If the prospect of making a speech causes you to panic, do not fear. Taking the time to actually learn about public speaking can help to fill you with the confidence you need to get past your fear. Keep reading for more information.

You cannot speak in public and believe that people will automatically follow what you are saying. You need to make an effort to get and keep their attention. You will need to use multiple tactics to keep their attention.

Utilize a timer so that you know the true length of the speech. This gives you the opportunity to make edits so you can fit within your allotted speaking time. If you find that your speech is very short, consider beefing it up with a little research. Finally, never rush during a speech.

Do your best to memorize your speech. Once you can recite your speech from memory at any point of day, then you can work on delivery. By memorizing your speech ahead of time, it also gives you confidence to ad lib parts of it while you are on stage.

Make eye contact with your audience as much as you can. While it can be easy to get distracted by other things around you, don’t! If you want to engage your audience, you need to give them all of your attention.

After you have memorized the broad strokes of your speech, practice often. This is the time where you can perfect the speech with effective changes. Also master breathing and pace. Leave a little bit of open space in case you’re interrupted, hopefully by a round of applause. If you can, go over your speech where you will be delivering it.

Do your homework on the topic you are presenting on. This will help you to become more comfortable. Make sure that you understand each of the key points. It will be worth it when you find the audience asking questions.

Gain an understanding of the audience. Look to see if you know anyone in the audience. Greet your audience when they walk through the door. Having a feeling of familiarity with some audience members can make the whole presentation or speech feel more friendly.

Dress well, even if you are speaking to a casual crowd. Dressing up a little will help to give you confidence. When possible, men should wear a tie since it leads an audience to look at their face and head making them focus on your speech.

Take the time to fully understand your material if you hope to give a great speech. Select a topic of real interest to you in which you have deep knowledge. Stay conversational while delivering your speech. Use your knowledge to impress your audience.

Try to lure the audience to your side before even starting your speech. Smile and shake the hands of people if you can. They will become more intrigued by your material.

To help your speech make a big impact on your audience members, do what you can to make the ending memorable. Of course your whole speech is important, but your ending is what will help make it memorable. Do not end with something boring so you can stay memorable.

Even when nervous, never apologize. Chances are, your audience doesn’t even notice. Just correct any mistake and don’t apologize.

Keep your voice clear and sharp when delivering. If you can manage it, try to keep a water glass nearby while you speak. Do not drink milk or soda on the day on which you are making your speech. These drinks could decrease your saliva production and may create more mucous. A caffeine free tea will ease your tension and relax your voice.

Visual Aids

Don’t over do the visual aids. These aids should only be used to help illustrate key points as an enhancement. You don’t need to overwhelm your speech with them. Make sure the visual aids are high quality. This will help to keep your speech fun and enticing.

Imagine the upcoming speech you have to do. Visualization will help you to keep a positive mindset. When you imagine yourself doing this you can increase your confidence.

Don’t make your audience wait to ask questions at the end of the speech. People might forget important questions. Give your audience the time they need for questions, and consider offering opportunities for them throughout your speech.

Never just “wing it” when it comes to giving an important speech. Regardless of your knowledge base, doing so is sure to end in disaster. It may be possible for you to deliver a speech that is fair to middling. But, you are surely going to have regrets about the things you leave out.

Begin with a story to help your audience connect with you. Do this by thinking of something others can relate to such as something personal in your own life or a current event. Adding a human element to your subject matter appeals to audience members’ empathy and their desire to understand. When creating your story, avoid offensive or inappropriate anecdotes.

Most people would prefer to do pretty much anything than speak in public. There are methods that you can follow to combat your fear. Try the tips found here, and you’ll feel a lot more comfortable down the line.