1.The Stress of Public Speaking goes away quickly. Hundreds of my students have learned to speak and tell stories without too much stress. Some of these people were terrified to speak at first. Their knees would shake, their voices would tremble. With just a little practice, they got better. And you will too - FAST! It's not difficult, but it will take a bit of practice and what I call 'immersion'. You just have to do it a number of times in order to feel less stress. It's a bit like diving into cold water at the beginning of the season - once you've been in a couple of minutes, it feels fine! There'll always be 'nerves' - a little nerves proves that you're alive - this keeps you alert during your 'performance'.

2.Two or Three Main points. People remember very few facts speakers convey. While you may choose to include lots of information, you only need to make two or three main points (or tell a few mini-stories). Your audience wants to walk away with one or two key points that will make a difference to them. This also should make your job as a speaker much easier. Think this way - Your audience wants you to SUCCEED! The reality is that they’de rather be where they are, and they’d rather you be at the front.

3.Don't consider yourself a public speaker! Many beginning speakers copy or emulate a favourite speaker. This is a mistake. The best speaker for you is you! I love to speak in public because it's one of the few times I give myself permission to fully be myself in the presence of others. I can tell humorous or poignant stories, or do anything else that feels natural in the moment. When you feel comfortable with this idea, you can even stand up in front of a group of people without any idea how you're going to get across your two or three main points. After a while, you'll settle into some very successful ways of being yourself that will be all yours and no one else's. Trust in your Force.

4.The Value of Humility versus Humour. When you stand up in front of others and show your frailties and mistakes, you create a safe, intimate situation that your audience can relate to. And this helps you connect with them. Being yourself in front of others makes you credible, believable, and paradoxically more respected. It also sets a tone of honesty and self-acceptance. Some presentation teachers suggest to start your presentation with a humorous story or joke. I think that's a poor substitute for being yourself. Good humour is difficult to do well, so it's best left for later in a presentation when you're feeling better and have been able to connect with your audience.

5.Nothing bad will ever happen (well almost never). FEAR (False Expectations Appearing Real) governs our feelings about public speaking. We might risk embarrassment, humiliation even failure. And you know, sometimes I've been embarrassed. But that's been in my mind, not in my audience's mind! You take that chance every time you get up to speak. Comfort yourself with the fact that there are only a few people in any audience who would be willing to do what you are doing.

6.Your audience wants you to succeed. Your audience truly wants you to succeed. In any situation, you are one of only 1% or 2% of any members of an audience that has the courage and training to be up there in front of them. Most of them are scared of public speaking, just like you were once. They feel for you. They will admire your courage. And they will be on your side, no matter what happens. Most audiences are truly forgiving. While a slip of the tongue or a mistake of any kind might seem a big deal to you, it's not very meaningful or important to your audience. Their judgements and appraisals will usually be much more lenient than yours. It's useful to remind yourself of this point, especially when you think you could have performed better.

7.Process versus Content. Being a good public speaker or storyteller is about the PROCESS - how you do what you do rather than what you say - the CONTENT. What this means is that if you're confident, and you know a little about stagecraft, body language and you feel good about your message, this is far more important than delivering the content.