Fear of public speaking is one of the most common phobias. I will give you confidence by guiding you through the process of writing and delivering a speech for any social or business event. The focus will be on helping you find material that will relax you and, at the same time, engage an audience. Whether your goal is to be funny, poignant, inspiring, or a combination of all three, I will show you easy ways to prepare a successful speech. We will cover the following topics:

• STAGE-FRIGHT CAN BE A POWERFUL TOOL. USE IT TO MOTIVATE THOROUGH PREPARATION.

• KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE, KNOW YOUR VENUE, KNOW YOUR SOUND SYSTEM.

• HAVE STRONG BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS.

• EVERYONE HATES LISTS, EVERYONE LOVES STORIES. USE PERSONAL MEMORIES AND HUMOROUS ANECDOTES.

• ANTICIPATE THEIR OBJECTIONS.

• ARC: STATE PROBLEM, DESCRIBE STRUGGLE, RESOLVE PROBLEM.

• USE SIMPLE LANGUAGE AND EVERYDAY SPEECH. AVOID PHONY ACADEMIC QUOTES: INSTEAD, QUOTE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE.

• HUMOR: THERE’S NOTHING WORSE THAN A JOKE THAT DOESN’T LAND.

• Q & A: TAKE CHARGE!

• GIVE YOUR VOICE PERMISSION TO BE ENERGIZED AND AGGRESSIVE.

• RELAX BY TAKING DEEP, LOW BREATHS, AND THEN PRACTICE LOW VOCAL PLACEMENT.

• WATCH THOSE HANDS!

• MEMORIZATION TIPS.

• REHEARSE AT DOUBLE SPEED.

• THOROUGH PREPARATION AND DILIGENT HOMEWORK WILL LEAD TO YOUR SUCCESS AS A SPEAKER.