Stage fright is normal: Even the most accomplished speakers suffer from nervousness before a speech. A certain degree of it is actually desirable, because it will urge you toward perfection.Selecting the topic: When a minister was asked to make an impromptu speech before a group of school kids, he asked them what they wanted him to speak about. A little girl asked, ``What do you know''? It is vital to choose a topic you understand and believe in completely, otherwise the speech cannot be delivered with dynamic conviction and spontaneity. It will sound artificial and the audience will soon lose interest. A topical speech on any current event never fails to draw reactions from the listeners.No substitute for preparation: Preparation is the key to an informative, enlightening and well-researched speech. Gather all relevant information on the topic: data, statistics, quotes, anecdotes.Audience analysis: Analyse your audience beforehand as per age, educational, economic and cultural background so that you can angle the speech according to their expectations. Children have a fragile attention span and you should include only lively, amusing matter.Angle your speech: What is the purpose of your speech? What does the audience specifically hope to gain by listening to it? Do you wish to emphasise any particular aspect? Answer these questions and accordingly, sort out all the material you have collected.An effective opening: You win or lose your audience in the first minute. A rhetorical question serves to grab their attention. Stories, anecdotes, quotations or curious facts are all successful opening strategies. Of course, they must be closely related to the topic.First draft: Are you unable to make sense of the enormous mass of information you have before you? Begin by writing a rough outline of the speech on the basis of the five questions: what, where, why, when and how? This is a convenient way to eliminate unnecessary details.Main body: Long drawn sentences are hard to follow for any audience. So keep them short and simple.Pack it with dynamic information, latest trends, amusing snippets and everything that will assert and emphasise your point. Take a definite stand and defend it throughout.In conclusion: It has to be memorable, for it is probably what the audience will remember the longest. Conclude forcefully but not aggressively. Introduce no new points toward the end for the audience interest may have waned.Final revision: Rewrites are a must till you are completely satisfied that you have done justice to the main point, effectively described all relevant facts without undue emphasis on the minor ones, corrected all grammatical errors and dealt with all the questions the audience may have in mind.Practicing delivery: An excellent speech can be an utter failure if poorly delivered. Practice till you are thoroughly familiar with it. Reading it will alienate you from the listeners; you might as well mail copies to them. While practicing, mark it for pauses, high or low tone, and mood. If you memorise it you are only asking for trouble. Say it before the mirror, with expressions, till it seems effortless.The D-day: Choose an appropriate, subtle outfit, that shows you in the best light and which you are at ease. Eat a light meal an hour earlier. Avoid aerated drinks.How to relax: Arrive an hour earlier to get a feel of the stage. Converse with the other speakers and organisers. Practice deep breathing, inhaling and exhaling to the count of four.Poise: Crossing your hands in the front or back looks awkward. Jingling coins, fiddling with the keys, or shoving your hands in the pockets gives the impression that you would rather be elsewhere.Stand well-balanced on both feet, arms ahead, slightly bent, free to gesticulate. Eye contact with a hostile audience forces them to give you their attention and forges a temporary bond.Understanding body language: If the listeners sit up, lean forward or nod in approval, then you have won them over. Crossed arms, frowning, scratching or fidgeting spell trouble. A successful speaker speaks with the audience, not without it.Timing: `One thing a speaker should remember for sure, the mind can absorb only what the seat can endure.' Do not ramble. Let your speech fit snugly in the time allotted to you.Ensure that you do not lose energy or enthusiasm as the speech progresses. Nor should you begin lethargically and muster up courage with time. Make optimum use of the limited time to make a lasting impact.Lastly, brevity is the watchword of a successful public speaker.
