Wow Them With the Conclusion

You’ll leave them wishing there was more time for you to speak when you
tie it all together and give them a memorable conclusion. Be sure to give
them a “call to action” at the end of your speech, meaning that you will
inform the audience about what you’d like for them to do with the
information you just shared.

Briefly, repeat the points you made in the speech. There’s no need to go
into long explanations, but just remind them of what the main ideas are.
Last, but certainly not least, thank the audience for listening to you and
thank the sponsors for inviting you to speak.

If there is to be a question and answer period after your speech, this is the
time to invite questions. Your hosts should be informed ahead of time if this
is your plan. Always be prepared for questions, even if you’re not informed
ahead of time that a question and answer period is planned.

Exercises for Chapter 3 – Writing Down the Bones of Your Speech

The first draft of writing your speech should be the “bare bones” of what
you want to say. The subsequent drafts can fine tune and craft the speech
as you wish. It’s important that for the first draft, you simply write your
thoughts down without giving any credence to editing and making it
“perfect.”

1. Begin to write your speech with the introduction. Thank your hosts
and then your audience and introduce yourself. Include an anecdote
that captures their attention and be sure to mention your credentials.

2. After you’ve outlined the introduction, begin to list the points of the
speech that you want the audience to know. Start with the most
 powerful point, insert the weakest point in the middle of your speech
and save the second most powerful point for the ending.

3. Use anecdotes, humor and inspirational words and thoughts to keep

the audience interested. Be sure to remind yourself to pause at key
times in your speech. Sometimes, a pause can be more powerful
than words.

4. Write the conclusion of your speech, listing the key points you want
the audience to know. Make the ending as powerful as you can. Look
at famous speeches from the past to get ideas for the conclusion.
Don’t forget to thank the audience and hosts.

5. Be prepared for a question and answer session. You’ll want to be

able to verify the facts that you’ve mentioned in your speech and be
able to mention names if necessary.
 Editing and Practicing for Timing
After you’ve written down the bones of your speech, it’s time to go back for
the next step which is polishing up what you’ve already written and making
sure the transitions from one thought to the next are smooth and clear.

Most speakers (writers included) often assume that their audiences can
follow our jumps from one subject to the next – change of thoughts, times
or places. You’ll need to look at the transitions in your speech with an
eagle’s eye and make sure you’ve clearly transitioned from one thought to
another.

Transitioning should happen between the main points you’re making and
also after the introduction (into the main body of the speech) and going into
the conclusion. Your speech should be all-inclusive and not jump from one
point to another without the clear transitioning.

To make a clear transition, you might use wording that includes an example
that segues into the next thought or point. It’s important that you don’t lose
your audience by confusing them about your subject.

A great speech isn’t written all at one time. It usually takes a few rounds of
editing and reviewing before it’s ready to practice on the delivery portion.

The Cycle of Editing Your Speech

When you go over the first draft to make necessary changes, you’re
“editing.” Then, you’ll revise your speech, which means that you’ll be
implementing the changes you’ve made and finalizing the draft.

Writing down the bones of your speech lets you write down anything and
everything that comes to mind about the subject. No editing is allowed in
the first draft because it lets your creativity flow as it should – without
pausing and possibly losing a great thought.

When editing, you should consider the vocabulary you’re implementing.

Ask yourself if it’s the appropriate vocabulary for your audience. For
example, will the wording be too basic or way over their heads.

Timing is everything. As you continue to edit and revise your speech, keep
in mind your allotted time. If you come to a point where you wonder if
you’ve hit the end mark or should keep writing, take some time to set the
timer and read aloud what you already have. Be sure to pause for effect
and not run rapidly through the speech.

Also, fine comb your speech by asking yourself if it makes sense. You may
want to have another person look at the speech after you’ve done a bit of
editing and revisions, but before you finalize it. It’s always good to have a
different viewpoint.

What if You Get Writer’s Block?

It happens to the best of writers – you sit down with your pad and pencil or
computer and your mind suddenly goes blank. No words come for minutes
or even hours. It’s a traumatic time for any writer, but it’s natural and you
shouldn’t panic.

People approach writer’s block in different ways. Some just continue

writing. It could be just gibberish, but the act of keeping the pencil or
keyboard hot can spur thoughts for some people.

