Planning:

• The key to controlling your fear of public speaking is Prevention: Get prepared!
• Identify your purpose (to inform, persuade, entertain, inspire, demonstrate).
• What do I want my audience to Think, Feel or Do (as a result of my speech).
• Know the audience so that you can "tailor" your message to them; ask yourself what this group needs to hear (what is their hot button).
• Take time to create your presentation (do conclusion first, then the intro, and the main points last).

• Memorize the introduction (first minute) ­ when you are the most nervous. 
• Avoid triteness (glad to be here, etc.) & apologies (you lose credibility).
  
• Use a preview to let them know what youíre covering, and what youíre not!
• Grab their attention by letting them know right away whatís in it for them.

Main Points:

• Carefully word your main points and use research to support them.
• Use the Law of Threes ­ people can't remember more than 3 items
• Organize by chronology, topical, problem/solution, cause/effect, and let the audience know how youíre organizing it, so that they can follow easily.

Conclusions

• Flag it to let them know we're at the end and use a review.
• Keep conclusions short (you said we were at the end!).
  
• Use a quote, but let the last words be yours, because  "the last thing you say is the first thing they remember" (Laurie Richards)
  

Practice:

• Practice will reduce 75% of your nervousness about speaking in front of people!
• Avoid reading from your script (the text of your speech); it will not make you seem sincere or knowledgeable.  Instead, speak from an outline!
• Developing a speaking outline:
• Write the script and read it out loud (start to finish without stopping).
• Highlite or underline Key Phrases (short ones), and read it again out loud.
• Put the Key Words into an outline ­ force yourself through using the outline as the guide; this will be rough but go from beginning to end!
• Practice rough sections and finalize the outline
• Final run throughs with everything (audio visuals, podium, clothes, etc.)

Work on your Voice:

• Vocal tension relaxers ­ Yawning; doing head rolls; use flutter breaths; shake outs.
• Projection ­ Inhale on a "K" and exhale easily with Ahhhh;  vacuum the lungs; do the umbrella; read something out loud to the far wall with full voice.
• Vocal Variety - starting with a full breath, practice reading and/or talking as a "rollercoaster" using peaks and valleys to loosen up your voice;
• Reserve time the night before to work on the speech, but to bed early (do not work on it late into the night)

Presentation:

• Exercise in the morning (walk, gym, bike, to relax yourself)
• Dress one step above the audience (not two) ­ this affects your credibility!
• Dark colors best, but not black; avoid brightly patterned, colored clothes, hats, or dresses that calls attention to themselves and not to you; avoid sexy;
• Walk to the podium - briskly, and with head held high.
• Connect to the audience ­ strong eye contact; movement towards them; questions for them to answer; visual aids; use volunteers; find their interests;
• Posture ­ - Stand tall with hands relaxing naturally by your side.  Assume the "ready" position.  Avoid rocking, leaning, tapping, pacing and slouching.
• Body - Language and Voice - convey your enthusiasm in movement and sound (how you say it is more remembered than what you said!).
• Gesture ­ - Awkward hand gestures make the audience uncomfortable; make gestures large - you cannot over exaggerate your gestures;
• Smile ­ - Find a more pleasant face to use (not fake) that says you like them and yourself; if you can't smile, they can't trust you.
• Eye Contact ­- Sustain it for three to five seconds on one member of the audience.
• Unintentional Messages ­ - Replace "ummms" and "like" and "you know" with pauses that may last 2 to 3 seconds; allow yourself and the audience to think;
• Humor ­ - Avoid telling jokes, but find humor . 

Spice up your presentations by perking up the audience periodically to prevent them from losing interest.  Some common perks: appropriate jokes (that relate!), anecdotes, examples, interesting information (especially trends), tragedy, celebrities, use of props, activities, use of volunteers, love, health, sex, and fear itself ­ all are good for getting back audience interest.

Don't expect to be relaxed while speaking in public if you haven't done the work of preparing for it.  With practice, you eventually develop the good habits of public speaking which will make your preparations easier and improve your effectiveness on your job.