Crisp Confidence

Treasurer Wayne Swan was ridiculed by failed former politician, Mark Latham who excavated a 2005 instance of public speaking ‘frozen' by nerves, when Swan's body language was ‘cramped,' delivery ‘too rapid' and he had ‘none of the easy-going, natural touch of a quality orator.' (The Australian Financial Review, March 20) Miaow! Only insecure people need to ridicule others!

Wrong, Latham. Think of a ‘quality orator' like Sir Winston Churchill. His ‘easy-going' impressions resulted from solid preparation.

Nerves are normal! - and they breed the above symptoms. To shine in presentation to nationally televised Parliament I'd need to busily access all the tips from my own book Don't Freak Out - Speak Out*.

Churchill was so nervous of a fledgling speech in the House of Commons that he fainted - yet he went on to become one of history's most respected, inspiring orators.

Cure memory lapses

Churchill's memory failed once in Parliament and he subsided, head in hands.

Bingo! Instinctively he accessed one of my easiest tips!

When under pressure or upset, what do we instinctively do? Place a hand on our forehead for a few moments. This eases butterflies in the stomach, un-blocks "brain-fog" and curbs excess fight or flight reactions like heart racing - and hence rushed speech. http://www.braingymclasses.com/TryBG.htm

He apparently learned from this mishap and notoriously spent an hour's preparation for each minute of a speech.

"Did you call, sir?" called the valet to Sir Winston Churchill, who was soaking in his bath. "No, I was just giving a speech to the House of Commons" he replied.

"Winston spent the best years of his life writing impromptu speeches" said a friend. He perfected a trick to inject the impression of the impromptu into read speeches, writing into the text signals to pause, as if searching, before producing that telling word.

He overcame those nerves to shine - and so can you!

• Available in hardcopy, audio CD and e-book from http://ruthbonetti.com/orderform.php3