14 Things I Wish I Had Known Before I Started Speaking in Public

1. Fear is just a state of mind. Once you conquer your fear, anything is possible. And yes – you CAN conquer that fear of speaking in public!
2. Even though the act of speaking in public looks and feels physical, it’s about 99 percent mental.
3. Passion is more important than technique.
4. Preparation is key to everything. Write, organize, rehearse.
5. In fact, rehearsal is the key to the key.
6. By organizing your points into three main areas, you’re crafting a presentation that will be easily digested by your audience.
7. Everybody writes a particular speech differently. Try new ways: ad-lib all of your ideas into a tape recorder as if you’re presenting the speech; jot down all your ideas on notebook paper; brainstorm with a friend; write all the ideas down and pick out the three key points.
8. You’ll never have a perfect speech. You’ll have good presentations; you’ll have speeches you wish you could have a do-over, but there is always room for improvement.
9. When you’ve delivered a good speech, the feeling you get afterwards is awesome. Especially when several people come up to you after the speech with nice things to say.
10. When you become an accomplished public speaker, the confidence you gain through learning the skill spreads to other parts of your life.
    You can never be too sure about double-checking your AV equipment. And you will be glad when you’re able to deliver a good speech without the ‘crutch’ of the slides if they suddenly fail.
11. The first time you make it through a full speech without notes is a bit of a watershed moment. Big personal growth at this stage.
12. If you speak enough to have your own audio and video gear, you’ll learn to have back-up microphones, extra batteries, maybe even an extra laptop and projector.
13. Everybody is willing to offer ideas and feedback on your speaking; it’s your job to decide what they mean to you.
14. Even though perfection is unattainable, there will be times when you come pretty darn close. And you’ll feel like a million bucks!

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