Did you know that most people fear speaking in front of a group more than death? Yes, that’s right and death seemed to be an option for me when I found out I had to give a speech in front of my class for my final exam. I started sweating bullets as soon as the words were spoken, but I put it all behind me knowing I had 8 weeks before it all happened.

Those weeks seem to fly by, and before I knew it, I had 4 hours, 33 minutes, and 10 seconds left before I was expecting my doom. I contemplated skipping my speech and getting a C in the class because I felt like I just couldn’t do it. When the time came and my number was called, I found that after I got up in class, giving my speech wasn’t too bad. I got a 96% on my speech, instead of getting a C; I got a B+ in the class. All my hard work paid off!

Here are the guidelines I used that you can use the next time you want to get an A in your speech:

1. Eye Contact – Some people have a hard time doing this! But if you’re looking at everything else besides your audience, they’ll know and tune out. Look at her eyebrows instead of her eyes. They won’t know the difference.

2. Feeling of calm and relaxation – Everyone gets butterflies! Especially right before the speech. Take a deep breath, walk or meditate if you can.

3. Vocal energy- Speak up! You need to involve the entire audience. If the back of the room can’t hear you, they won’t pay attention to you, and that can affect the way you speak.

4. Telling stories: As far as I’m concerned, this may be the most important! The audience doesn’t want to be lectured; they want to feel like they are with you on the journey. People love stories!

5. Organization: this is also important, write your main points on cards. Helps you stay on track.

6. Preparation: The best way to prepare is to practice in front of your family and friends. They can give you great feedback and help you improve. Read your speech a couple of times every day so you can familiarize yourself with the subject, but don’t memorize it, you’ll know it so well that you’ll say your speech and say nothing else.

7. Know your audience – Make sure your speech is appropriate for your audience. Find out what they would like to hear.

8. Engage the audience – let the audience ask questions! They will love you for it and improve your speech.

9. Visual Aids – This doesn’t have to be fancy! PowerPoint is a great

visual aid and is easy to use. Be careful not to talk with your visual aid.

Use these 9 points and you’ll get your well-deserved A! Remember to dress appropriately for the hearing and to see that you are not all over the room. Good luck, you can do it!