How to Give a Speech Without Getting Nervous

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Practice in front of small groups of supportive friends.

   Gather a group of people together who you trust to give you solid, constructive feedback.
   
   Be sure to invite in people you know who have a background in public speaking.
   
   Give your speech in front of them and then leave time afterwards for questions and comments.
   
   Repeat this process with new groups of people and then compare the comments that you’ve received.
   
   Make any necessary adjustments and continue practicing.Think about people you know who have to give speeches or presentations on a regular basis.
   
   Ask them for their input and advice as you prepare.
   
   Practicing in this way will also help you to become desensitized when speaking in front of groups of people.
   
   Do it often enough and it will become habit and nothing to worry about.
   
   You can also join a local group, such as Toastmasters, to work on your skills.
   
   Or, you can even take a public speaking course at a local college or recreation center.
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   Step 2: Spend more time practicing your intro.

   For every time that you practice your speech, run through your introductory section just one more time.
   
   Really concentrate on getting comfortable with the first 30-60 seconds of your talk.
   
   Go over the intro in your mind each night before bed.
   
   This will make it less likely that you’ll stumble over it during the final talk.Expect that your anxiety level will drop significantly after you’ve completed your introductory remarks and this will help you to relax for the rest of your talk. , Get a small camera and go find a room that is similar to the one that you’ll be speaking in.
   
   Set up your camera and record yourself giving your full speech.
   
   Try to recreate the final scenario as closely as possible, minus the audience.
   
   It even helps if you dress the part.
   
   Then, go back home and review the tape to see where you can improve.For example, you may find that you speak way too fast at the start of your speech.
   
   This is fixable by simply concentrating on slowing down early on. , Try to gain access to the space that you will be using for your speech.
   
   Being familiar with the room will make you more comfortable for your final talk.
   
   Walk around the room and take a seat to get an audience member’s perspective.
   
   Go to the front and check out whether you’ll have a podium to use and if any of the set-up needs to be adjusted for height or movement.It is especially important that you check out the technology, such as the computer and projection screens, to make sure that they are functioning properly and compatible with any equipment that you’ll bring along.If you cannot look at the space well beforehand, try to arrive a little early for your speech and check everything out at that time. , If you find that you are crippled by your nerves in front of audiences, you might want to make an appointment to meet with a therapist.
   
   You can work together to decide if you are suffering from social anxiety disorder (SAD), which may require both therapy and a medicated approach.
   
   A therapist might also put you in touch with a support group.If social anxiety is not an issue, a therapist can also help you overcome a phobia of public speaking.
   
   A therapist or speech pathologist may also be able to work on treating public-speaking-induced speech disorders, if you suspect you suffer from such a problem.
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   Step 3: Film your practice sessions.

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   Step 4: Check out the space in advance.

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   Step 5: Talk with a therapist.

Detailed Guide

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