I’ve just joined Toastmasters. After making work my one and only interest for years, I’ve been testing new hobbies and trying new things.
Tonight is my first speech and I’m nervous.
They say people are more afraid of public speaking than dying but that’s not the case for me. I love speaking and am happy to talk off the cuff anytime. It’s the preparation that scares me.
My talk is in about 5 hours and I haven’t even started making notes. I keep telling myself it’s only 4 minutes but that time can be short or long. I love a tangent and struggle to tell a succinct story.
Maybe the hardest part will be to stick to 4 minutes!
A tip from Toastmasters is not to end with “Thank you”. Apparently the audience should thank me for the information shared. I should finish with my prepared ending and then a simple nod to Mr (or Madam) Toastmaster is sufficient.
Time to go and write that ending…