Speak with courage : 50 + insider strategies for presenting with confidence / Martin McDermott.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Opening vistas: Fear of public speaking is commonplace ; Even the famous get scared ; Great fear can precede great growth ; Indulge your self-interest ; Big Brother isn't watching you ; All survive, none perish -- Basic strategies: Let fear energize you ; Think of public speaking as a conversation ; Prepare, prepare, prepare ; Ask for a little help ; Hold dress rehearsals ; Familiarize yourself with the speech setting ; Have a backup plan ; Exercise before speaking ; Gain performance experience ; Get some more speech training -- Cogniive strategies: Rethink how you think about speaking ; Focus on the benefits of presenting ; Fear management, not exinction, is the goal ; Take baby steps ; It's all in your head ; Break the boulder into stepping-stones ; Fill in the blanks with sentence-completion exercises ; Demolish fear with implosion therapy ; Try gestalt chairwork ; Shyness is not a crime ; Try the talking cure -- Managing content: Follow your bliss ; Your voice is unique ; Choose your words wisely ; Select ideas that support you ; Snap the pieces into place ; Familiarize, don't memorize ; You must remember this ; Visual aids can be an ally ; Use mental rehearsal -- Stepping onto the podium: People want you to succeed ; Find friendly faces ; Be audience-centered ; Harmonize your voices ; Practice deep breathing ; Stay in the moment ; Dress for speaking success ; Ignore this second-rate advice ; Turn the tables, if needed ; "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" -- Stepping down and looking back: Give yourself approval ; Gaze into the magic mirrors ; See the tree, not the leaves ; Do your best and let it go -- The big picture: You just might change the world ; Dedicate your speech ; Why fear gosts? Speak as a spiritual act ; 100 years from now, will it matter? ; Your life is a speech.

Speak with Courage offers 50+ diverse strategies - class-teste, rhetorical, practical, and fun - that help students at every stage of the speechmaking process, from getting started and choosing a topic to delivering the presentation and learning from the experience.