Part 1: Getting the Skills You Need

There are more and more opportunities out there for libertarians to speak about our ideas.

Probably the best single advice I can give anyone who wants to be a good public speaker -- or for that matter, anyone who wants to be a good one-on-one communicator -- is to join Toastmasters.

You've probably heard about Toastmasters. But you may not be aware of all it has to offer and how it works.

All you have to do to find out more is to call Toastmasters and ask for the locations of the clubs nearest to you. (Check your phone book's white pages, or visit their Web site.) You can visit a club as many times as you like, for free, but the benefits really begin when you make the commitment and join a club.

Incidentally, if you go to one club's meeting and don't like it, try another club. There are clubs all around, and each has its own "personality." There's one for you. The benefits are tremendous. You learn proven, tested, tried-and-true speaking techniques. You learn how to adapt those techniques to your own style. You have the opportunity to practice in a safe, supportive environment. You get fabulous feedback with specific suggestions for improvement. You learn from watching and listening to more experienced speakers. And you learn how to listen and give feedback to others.

In addition to teaching you speaking skills, your Toastmasters club will also offer you leadership and organizational training. And you will also find your one-on-one communication skills improve, too. Not only will you be able to present libertarian ideas more effectively, you might find -- as so many others have -- your performance at work improving as well. What a deal!

Toastmasters can make a profound difference in your life. I have seen people start out literally terrified or totally inept, and then -- in a matter of only a few months -- blossom into to competent, confident and effective speakers.

There's a great and growing need for effective libertarian speakers. It requires some commitment and effort, but the payoff is well worth it. I can't say too much about this super organization. Give it a try. It works!

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Part 2: Getting Past the Fear

So you've decided to be a public speaker for liberty. Congratulations! We need more people like you.

If you find yourself nervous about the idea, you're not alone. You know how deer freeze in their tracks when they see headlights? Well, rumor has it that it's not because they're afraid of cars -- it's because they think the light is a spotlight and they're expected to give a speech.

It may be normal to be nervous before making a speech, but you needn't be frozen by fear. Here are a few tips that will help control nervousness:

1. Plan your speech. Outline the speech in advance. Then try writing out your entire speech and reading it out loud to see how it sounds before you begin learning it.

2. Time your speech. Know the time allotted for you, and make sure you don't go over the time limit. Allow extra time for audience response, particularly if you're using humor, and give yourself time to pause if you lose your place.

3. Practice, practice, practice. Give your speech in front of a mirror. Record your speech and play it back to yourself so you can assess your progress.

4. Take deep, slow breaths and relax as much as possible before it's your turn to speak.

5. Let your nervousness work for you. If you pay attention to the physical effects of nervousness you'll notice that they are very similar to the physical effects of excitement. Tell yourself you're excited!

6. Visualize yourself giving a great speech and your audience enjoying and benefiting from it.

7. Be ready. Look forward to sharing your thoughts with others. Remember that you have something valuable to say. The more prepared you are, the better you'll feel, because nothing destroys nervousness better than confidence.

8. Take the plunge! Experience will prove to you that you can succeed.

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Part 3: Holding your Audience's Attention

Now that you've learned to overcome -- or at least work around -- the fear of public speaking, you want to make sure you hold your audience's attention. You want to keep your speech interesting.

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Important: research shows that the average adult attention span is about 30 seconds. What this means is that every 30 seconds or so their attention will wander. So it's up to you to get their attention and keep it. Here are a few tips for doing this:

1. Grab their attention from the beginning by starting with a provocative or surprising statement.

2. Use humor. Everyone loves a good laugh. Caveat: always make sure your humor is not at anyone else's expense and is not in any way off-color. (However, if you're not comfortable using humor, don't do it! Trying to force humor can make you feel awkward, and thus less effective.)

3. Promise early in your presentation that you will provide them with something of particular interest to them. They will then be listening for it. (Don't forget to deliver!)

4. Ask questions of your audience. This always grabs their attention, because they must think of the answer, even if they're not required to respond.

5. Pause occasionally to let what you just said sink in.

6 Repeat major points with slight modifications.

7. Use word pictures, metaphors, and stories. This helps your audience remember what you said longer -- and they're more likely to repeat it to others.

8. Always give concrete, specific examples.

9. Use visual aids when possible and appropriate.

10. Vary the volume of your voice. A monotonous voice puts people to sleep. A loud voice will make them sit up and take notice. A soft voice will make them lean forward to hear.

11. Vary the pace of your talk. Slow down when making complex points, giving your audience time to assimilate the information.

12. Respect your audience's time. It's always better to leave them wanting more than to overstay your welcome.

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Part 4: Establish Rapport With Your Audience

As much as possible, know your audience.

Do your homework and find out what the specific concerns are for members of the audience. Everyone agrees with libertarianism on some issues. By starting with a topic that your audience will agree with, you can establish a rapport that will make your audience more receptive to other ideas.

Dress in a way that shows respect for your audience: don't overdress or underdress.

Speak at a level your audience will understand, but never talk down to them.

If you have a general, heterogeneous audience, you won't have a clear picture of who they are. But you can use your knowledge of how people in general react to ideas. For example, from studying the Myers-Briggs model of information gathering, we know that about 70% of the population thinks concretely rather than abstractly. If we want to appeal to a general audience, we must take this into account and give concrete, specific examples and show practical applications.

If you have a question-and-answer session, pay close attention to each question. Try to determine the questioner's primary concern and reflect that back to him or her. If you agree with even part of what the person says, emphasize the area of agreement in your answer.

If the question shows total disagreement with you, still show respect for the questioner. If appropriate, acknowledge the astuteness of the question, and then politely explain why you have a different viewpoint.

Always treat every member of your audience with respect -- even if they don't do the same for you. You will not win everyone in your audience to your point of view, but remember that you are speaking to those -- even if it's only a few -- who are open to new ideas. You are planting seeds for the future. Don't risk losing prospects by alienating your audience. Besides, you can even turn hostile questioners into an advantage. If you're polite to them, often the rest of your audience will move closer to your side.

Finally, keep a sense of humor. Show that -- although you are serious and passionate about your beliefs -- you don't take yourself too seriously.

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SUGGESTION: For an effective libertarian "speech-in-a-box" -- complete with the text of the speech, presentation notes, and an audio tape of the speech -- see the Advocates' "Speaker Training Kit 1: for Service Clubs" or the "Speaker Training Kit 2: for High Schools and Colleges."