Have you ever avoided a career or business opportunity because it required you to speak publicly? Did you ever have a great idea you wanted to share in a group setting but didn't because of your fear of speaking in front of a group of people? You are not alone in the fear of public speaking. I have seen where the fear of public speaking have kept otherwise very successful people in all walks of life from achieving their full potential. When you let this fear dominate your life, you lose out on promotions, business opportunities, community activities, and most of all self-confidence. Here are 30 Strategies to Make Public Speaking Less Stressful * Public Speaking * Do Homework on Your Topic * Pick a Topic That Everyone Will Relate To * Do a Practice Session * Practice Your Speaking Voice * Relax Before Giving the Speech * Have a Good Meal Beforehand * Avoid Alcohol * Be Well Rested * Develop Eye Contact with Your Audience * Be Sure to Show a Warm Personality * Don't Talk too Fast * Speak as if Talking to Friends * Don't Blank Out if You Make Mistakes * Add or Edit Material While Your Speak * Add Some Humor When Necessary * Consider Visual Aids * Be Prepared to Handle Technical Mishaps * Continue to Connect with Your Audience During the Visual Aids * Control Your Bodily Movements * Present Emotion When Necessary * Avoid Throwing in Overly Casual Words * Engage the Audience by Doing a Q&A * Meet with People Afterward * Record Your Speech So You Can Review * Continue to Work on Conquering Fears * Focus on the Positives of Your Speech * Avoid the Idea That the Speech was a Major Hurdle * Set Up Another Speech as Soon as You Can * Consider Public Speaking to be a Conversation with an Audience * Always Have a Powerful Ending