Most people will have to give a public speech at some point in their lives. But a majority of people say that they dread the thought of speaking to an audience. So you need to learn to conquer that fear. The tips below can help you do just that and give a speech to be proud of.

Never drink before you have to speak in public. People under the influence tend to slur their words or forget them altogether. You may go up to podium and think you have everything under control only to realize you were incorrect. That is why you should skip drinking any type of alcohol.

Make eye contact with your audience members. Doing so makes them feel as if you are speaking directly to them and helps keep them engaged. It also makes you appear confident and poised. Look at various members of the audience as you speak to help engage as many of them as possible.

No matter what kind of mistake you make, simply forge ahead. If you stop abruptly to backtrack to the missing section, the whole speech might be compromised. Also, your audience probably won’t notice you omitted anything, unless you draw attention to the fact.

If you are nervous when you first stand up to speak, there are a couple of things you can do. Either choose a person toward the center of the audience to focus on or focus on a point at the back of the room. An EXIT sign is a good choice. This will help calm your nerves.

Avoid fidgeting when speaking in front of an audience. Playing with your hair, chewing on your nails and other similar behaviors serve to distract the audience from listening to what you have to say. Instead of remembering your message, they may remember that you continually smoothed your hair. If you find it difficult to stop fidgeting, clasp your hands together in front of you or behind you, or place them on the lectern.

When asked to speak at a wedding, you may be tempted to try some sort of funny patter or to poke fun at the participants. Even when your intentions are good, this can be hurtful. It is better to speak in a friendly, caring and supportive way at this important event.

If you will be speaking for a long time, be sure to have a glass of water handy on the podium. It is also a good idea to have a stool behind the podium so you can perch occasionally if you get too tired. Wear comfortable shoes so that you will be able to concentrate on your speech rather than your feet.

As you can see, there are many methods and tricks to help you overcome a fear of public speaking. You need to find the ones from above to help you deal with whatever aspect of public speaking bothers you the most. So take the hints from above and use them to give the best speech that you can.