Your blood is racing. Your body is sweating. Your face is turning red. This is it. I’m ready to die, you decide.

But it’s too late to back out. And trust me, you’re being overdramatic. This is no life-threatening situation. You’ve just been given the chance to give a speech in front of your class.

What are you most afraid of? The Book of Lists says the most common answer to that question is “Speaking before a group.” People are less afraid of heights, insects, money problems, deep water, sickness—even death!

Relax! Public speaking is not that bad. It’s certainly better than death. You can do this.

Being able to speak in front of a group is important. Overcome the fear and you’ll perform better on oral reports and presentations; you’ll be more prepared if you choose to go to college, where you’ll likely do even more speaking—and your future success in a career will be significantly boosted by good communication skills. It’s worth the extra effort now.

Listen. Let me talk you through this.

Yes, you’ll be singled out in front of the group. Deal with it! It won’t last long. Nervousness is natural—even good. Mentally turn that energy into excitement. Don’t think so much about yourself—think of the audience, think of what you can give them. You’re still part of the group; they just want to hear what you have to say.

That’s right—you’re going to have to think of some things to say. Don’t worry. I’ll give you some pointers. There are some things you’ll want to do, and a few you’ll want to avoid.

You might not believe this now, but with some thought and preparation, you just might find yourself on the other side of this speaking opportunity thinking it was just a little bit fun.

The Perfect Topic

So—what should you talk about? The first thing to do is to pick a subject you enjoy. What are your interests? What have you always wanted to learn more about? If you are excited about your topic, you’ll feel more at ease talking about it, and your audience will be more interested too.

Next, narrow down that topic. I guarantee you it’s too broad for your speech. The biggest pitfall to avoid is having a purpose that is too big or too fuzzy. Rather than tackling a huge subject like “Clothing,” focus on an interesting detail of that subject—something specific, vivid and electric: “The Pantleg War—Bell Bottom vs. Tapered” (weird example, I know—but you get the point). In other words, give your audience a lot about a little, rather than a little about a lot.

Once you have your specific purpose, write it out in a “specific purpose statement,” or sps. Make it clear, short and punchy—15 words or less. “Today I’ll explain what a grizzly bear does when it hibernates.” You’re going to want to say your sps toward the beginning of your speech so everyone knows what you plan to accomplish. That’s actually one of the nicest, most helpful things you can do for an audience.

Put Some Meat on Your Bones

Now, how will you fulfill your purpose? The main part of your speech is the body. This is where you’ll spend most of your preparation time.

The most important part in preparing a speech is to read about and think about your topic. Get educated so you know what you’re talking about, and get creative so you can bring some originality to the subject. Gather more information than you’ll need, so you can choose the best and liveliest.

Now your speech has some meat to it! But realize: Without bones, your body would be a helpless heap of organs and muscles. The same is true of your speech: It helps to have a skeleton, or outline, of the important points you want to make.

Home in on two or three main points that support your specific purpose, and build the body of your speech around those. This will prevent you from just dumping a truckload of unrelated information on your audience.

Back up each point with support and proof. If your speech is about three basic baseball pitches, then after naming a specific pitch demonstrate the handhold on the ball and how it will travel toward home plate. Keep it simple, easy to understand. And make sure everything you say helps fulfill your sps.

In the end, the outline of your speech body would look like this:

a. Point—support

b. Point—support

c. Point—support

The points are the bones. The support is the muscle.

Make Your Sales Pitch

Your speech isn’t quite finished. First you’re going to have to use some salesmanship.

You need an attention-grabbing introduction and a snappy conclusion. You’ll probably be most remembered for what you say first and last, so don’t overlook these elements.

Start with a question, a story, a quotation, a joke—something that puts you at ease while drawing people in and setting the stage for your subject.

End by first reviewing your key points. Then, give a summarizing quotation, an appeal for action, a circular reference back to your introduction—something memorable that will slap a nice bow on your whole package.

Now your speech has all the elements in place. Your basic outline is:

1. Attention getter

2. sps

3. Body

a. Point—support

b. Point—support

c. Point—support

4. Snappy conclusion

Your speech is like a new jet plane, just off the assembly line. It’s pretty—but it’s going nowhere until you get in and take it for a ride.

It’s time to deliver your speech.

You’re Not Going to Die

You can do it. You talk all the time. You tell stories. You relate things that interest you. This isn’t much different.

Above all, be natural and sincere. Delivery that draws attention to itself is a handicap—either too dramatic or too reserved. Let your natural personality radiate. Allow your enthusiasm for the subject to shine. This is more valuable than bucketfuls of polish and professionalism.

Practice helps. Delivering your speech makes you more familiar with it. Try it into a tape recorder (you may hear that you need to speak louder or enunciate more clearly). Try it in front of a mirror (you may see that you need to smile, loosen up, or gesture occasionally). Deliver it to your dog (he will love it). Deliver it to your family (they can give you valuable encouragement and suggestions).

For added punch, I recommend memorizing your sps so you can deliver it without looking at your notes. Then, practice extra, even memorize, your intro and conclusion. Again—this is what people will remember. Start strong and end strong.

Now look. The speech is solid. The bugs have been worked out. You’re ready. You’re confident! What did I tell you?

It’s time to take the energy from those butterflies in your belly, walk into that room, and let ’er rip!