Public speaking is an important skill, it can be learned, not to become a famous orator but just to get your point across to an audience. Make a decision: ‘ I will learn to be a competent public speaker even though I can never become a very good one, I will practice and do my best to be competent.’ A lot of it you can practice on your own but you do need to do some practice with an audience.
Basis is simple, accept fear, be brave, determination overcomes fear, stand up straight, very upright, back very straight, face the audience, do not bend forward, if you are reading from a paper hold it high so you are still facing everyone, look at individuals in the audience near the back and speak to one individual at a time; speak VERY slowly, in short phrases with pauses after every phrase, they do not need to be full sentences.
You need to know how big the room is you are working to and get some one to stand that distance away and see if they can hear you. Open your mouth well as if you are singing, try not to let your voice get too shrill, just your natural timbre. Treat it as an opportunity to increase your self confidence not as some sort of threat. Even if you are giving your speech from memory still have it on paper in front of you, single lines to each phrase, double spacing. it should be written out as your thought processes go not in sentences. Try and make your voice rise and fall to give meaning to the words, as if it was poetry.
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