1. Winston Churchill said it took him six to seven hours to prepare a forty-five minute speech. If you want to be confident, you must know that your message is worthy of the audience, worthy of the occasion, and worthy of you. The time and work are worth it. Your sense of triumph at the end of your talk will come from knowing you worked hard for this moment.

2. First step in gaining confidence is to know your subject. Yes, a good part of Winston Churchill’s six to seven hours was getting to know his subject like an expert. You get to be an expert through study and experience.

3. Speak to your audience. Don’t speak to who you wish you had in your audience, but who you actually do have in your audience. Aim to give something to everyone. If you have people ignorant of your topic and experts, make sure you give something to each.

This is a rerun from 2013 and Sep 5, 2016