With others, it helps to get some exercise or take a break to meditate for
awhile. Having lunch with a friend or any number of things to get your mind
off of the speech you’re writing can be effective to get back your inspiration
and carry on.

The Best Ways to Practice Your Speech

Your speech writing is finished! Now, take as much time as you need to
practice your speech before presenting it to your audience. There’s an old
joke that goes, “How did you make it to Carnegie Hall?” Answer: “Practice!”

First, you’ll need to know how you’re going to present the speech you’ve
prepared. Are you going to read it word for word, memorize the entire
speech or use note cards or an outline for reminders?

Keep in mind that reading your speech verbatim can be boring to your
audience. It’s true you’ll have the entire speech in front of you and won’t
leave out anything by mistake, but you’re not really engaging with your
audience when you’re reading the speech.

It may be difficult to memorize the speech, but it will give you an advantage
of being sure you won’t leave out key points and can still appear relaxed
and natural. Using notes while delivering your speech seems more
unrehearsed and more real and accepting you’re your audience.

You choose what works best for you, but after you decide, pay attention to
these key points of practicing and delivering your speech:

• Practice the delivery of your speech in front of a mirror and with

a recorder. No method can give you a truer picture of how you look
and sound when you’re delivering a speech. This method is
especially helpful if you’re not used to public speaking and are jittery
about giving the speech.
 • Body language and other important details. No matter how well
your speech is written and how much work and time you spent on it,
the details of how you dress, enunciate your words and the
effectiveness of your body language is an important part of how the
audience accepts you as an expert.

• Practice in front of others. Gather a group or a person to listen to

your speech and give you feedback on how you did and their
suggestions about how to improve the delivery (and the speech).

• Smile! Be sincere and amusing in both the writing style and delivery
of your speech. Your audience can immediately decipher if you’re
happy to be speaking in front of them or would rather be anywhere
else.

Practice eloquence in the delivery of your speech. It’s an art that the most
popular and sought after speakers know and practice for every speech they
give. Also, be the devil’s advocate and step back from the speech to
determine if what you’ve said makes sense and if there’s any part of your
delivery technique that needs to be honed.

Exercises for Chapter 4 – Editing and Practicing for Timing

Editing and securing the perfect timing for your speech are the final
touches on the finished product. It’s important that you edit and revise until
you consider the writing to be the best you can manage and that you
practice the delivery of your speech until your nerves are calmed and you
feel secure that you’ve got it right in every way.
1. Take the time to edit and revise your speech as much as needed.
Some writers may get it right within three or four drafts while it takes
others many more tries to make it ‘perfect’.

2. Look for the key points (and pauses) in your speech. As you edit and
revise your speech, be sure you find the key points that you wanted
to make and be sure they’re in the right order for the most impact.
Also note areas where you can pause for effect.

3. Practice in front of a mirror and (if possible) a recorder. It’s the best
way to perfect the delivery of your speech. Many speakers are also
using video cameras to record their speech over and over until they
get it right.

4. Watch your body language. Body language is an art that can either
help you connect with your audience or produce a huge disconnect.
Know how it works and use it to your advantage.

5. Address possible questions ahead of time. As you edit and practice

your speech, pay attention to the points that might cause questions or
challenges from the audience later on and be prepared.
 Getting Rid of the Jitters
Even the best of performers and speakers get jittery nerves before a
performance. It’s natural and common no matter how much you’ve
prepared in the writing and delivery of the speech. Keep in mind that the
more preparation you did, the more relaxed you’ll be, but that it’s natural to
feel nervous.

Building your confidence before the big moment arrives involves getting to
know the subject matter before you step up to deliver the speech. There
are a number of ways that you can keep nervousness from taking away the
happiness and honor of speaking in front of an audience, but first you
should know why we experience nervousness before speaking.

From Butterflies to Nausea – How Bad Can it Get?

One of the most common fears in the world is public speaking. The fear
symptoms you experience can range from anxiety to a full-blown panic
attack. With anxiety, you may feel uneasy or highly concerned about the
giving the speech. A panic attack can render you with such discomfort that
you may experience stomach problems and fear that are totally outside the
realm of logic.

