1. Know your material well and rehearse out loud with any equipment you plan to use. Practice your speech to control filler words and allow time for pauses or the unexpected. 2. Greet audience members as they arrive to make them feel more like friends than strangers. Address the audience to calm your nerves before beginning your speech. 3. Visualize yourself giving a confident speech and imagine the audience clapping to boost your confidence. Focus on your message, not your anxieties, and gain experience speaking to continue building confidence over time.