Open with something special ‘In the last 30 secs rats have eaten…..’

Rehearse your speech again, again

Rehearse in front of a mirror

Smile

Accept that you will be nervous

Have a glass of water ready, and in easy reach

Stand with your feet slightly apart

Open with your hands together, they will soon come apart

Keep your hands above your elbows

Make bold gestures

Before you begin take two or three deep breaths

Adjust the volume of your voice to the venue/ensure the back row can hear you

Practise varying the pitch/volume of our voice

Build pauses into the speech

Use the mirror to practise your gestures

Keep it as simple as the subject allows

Use gesture sparingly to reinforce active words

Look at your audience in general, not in an individual’s eye

Imagine you are talking to a friend

Be sincere

Continually check you body language

Respond positively to interventions

Use language/terms/phrases appropriate to the audience

Ensure opinions sound balanced

Close on a high note

Leave them wanting more