That evening my symptoms included blindness, perspiration, accelerated heart beat and dry mouth. When I opened my mouth to speak I said my entire speech backwards (or so I thought). It was the longest one minute of my life. I thought I was going to pass out right there in front of everyone. After I was finished I walked back to my table, checked my armpits for sweat rings (they went right through my navy blue suit) and when I sat down I began to explain to my peers what had just happened. To my amazement my peers had no idea that I was so nervous and they advised that they did not notice anything out of the ordinary.

In this booklet, I will help you become a better public speaker. I will review the importance of having a stellar introduction and conclusion and how to make that happen. I will review the ABCs of public speaking, which are: Approach, Attitude, Audience, Big, Bold, Brief, Concise, and Creative. I will review the two main types of speeches: informative and persuasive and how to write them effectively. Lastly, I will review the importance of preparation and practice. I cannot stress this last sentence enough – preparation and practice are key to an effective speech.

This eBook is an introduction to the concepts that are essential to develop your public speaking skills. Most of us enter the workforce or college without any formal training in public speaking, so if you have a fear of public speaking it is perfectly rational. For most people this is simply the fear of the unknown. It is tough to stand up in front of a group of people and present a speech if you have never learned anything about public speaking or speech writing.