I am such a bad Public Speaker?
928718
You never know what you can do until you try to put your all into it.  First of all \n\nBELIEVE IN YOURSELF...SHOW CONFIDENCE....NO ONE WILL BELIEVE IN YOUR MESSAGE IF YOU DON"T BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.  I recently started speaking, it was my first time two years ago, I  practiced.... I had to speak in order to pass my college classes...I GOT A 98 on an Anatomy Presentation\n\nBut I practiced, practiced, practiced, knew my message inside out, no one could ask a question about  my subject Strabismus and throw me off guard.\n\nNow I recite poetry, and even minister at church\n\nAND I WAS BETTER THAN I EVEN DREAMED....AND AFTER SPEAKING AND BEING ABLE TO DO IT SO WELL, I FOUND OUT I ENJOYED IT , AND FOUND OUT PEOPLE ENJOY HEARING ME SPEAK\n\nKNOW WHAT YOU"RE TALKING ABOUT-SO YOU CAN BE PERSUASIVE....\nNever let anyone catch you off guard, and don't appear to be confused yourself\n \nLET PEOPLE EXPERIENCE YOUR PASSION FOR LAW THROUGH YOU SPEAKING!!! \nYOU CAN DO IT!!!!!   RELAX, wipe that sweat from your palms and take control!\n\nYou can start out by looking over the audience, like towards a back wall, and it'll appear as though your're looking at the audience build up your confidence,\nfind a face that you feel comfortable with, look for attentive people.  That should put you in control.  Giving presentations is all about being in control, you demand everyone's attention, and it's your moment to shine.
53478
I am the WORST joke teller, but what I do know is that if you have a really good one, ya gotta practise your presentation and timing
197480
The best way to be confident about what you speak is knowledge and passion. Forget about planned speeches. Know the subject you're going to speak about, "do your homework" so to speak, and maybe make a few note cards. Find something about which you have to speak that you can feel passionate about. I used to be terribly shy as well, but after a while, it came into perspective: what does it matter how people think about your public speaking? Many of them are probably as nervous as you are. Just do it. Don't overthink it; you'll just make yourself panic.
285985
Maybe you should go to a speech therapist or speech pathologist.  Could be a stuttering issue.  I had a cousin who stuttered.  she would open her mouth but nothing would come right out.  go see someone who specializes in speech.
1067446
i think you need to learn to talk properly, sounds so uneducated.
679571
Start, if you can, by convincing yourself that the speech is more important to you than your self, than the possibility of some kind of humiliation from a poor performance. Convince yourself that you are going to say things that represent your best thinking and feelings. This can be done no matter what the subject is, but it may require considerable thought.  Then it will be more important to give the speech than how well or poorly you give it. After you have convinced yourself of this, so that you accept and don't fear what may happen as much as you did before, start working hard to improve how you will deliver it. Give it out loud to yourself and work on your voice until it sounds as relaxed and resonant as you can make it. Work hard on this, and even slight gains will give you more confidence. Work on phrases that come easily to you and modify the words accordingly. If you can, commit the entire thing to memory, but at least be able to get through each idea in sequence. Try to see yourself in relation to your audience. What do you want to convince them of? What information do you have that is important for them to understand? Do you want them to feel some way about what you will say?   \n\nWhat it boils down to is to have something to say that you believe in, keep a sense of making sure your message is getting across, make it as short as it can be made without losing the main points and sit down when you have made your points. If you do this preparation, you will have a reasonable chance of bringing it off quite well, and the probability of doing fairly well no matter what happens.
272951
Its just a fear of being watched by all those people (the audience) I still dont like public speaking and find it hard to not get tongue tied. It could be you're just shy and u just have to keep trying to overcome it. Talk in front of people u dont know maybe on a smaller scale it might make u feel more confident about being on a stage.
757942
Practice! Practice LISTENING to people and really hearing what they say. Seem very interested. Most people really want to talk, so be a wonderful listener.
698666
You must have a few things your interested in.. Go to a group, and be around others that share that interest.. Just listen at first, but once in a while, share something with them.. If you can't make yourself share, do this in the mirror at home. See yourself in the group, and something comes up that you know something about and you enthusiastically say it, quite loud.. Do it, see it all by yourself. Then go out and re-play your "acting," in real life. This will work !
896533
Learn from the professionals and gain some inspiration.\n\nOnline Speech Bank\n\nIndex to and growing database of 5000+ full text, audio and video (streaming) versions of public speeches, sermons, legal proceedings, lectures, debates, interviews, other recorded media events, and a declaration or two.\n\nhttp://www.americanrhetoric.com/\n\nhttp://www.americanrhetoric.com/speechbank.htm\n\nhttp://yahooligans.yahoo.com/school_bell/social_studies/history/speeches/\n\nhttp://www.popgoeslethal.com/orationreadalouds.html\n\n\nSpeechTips\n\nThis is a very good site with very easy to follow step by step instructions.\n\nSpeechTips.com Your free guide to speech writing and public speaking for eulogies, graduations, best man, father of the bride and any other public speaking engagement.\n\nhttp://www.speechtips.com/index.html\n\nhttp://www.speechtips.com/preparation.html\n\nFREE Articles on Public Speaking\n\nThis site has so many tips that I was unable to pick any, you will need to see for yourself and see which, if any are useful to you.\n\nhttp://www.public-speaking.org/public-speaking-articles.htm\n\nThis site seems OK but once again see what is useful.\n\nhttp://members.shaw.ca/toasted/services.htm\n\nI liked this one.\n\nThe fear of speaking to a group of people is one of the most common forms of social phobia. Here are several suggestions for working with this fear.\n\nhttp://www.rpeurifoy.com/anxiety/pubspeak.htm\n\nPublic speaking do's and don't's\n\nhttp://www.lifehacker.com/software/feature/public-speaking-dos-and-donts-161531.php\n\nGood luck.\n\nKevin, Liverpool, UK.
