[Superman]

I don't do as much public speaking now, but until recently I did quite a bit of it. There are two key elements. The first is simple practice. The more you do it, the less nervous you will be. The second key is knowing what you're talking about. A canned speech is only a partial fix. I was lucky. I talked about the same subject, albeit a complex and highly controversial one, for a dozen years.

In reverse, it sounds like this: If you have no public speaking experience and are nervous in that role, you are hosed. You will be nervous. It will go away with experience. Toastmasters will help a great deal.

If you step up there unprepared, to talk about a subject you do not fully understand, then it is going to be a nightmarish experience. Prepare prepare prepare.

Oh, and one last tip. Talk as slowly as you possibly can. Speak slowly and loudly, and enunciate. After each sentence......pause. Look out at the audience. Remain paused. Speak the next sentence, slowly, loudly, and enunciate. Then pause. Then look out at the audience. Then resume. Especially pause after you say something important. pause pause pause....then say the exact same thing again.

One principle that good speakers also understand is that you cannot impart much detail. Detail is for the printed word. Hand that out AFTER your talk. If they have paper in their hands during your talk, you will see the tops of their heads and you will hear the paper rustling. The quaint saying is: "Tell them what you're going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you told them." Pick between 1 and 3 things you really want them to remember, and be aware that this is their limit. You will not get them to remember five things.

Pause pause pause, and do not vocalize those pauses. Do not say "ummm" or "well......" or anything like that. They will wait for you.