Most of us have no problems talking; in fact we talk quite a lot, whether it’s a lunch discussion with best friends, a chat during a family get together, we talk with our coworkers, with the cashier at the grocery store and the assistant at the hair salon. It doesn’t matter if we have a hilarious story to tell or want to share sad news, we open our mouth and the words start flying. But as soon as we find out we’re supposed to make a public speech, no matter if it’s addressing a couple dozen of our coworkers or a crowd of complete strangers, the mouth goes dry, knees weak and there is not a single coherent thought in our head. If you’re about to make a public appearance or hope to be making one in the future, get ready for it in advance.

Don’t think that you’ll just step in front of everybody and wing it, because that is not going to happen unless you’re a born public speaker, in which case you wouldn’t get this far. You don’t have to write word for word your whole speech, but note the major points, slogans you can build your appearance on. When writing those points out, make sure you know your target audience and tat you stick to the point, never trying to make too long of a speech unless you’re the keynote speaker, and when they’re ready practice several times in front of a mirror or even a camera, to see if you need to make your slogans more specific for the speech to come out smoother.

Being prepared for a public appearance means not only knowing what you’ll be taking about, but also being physically ready. Wear something comfortable and well fitting, so you don’t have the urge to fix your sleeves in a nervous motion. If you’re a nervous speaker, don’t eat a big meal before your appearance but rather have a low carb bread toast or a granola bar to avoid loud rumbling in your stomach as well as the feeling of nausea. Once you step in front of the people you’ll be speaking to, take a deep breath and smile, and don’t talk at them, but rather speak to them so that they listen to you respectfully and you don’t have to worry about them, just about the sense of your words.