108132
I would probably want myself to be a lot less quiet. I have probably missed out on countless friendships, relationships, etc. just because I can't summon up the strength to do so. Plus, I don't usually feel very compelled to speak. I have been getting better at making conversation with people lately, but I'm still very quiet in general...
386733
If your friend really wants to and desires to be a public speaker,then practice,practice,practice will better him.Yes,he will get nervous and stutter possibly,but the more you practice,the better he will get,and eventually he will get over his nervousness.I used to HAVE TO,get up and make public reports in High School,and then in College,and was sooooooooooo scared and nervous,but as i've gotten older,i've grown out of that fear of speaking my mind,anywhere,any time,which it is a freeing thing for me,as i used to be EXTREMELY SHY,now i'm as bold as a lion,and i dont do public speaking for a living,i just grew out of my shy,nervous shell that's all.
244668
I've had to do a lot of public speaking events, and like most Americans, i would have preferred death. one thing i learned, to make it easier, is never look at the entire group at once. Only look at one person, or two, at a time. Then, it's just like having a normal conversation. it make it seem less overwhelming. Also, don't try and memorize what you want to say. Have a very BARE outline, of points you want to cover, then speak to each one as you go down the list. trying to remember EVERYTHING you want to say, not only will confuse you, but if you miss something, you'll throw yourself off. remember, they don't KNOW what your going to say, so if you mess up, they don't know. Last, but probably most important, never apologize. You lose all credibility when you start out with "I'm sorry, this is my first....". i wish you the best of luck!!!
46855
practice and know what you are going to say. The more confidentand comfortable you are, the easier it is to speak in public. \n\nremember almost everybody - even the smoothest of speakers has some anxiety when talking in public - it is only natural.
478605
Public Speaking Terrifying?\n\nIn our Western culture we are so much used to criticism as kids that we believe we will be treated like this for the rest of our lives. This does not have to be that way.\n\nAs public speakers we have to prepare well for the presentation. We have to adapt the topic and the content of our presentation to the interest of our audience. Our first sentence has to get their attention.\n\nHo to get their attention?\n* We have to talk loud enough to he heard.\n* Our first sentence should be a bit provocative or funny to get the attention of our audience.\n\nExample\nFor retired people we may choose a topic like "How Can You Stretch your Retirement Income to Live in Luxury?" We can assume that there are quite a few retired people who would like to learn more how this can be done.\n\nThe first sentence after the greeting then may be, "How many of you are retired? How many of you would like to have more luxury in their life? Let's see how this could be done!" We can assume that now we have the attention of most in the audience. They want to know if and how they can live with more luxury! The speaker may give descriptions of what luxury means, a hot tub at home, cruises, vacations to the grandchildren etc.\n\nPreparations\n* I find it easiest to prepare a set of images, either slides or overhead transparencies. This way one can set up the entire presentation ahead, and when one gets distracted or is nervous, the images guide to the next sentences and what to say.\n\nPreparing details\n* I also prepare a list of the images I want to present (in case someone drops the box of slides or the stack of transparencies and thus disturbs their proper order). I make a simple sketch of each image so that I know ahead what the next image is and can state some guiding sentences. I add some key words to the list with each image so that I remember what to say under all circumstances. This makes presentations really easy!\n\nBeing on time\n* The speaker must be on time, best appear before the talk starts to make sure that everything is correctly set up and helpers know what is expected of them. Nothing is worse than keeping the audience waiting!\n\n* I take care not to go over the set time for the talk. Some people have made plans for the time after the talk and may want to leave. I want to honor their plans. A punctual ending prevents a breakup atmosphere at the end of the talk.\n\nExample\nWhen a famous speaker came to a certain city, I wanted to experience her style first hand. I traveled to the city for her evening talk and found my way to the hotel of the event. A huge room was prepared for hundreds of people to show up. I was early and sat down far in front. More and more people came finding places all over the large room. Finally it was starting time, yet, the room was only filled to a forth or fifth of its capacity. No appearance of the speaker, although it was known that she was in the hotel. A long time passed, nothing, more time passed, nothing. Finally, some helpers asked everybody in the back of the room to move to the front so that two thirds of the room could be closed off. This action took some time and when this was done there was more waiting. I wondered when I would be home having a 2-3 hour drive! Finally the "gracious lady" come fluttering in, sitting on a high chair on the stage, looking down at her audience. There was no apology for the delay! Some also knew that the one she treated as her "butler" was her partner in life and father of her son. It was known that she would appear late on purpose, as to make herself more important.\n\nWhat impression does one get from a speaker like this woman? That this speaker has a lot of issues to work out and she may not be the preferred advisor for one's own life as who she liked to represent herself. Honesty and humbleness are great virtues for a Speaker.\n\nNo absolutes\n* I see the audience as my friends and have l
579716
Start with "If I could just say a few words..... I'd be a better public speaker!"
826908
Might be a tie, but I think I confuse others more--by talking too fast.  I [usually] know what I'm trying to say but am often met with blank looks because my wordsslurredtogether.  ;)