best way to relax before a public speech or important meeting?



Best advice is to practice a lot so you know what your going to say front to back, it's really easy to get a little rattled or screw up and end up skipping a big chunk of your speech. Make sure to keep cue cards that highlight your major points as back up reference.

If you're still nervous have a couple beers.
 
Take a shit in the mall, while drunk on Vodka or Rum. I know it sounds weird, but taking a shit in the mall is very relaxing for me. I put Bach on my play list while I pump logs out.
 
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rZCofcCbc0&feature=related"]YouTube - Police Academy - "Good Speech"[/ame]
 
Some people nervously go through their notes before speaking even though they've already practiced 100 times. If you've practiced and know what you're talking about, have trust in yourself that you have the resources in your mind to deliver the content. The rest is just calming your body and "nerves."

Do this by visualizing your audience giving you the feedback you want from a first person perspective as if you were actually delivering a kick ass speach. See and hear them laughing at your jokes. See the look of epiphanies on their faces and them frantically scribbling notes. Feel that awesome feeling you get when you know you've delivered serious value and people appreciate it. Keep seeing, hearing, feeling (and tasting, smelling if applicable) your ideal outcome and you'll be golden. Loop these images, feelings, sounds until you go on.

This serves 2 purposes. First, before you go on, if you jam up your mental faculties with desirable images, feelings, and sounds, you won't have anything any room for doubt or nervousness. Doing the above should feel good - you can't feel good and fearful at the same time. Second, its effectively the same as a basketball player visualizing a free throw before taking it. Visualization works - just extend the concept to other sensory channels to prepare your mind for the full experience.

any other NLPers on WF?

sonuvabitch.. I should turn that into a ClickBank ebook
 
Know your shit backwards and forwards and do it more often. A lot of people get to the point where it is a good rush.

Showing up for an important meeting smelling like a drunk is sure to impress.
 
also start off confident and assertive. if you can nail the first 30 seconds of the speech/presentation, you're golden.
 
Don't relax, amp up. Go out and do something really stupid, embarrassing, and impulsive. Go to a crowded mall, stand on a bench or something, and start talking about how the world is going to end in 2012. Once you go through that, giving a publich speech will be a walk in the park ;)
 
Don't relax, amp up. Go out and do something really stupid, embarrassing, and impulsive. Go to a crowded mall, stand on a bench or something, and start talking about how the world is going to end in 2012. Once you go through that, giving a publich speech will be a walk in the park ;)

Hmmm I see this actually working in a weird way...
 
I do it all of the time.

Memorize your beginning and end. Don't memorize your whole speech. Make sure it is organized into 3 5 or 10 points. Know the points. Always speak shorter than the amount of time you are given.
 
If you aren't a great public speaker, practice your presentation at least 3 or 4 times. That way, you don't have to come up with stuff on the spot, you already know what you are going to say so it lets you concentrate more on delivery. It's good to be a little nervous. Use that energy to give a better presentation - no one likes a boring speaker.