Simon Sinek is one of the most watched TED Talk presenters of all time . An introvert by nature, Sinek honed his public speaking craft through hard work and trial and error. His speeches are a favorite of many of my public speaking clients in New York City and New Jersey. Here are some of the techniques he learned to perfect his craft, and speak with confidence:

1. Wait to talk – Sinek says that most people begin a speech by speaking out of a sense of nervousness and anxiety. It’s best to pause at the beginning of your speech, settle, take a breath, and then speak. The silence may seem like an eternity to you, but it won’t feel that way to your audience.
2. Make eye contact with audience members one by one – It’s a simple truism to say that making eye contact is important, but do you really look into the eyes of those you are speaking to? Or do you just pan across the audience, as if they were so many heads of cattle? Sinek says it is best to give each person you are speaking to an entire sentence or thought.
3. Speak VERY slowly – I’ve always said that if you are ok with a pause onstage, your audience will be ok with it as well. Sinek believes it’s impossible to speak too slowly on stage:

4. “It’s incredible that you can stand on stage and speak so slowly that there are several seconds between each of your words and people… will… hang… on… your… every… word. It really works.

   Turn nervousness into excitement – Sinek learned this trick from watching the Olympics. Every time an athlete was interviewed, he was asked if he was nervous. “No, I was excited.” was the answer. The athletes interpreted the bodies’ response to stress as excitement rather than anxiety. This gave them the competitive advantage.

5. Always thank the audience – This should be a no brainer, but it is often overlooked. The audience is there to support you, they deserve your attention. Give them the respect they deserve! A simple “Thank you for your time” at the end of your speech will do.