Managing speech anxiety is frequently the first and paramount concern of novice public speakers. Virtually all beginning speakers experience substantial anxiety. Your goal is not to eliminate anxiety but to control it and use it to energize your speaking. Self-defeating thoughts and anxiety-provoking situations trigger speech anxiety. There are many speech anxiety management methods available. The most effective methods include preparing and practicing diligently, gaining proper perspective, and replacing the competitive performance orientation with the noncompetitive communication orientation. Speech preparation also includes topic choice and analysis. The effectiveness of your speech will depend in large measure on the appropriateness of your topic choice. A topic should be appropriate to you the speaker, your audience, and the occasion. Narrow your topic to fit the time allotted by constructing a specific purpose statement. Finally, every speech should be tailored to your specific audience. A speech can be both a tremendous success or a dismal failure depending on the audience. In public speaking, the “one size fits all” approach doesn’t usually work.
