Fidgeting with something as you speak. Don't bring a pen, paper clip or rubber band with you to the podium. These things inevitably end up in your hands and unconsciously become something for you to play with. Once that begins, the audience will see or think of little else. You should also avoid touching your hair and playing with keys or coins in your pockets. Try to avoid scratching yourself (anywhere) because it really bothers the audience. The same applies to clasping your hands behind your back, swaying back and forth and nervous foot movement.

Trembling. Trembling hands are a common symptom of nervousness. The best place for your hands is generally at your side, but grasping the podium lightly is good way to respond to trembling. Holding note cards or papers only magnifies trembling hands, so put them down and either work without them or glance at them only occasionally. Simple, controlled gestures will help. By gesturing, you dispel nervous energy, engage the audience and help to relax your upper body muscles.

Quivering voice. A strong voice is essential in conveying commitment and sincerity to your audience, and anxiety can weaken your voice to an extent. There are ways to address this issue, but 34 you must be careful not to create other problems as you try to solve this one. Speaking a bit more loudly and deeply is a useful technique to soften a quivering voice, as long as you don't speak too loudly or too deeply. If your voice is too loud, you'll have little opportunity to adjust volume as you move through the speech, and if your voice is too deep, you'll just sound silly.