Worry-Free Ways to
Win Over a Crowd
Would you rather bungee jump off the Golden Gate Bridge than give a speech? Here’s how to get through three public-speaking situations.
| Scenario: | Keep-your-cool trick: |
|---|---|
| A work project | Think small, says Charles di Cagno, director of the Public Speaking–Social Anxiety Center of New York. “Focus your speech on two or three key points, with one example for each.” (A lot to remember = lots of opportunities to mess up.) |
| Asking a question in an assembly or a meeting | Get in and out fast. Ask your question as soon as you can; three minutes of anxiety is better than 30 minutes of stewing. Also, ask loud and proud: “Projecting covers up nervous quivering in your voice,” he says. Just speak as if you were talking to the person farthest from you in the room. |
| A toast | Plan ahead by creating a simple “story” with a beginning, middle, and end, says di Cagno. This approach makes it unlikely that you’ll forget what you want to say. Also include a meaningful anecdote about the person(s) you’re honoring; speaking from the heart ensures that your toast won’t turn into a bad stand-up act. |