Feeling a certain amount of anxiety before a public speaking engagement

is normal. In fact, it’s even been given a name – “glossophobia.” Both fear
and anxiety cause the same brain reaction and you can experience worry,
doubt, fainting and other symptoms.

Those feelings can ruin even the best-prepared speech. Fortunately, there
are ways to assuage that fear. The Toastmasters International Club trains
speakers to reduce their fear levels in many ways. Here are some of the
methods you can use to prevent the type of fear you might have before
giving your speech:

• Careful preparation and practice – Found to be one of the most

important things you can do to vanquish anxiety before the big
speech. Whether you’re an amateur or a professional speaker,
preparation and practice are paramount in reducing anxiety.

• Use visual aids – It’s commonplace now for speakers to use visual
aids such as slides, PowerPoint presentations, audio clips, flipcharts,
videos and handouts to break up the monotony of the speech and to
remind or reassure the speaker that he or she is on track.

• Rehearsal in the actual room or stage – Knowing your

surroundings ahead of time helps you become more comfortable with
the venue and you can rout out any audio or visual problems.

• Perfect the timing of the presentation – It’s important not to fall

short of the allotted time and it’s also vital that you not go over the
allotted time. There should be smooth transitions figured into the
timing if you’re using any aids for your presentation.

• Look like a professional – How you dress and hold yourself when
giving the speech is almost as important as the presentation itself.
When you pull all of the elements together and have perfected the
look, the enunciation and the body language, you’ll be perceived as
the professional you are.
Other miscellaneous factors are also important to avoid the jitters on the
big day of your speech. All of these elements combined can provide the
confidence you need to get through any situation that makes you nervous
or anxious.

Tricks to Keep You Calm and Engaged With the Audience

If you can make an immediate connection with your audience, you’ll feel
much more relaxed from the get-go. Here are a few tricks of the speaking
trade that you should learn about and practice before it’s time to present
your speech:

1. Watch your body language – If you’re standing with your arms

crossed and shoulders hunched you’re in a body position that
makes it difficult for the audience to see you as an open and
honest person.
Practice good body language by standing straight, taking breaths
and ridding your vocabulary of the “uhs” and “ums” that are just
bad habits. Also, avoid slang phrases – and never use profanity.

2. Make eye contact with your audience – If making eye contact

with the audience distracts you, you can look just above the heads
to seem that you’re making eye contact. It’s important that you
connect with the audience by using your eyes.

3. Use gestures – Gesturing appropriately can make you and your

audience more relaxed. They are signals to your audience that can
convey a wide range of thoughts. Study the speech gestures that
others make and learn what works for you.
 4. Move around – Rather than standing stiffly at a podium or
microphone, move around in the designated area (as long as you
have sound). It helps to relax you and helps the audience become
more comfortable with you. Don’t wander around too much, but do
take the opportunity to move a bit if you can.

By fine-tuning and rehearsing every aspect of your speech, you can greatly
reduce you jitters and make the delivery of your speech a delight for the
audience. You can own the room with confidence if you know your subject
thoroughly and studied/practiced the best method of delivery.

Giving a speech or performing in front of others can be scary to think about

and plan, but if you do your research and practice, practice practice, you’ll
command the room and be a clear winner with your audience.

Exercises for Chapter 5 – Getting Rid of the Jitters

The exercises for helping to rid your mind and body of the jitters mainly
consists of practicing what you’ve learning in the previous chapters. If
you’ve taken the time and made the effort to know your subject and have
practiced the delivery until you feel more confident and self-assured you
should do fine no matter how large or small the audience is.

Here are some methods you should practice thoroughly and often before
you step up to give the speech:

1. Make sure your speech is fine-tuned with every ‘i’ dotted and every ‘t’
crossed. It takes time and effort, but will be worth it when you’re
actually giving the speech.

2. Practice your method of delivery. If you’re going to read your speech

verbatim, you should know that you’ll be limited in how much you can
 engage the audience. You may want to consider visual or audio aids
to break the monotony.

3. Check and double-check your help-notes and aids if you’re using

them. Knowing things are very much in order can give you much
needed confidence.

4. Gather a friend or two and present the speech to them. Then, listen to
the helpful feedback.

5. Visit the location (if possible) where you’ll be presenting the speech
and rehearse for timing and accuracy of the speech.