You Can Learn To Speak in Public

It does matter how many people say it cannot be done or how many people have tried it before; it’s important to realise that whatever you’re doing, it’s your first attempt at it

Courage, contrary to belief, is not the absence of fear, but the heart to act in spite of fear.

“When you change your thinking you change your beliefs;
When you change your beliefs you change your expectations;
When you change your expectations you change your attitude;
When you change your attitude you change your behavior;
When you change your behaviour you change your performance;
When you change your performance you change your life;”

It is doing what you’re afraid to do, taking risks, and growing bigger through strength and confidence when the odds like they may be against you.

Courage enables you to accept opposition, and then guides you with determination to conquer it.

Useful Organisations

Numerous organisations offer professional training and support ... to get you started and to constantly improve your performance. 

This short list of web site links may provide you with a contact point in your local area to assist you.

Toastmasters International
www.toastmasters.org

Dale Carnegie
www.dalecarnegie.com

National Speakers Association
www.nsaspeaker.org

I have not attended this training personally, although I have some knowledge of Toastmasters, National Speakers Association and Dale Carnegie.

Before booking yourself onto any of these courses or signing as a member, go along for a no obligation introductory visit, talk with three independent people who can give you their feedback (the organisation would be glad to give you referees to talk with), then ask the referees for a name of someone else who went and send them an email also. 

Public Speaking: Definition

Public speaking is speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners. In public speaking, as in any form of communication, there are five basic elements, often expressed as "who is saying what to whom utilizing what medium with what effects?

"The purpose of public speaking can range from simply transmitting information, to motivating people to act, to simply telling a story. A good orator should be able to change the emotions of their listener, not just inform them.

History
Public speaking is almost as ancient as speech itself. The first known textbook on the subject was written over 2500 years ago, and the principles elaborated within it were drawn from the practices and experience of orators in ancient Greece.
These basic principles have undergone modification as societies and cultures have changed, yet remained surprisingly uniform.

Training
Effective public speaking can be developed by joining a club such as Toastmasters International, Association of Speakers Clubs (ASC) or International Training in Communication (ISC) in which members are assigned exercises to improve their speaking skills. Members learn by observation and practice, and hone their skills by listening to constructive suggestions followed by new public speaking exercises.

Leadership
Effective leadership almost always requires the skill of good public speaking, and this can often make up for a lack of other skills. The ends to which this skill can be used vary greatly - Adolf Hitler and Martin Luther King, Jr. were both able to use oratory to have a significant impact on society - but in very different directions.

General
The fear of public speaking is called glossophobia (or, informally, "stage fright"). It is believed to be the single most common phobia — affecting as much as 75% of the population. Fear of oration is ranked even above that of death.