|
Confidence = relaxation.
Most of the tips here are really good. It's especially important to breathe normally, slow down, and try to relax your throat (tenseness is what makes your voice go funny). If your speech is any length at all, take water with you to the podium; it offers you the chance to take a breath, break eye contact, and relax a little.
Know your subject, and if you are working from a prepared text or notes, practice a few times at home. Focus on the mechanics of your speech, not the context in which you are giving it: the keys are breathing, tone, volume, pacing, and eye contact (it at least keeps you from looking down the entire time).
__________________
Where there is a great deal of free speech, there is always a certain amount of foolish speech. - Winston S. Churchill
|