Everyone who gives speeches regularly has their own way of preparing, from outlines, to memorization, to implementation. Being part of a Toastmasters club for over three years, I have spoken regularly enough to experience many speech preparation techniques. At first I tirelessly rehearsed speeches for hours in front of the bathroom mirror in the hope of becoming a better and more confident speaker. Believe me, practicing in front of the bathroom mirror accomplishes nothing. Unless you consider having a really awkward sounding speech an accomplishment, then yes, practicing in front of the magic mirror on the wall is the path to success. I stopped practicing speeches in the bathroom mirror when I listened to a recording of myself giving a speech. I cannot stress how terrible I sounded. My voice tone and speed variation were really poor with empathy in the most awkward places. After listening to a recording of myself giving a speech, I dreaded my next presentation. The next speech preparation experiment I tried was to procrastinate until the last minute. This isn't a good idea either. A possible side effect of procrastinating on a speech is mini panic attacks and sloppy speech. However, despite much more trial and error and much good advice, I have found a wonderful method. I call it "a great speech for the clumsy and faint of heart." There are some things you absolutely shouldn't do when preparing for a speech. No matter how nervous you are, don't memorize your speech and don't read it word for word, it will sound false and flat. Not even a speech is a recital. On the other hand, unless you're an expert speaker with superhuman powers, doing so without preparation or notes is risky and pretty damn scary. You should… halfway down the sheet of paper, do some confidence-boosting power poses and harness the power of positive thinking. Imagine standing upright and confident, giving a presentation like a true professional, and imagine the sweet sound of applause from the audience following your speech. If you can, get there early and practice getting on stage and walk all the way around the podium if you're nervous about being on stage. By writing and reversing your speech and practicing it on real people instead of in front of a mirror, you can effectively practice giving an engaging, lively speech, regardless of your skill level or experience in public speaking. Just remember "you sound like you practice" and make your practice as good as you want your speech to be. To get more practice giving speeches, consider joining a Toastmasters club or taking a public speaking course to gain more experience.