Many years ago, as I stood in front of the audience hearing my voice quiver, feeling my hands shake, and thinking at any moment my mind would go blank, I fully understood why fear of public speaking is often ranked as people's #1 fear. It was impossible for me to tap into my true power as a speaker, when I had to internally contend with a body that was in terror.

In our highly visual culture, many of us underestimate the power of our voices. The sound of our voice will either draw people towards us or repel them. Our voice is a very strong, often unconscious, motivating factor. It can help people decide whether or not to work with us.

When I work with clients on how to use their body more effectively while communicating, I work on 4 different areas: breath, posture, facial expressions, and gestures.

A tremendous amount of business can be decided in the first moments of an introduction. If we are able to communicate trust, integrity, and warmth in those first few seconds, potential clients are much more likely to do business with us. This can be communicated nonverbally, and happens almost instantaneously.

When I think back over powerful speeches that I have heard, it is the stories that I remember most vividly. It is the stories that had the most impact.

When organizing the structure of a speech it is helpful to remember these points: