It often takes a while for shy folk to find the courage to stand in front of a group and speak, but very often the results are unique.

If you find yourself tending toward introversion, here are a few tips that can help you speak more effectively in public:

1. Concentrate on Your Material, Not Your Fear – Everybody feels fear when they speak in public, however this feeling is amplified when we concentrate on it. Try your best to focus on your bullet points, your message, your breathing. Anything but the fear.

2. See the Trees, Not the Forest – It may take some time to make eye contact with audience members if you tend toward introversion, however when you do take the leap, try to look at just one person at a time, and don’t take in the entire “sea” of people. By speaking to one person at a time, you will come to see the audience for what it really is; a group of individuals. And individuals are easier to speak to than a mass of people.

3. Prepare. A lot. – They say that it takes one hour of preparation for every minute of presenting, and this is doubly true for introverted people. Make sure to spend a lot of time researching your topic, bullet pointing your speech, and rehearsing out loud with a friend or colleague.

4. Don’t Be Discouraged – If you really feel that you have something to say, don’t be discouraged if you fall on your face a few times. Everybody makes mistakes in the arena of public speaking , it’s not uncommon. Just get back up on the horse and try to find another speaking engagement. The habit of speaking will eventually cure your fear of speaking.