As a professional speaker I have had many years of practice of speaking to large groups and getting the audience’s attention. This is a skill that can be learned and should be practiced - you can’t have authority if you aren’t properly prepared. These points are relevant in both presentations and meetings where you have to get your opinion heard.

Here are three of my top tips:

• Slow yourself down and breath - by pausing between your messages you are allowing the audience to process what you have just said before you move onto the next point. Breathing steadily will also calm you and you will sound less nervous. Practice speaking slowly before the event, so that your words flow freely and you are less likely to forget or lose track of what you are saying.
• In a meeting try to speak early, the longer you leave it to get your point in the harder you will find it. Feel ownership of the room - you have a right to be there so don’t sit on the fringes, get into the centre of the action. Lean slightly forward and put your elbows on the table, take ownership of the space around you, and when you speak use eye contact, which projects confidence.
• Get to the point and stay on message, if you start to waffle or drone on for too long you are likely to be interrupted and your message will be lost. Practice speaking without using fill in words like ums and ahs, these words dilute your message and make you sound nervous and unfocused.