Rambodoc at large

The title has a dictionary meaning that says "If someone has the gift of the gab, they speak in a persuasive and interesting way." I am sure most of you must have had some experience of speaking in public. Whenever I have to talk from a podium, I feel excited, energetic..., and nervous!
This jittery feeling can scramble your thoughts and really make your presentation very pedestrian. There are speakers, on the other hand, who can create magic every time they hold a mike. Here are some wonderful tips that can pep your next presentation up so much you will excel yourself, even if you are a semi-retarded doc (like yours truly) who was dropped on his head as a child, when his skull was as soft as his brain.

Christopher M Knight has covered excellent ground in these pages.
I am as much an expert on public speaking as I am of nanotechnology or astrophysics, but I have some tips I use:
1. Rehearse what you want to speak, and the main points, as well as the stories or examples you want to use.
2. Be passionate about what you are saying. If you believe in what you are saying, speak out loud and clear. No monotones!
3. Use a hook, an introductory statement that captures the audience's attention, and then proceed on to the main part of the speech,
4. Use humor, energetic if you are talking from a dominant or authoritative position, and subtle if you are talking in a formal, stiff gathering.
5. Avoid crashing in a rush of words; use pauses to great effect!
6. Use hands and eyes to express, to lay emphasis.
7. Never hog the stage and overstay the attention the audience gifts you!
Don't miss this amazingly good site by Guy Kawasaki, where he talks of better public speaking, comparing it with singing.
At the end of it all, have fun on stage!