How to Practice Public Speaking

I have a friend that signed up at local amateur nights and did stand-up comedy to conquer his fear... No prior experience!

I think it just comes down to thinking about what you're going to say, and rehearsing before you speak in public. Some good ideas here like writing down stories you can tell in any context

Hey...
There is a good video from steve jobs on youtube that talks about this topic. I found it really usefull.

Due that I don't have the minimum posts to share links here, I can only tell you how i found it
Go to youtube and type in "The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs".

Hope you enjoy it.

Know the needs of your audience and match your contents to their needs. Know your material thoroughly. Put what you have to say in a logical sequence. Ensure your speech will be captivating to your audience as well as worth their time and attention. Practice and rehearse your speech at home or where you can be at ease and comfortable, in front of a mirror, your family, friends or colleagues. Use a tape-recorder and listen to yourself. Videotape your presentation and analyze it. Know what your strong and weak points are. Emphasize your strong points during your presentation.

I just had a presentation last Friday, not much of a crowd, probably less than 100 people, but all inside a corporative environment. So it was definitely a tough crowd. I’ve been doing this for more than 10 years now. The best advice I can give is the logical one: “The less you think about it, the better you will do.”

Here are some pointers:
*Be prepared. - It’ curtail to be sure of the subject and feel you can dominate any aspect of it, you will have no issues.

*Take Control. - Take your time when speaking, articulate properly, send a message early on of what will is going to be the structure of the presentation so they know that you are in control.

Hope this helps.