At some point during your business endeavors, you will either "have to", or at least be given the opportunity to, speak to a group of people. Indeed, speaking to local clubs, charities, and events is an excellent way to get your name and brand in front of an audience. However, many of us, including yours truly, are not naturally at home in front of a group of people with the spotlight on us.

While being a bit nervous or anxious is good - it will keep you on your toes - being obviously scared to death is not. If the audience senses that you are overly agitated, you will most likely lose their attention. This is where the old advertising slogan "Never let them see you sweat" is definitely applicable.

So how do you get over this "scared" thing? You probably are not going to like this answer. Like most fears, the best way to conquer - or at least tame - it is to face it head on. In this case, then, the best medicine is to actually speak in front of groups. But James, you say, aren't we going around in circles. Speakers should not show nervousness, but the way to overcome this is to speak in public?

Wow! You catch on fast. That is correct. It is a bit like when you first enter the job market - prospective employers want you to have experience; but of course, to gain experience someone has to employ you.

The trick is, therefore, to become more comfortable speaking to an audience when there is little at stake before you are in a "must perform well" situation. To do this I would recommend that you use every possible opportunity to speak before small groups that may be a little less intimidating to you, such as at your church, informal presentations to very small groups at work, and perhaps serve as a team facilitator where you merely guide the discussion rather than have the responsibility for an actual presentation. You can probably think of other situations where you can "practice" being in front of people.

Other possibilities include joining the local Toastmasters organization, or sigh up for a speech course at your local college. Both of these venues offer the opportunity for you to learn and practice in groups of people with the same speaking objectives as you.

Another suggestion for becoming more comfortable speaking in public - know your material backwards and forwards.

This will give you added confidence. Practice, practice, practice. Stand in front of a mirror while practicing out loud.

Record yourself. Give the talk to your wife and children. However, generally speaking, I do not recommend that you memorize your talk. A memorized talk more often than not comes across like you are reading to the audience, and more importantly, if you are very nervous, you could easily forget the whole thing!

In the next article we will look at the structure of a talk.