Whether it is in school, at work, in clubs or in basic day-to-day activities, the task of giving a speech is practically inevitable. The skill of being able to orally communicate well is invaluable.

For most newcomers, the hardest part of delivering a speech is overcoming one’s nerves. Whether it is speaking in front of a few people or a large group, most people are anxious and uncertain even with practice.

Jill Sprott, the adviser of the Speech Club, has some advice for doing oral presentations.

“When overcoming nerves, first practice. If you practice ahead of time, then the nerves just sort of dissipate. Another thing is to really believe in what you’re saying. I think that if you’re really passionate about your topic, the nerves are still going to be there, but they’re going to be secondary to the topic that you’re talking about,” said Sprott.

Another strength to develop for giving speeches is good articulation and organization.

“It really varies depending on the speaker. It depends on how much time you have to prep for it, but what really helps me is just an outline. It could be a formal outline if you have lots of time. If I am given something to talk about, a trick I use is to immediately start taking notes, jotting down some ideas that I have. In that way, when I present, I have some things to say. I think the worst thing you could do is just sort of tune out what others are saying and not really engage because when you’re so swept up in the conversation, it’s easier to speak than to hear,” said Sprott.

One of the best strengths that a speaker can have is the power to engage and relate to the audience.

“Well, first you’d have to have to know your audience. What a twelfth grade audience thinks is relatable is not what an audience of adults might think. Since you have to know your audience, adapt accordingly. For instance, if it’s peers, then use examples that they would be familiar with. You’re not going to take examples that are really disconnected to their lives. There must be a reality in what you’re trying to talk about.

“At the same time, I think humor, regardless of the audience, is always a good thing. Humor is a good tool to lighten things up. If you have a very intense thing to talk about or a difficult topic to address, a little bit of humor goes a long way towards making your audience hear you. If it’s an argumentative topic, where you have to persuade your audience, again, humor has the ability to make the audience like you even if they don’t agree with you. At least, they’ll listen to you and hear you out,” said Sprott.