I have to give a Best Man's Speech in a couple of months to 100+ guests. I am not a very good public speaker and suffer badly from nerves (erratic voice, breathing etc etc) Any tips on how to overcome these nerves?

David

Speaking in public is one of the most scary thing hat we have to do. We all get affected by nerves - even very experienced speakers.

One of the biggest things that can help nerves is practice - lots of it. If you have a couple of months then use every possible chance to get up and say something in public. There is a speakers club called Toastmasters that encouranges novices to make speeches. It may also be worth booking yourslef onto a presentation skills class.

As regards the best man speech. Write out the speech as early as you can and start to practice it out loud. Get it word perfect. Try in front of an audience of friends - even try it in front of a video camera. You won't fully overcome your nerves, but your presentation will be better and you will gain more confidence.

Please feel free to drop us a line to let us know how you are getting on

Kind regards