Best Man Speech: Conquer Your Fear

Many dread talking to an audience. Go back to the time when you were a student in grade school. You probably first experience an awful feeling when the instructor called out your name a few times. He wanted you to give an answer to some question. Everybody seems to be staring at you and all you can hope to do is not goof up and look like a fool.

You try hard to stay in control, even though you can feel your heart pumping rapidly. As you speak, you can't help yourself from stuttering. You notice you are repeating yourself or you give the answer quickly. Once your moment is over, you still feel a bit shaky.

You've been out of school for years, but the fear of speaking in public is something that remains. Somehow, you have to get those jitters under control. That's because you realize the best man speech is very important and you don't want to mess it up.

Can you ever eliminate the fearful feelings you have when you know you have to speak to a group?

This sounds like strange advice, but to conquer your fear of speaking to an audience, you have to just do it and do it often. After a few times in the spotlight, you'll start to realize your fear or the bad things that might happen when you speak, doesn't. You find out that the audience isn't out to get you. Instead, they are supportive.

However, before you make that best man speech, you might not have many opportunities to practice speaking to an audience. The second best solution is to practice in your "mind's eye." Visualize yourself making your speech and doing it well. If you can't concentrate on that image, then you'll need to practice in front of a friend or relative who will give you constructive feedback.

Don't wait until the last moment to get your speech written. If you get it done early, then you'll remove some of the pressure on the wedding day. You may carry notes with the key points of your speech to reduce your fear that you might forget to say something.

You might want to get to know a few of the other people in the wedding party. The fact that you are familiar with who will be in the audience may help put you at ease.

As you speak to the audience, stay focused on the groom and the bride. Don't let stray thoughts about how you are doing distract you from delivering your message.

Being the best man and giving the best man speech and wedding toast is an experience you'll look back upon with pride. Your feelings of anxiety will disappear once you finish your speech and what will replace it is a feeling of exhilaration.

Copyright (c) 2006 by Leroy Chan