"All the great speakers were bad speakers at first." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Few things in life generate more fear than speaking in front of a crowd. No one is immune to stagefright, in fact, the best speakers know it's important to be scared. Fear releases adrenaline into the system, increasing the heart rate, causing speakers to be tense and restless, itching to charge into action. Edwin Newman, long time newscaster and much sought-after speaker, suffered from stagefright. He summed up his feelings in this way: "The only difference between the pros and novices is that the pros have trained the butterflies to fly in formation."

Most humans begin speaking around the age of two, unfortunately the vast majority of people never progress much past the simple process of normal, day-to-day conversations. To inform, excite and motivate potential donors to support your fundraising efforts you have to do far more than just speak, you must perform.

Tens of thousands of civic, social, fraternal and business groups meet every week, generally they have a speaker. If you're planning to present your charitable message to the organizations in your area keep one very important fact in mind: the audience is probably a little cynical, they've heard it all before. Members of an organization that meets thirty to forty times a year have heard many speakers on a wide range of topics, including the need to donate to local charitable causes. If your presentation is to make an impression and stand out from the others you need to make it memorable. The best way to assure your presentation will not be forgotten is to think theatrical.

Four essential elements contribute to the success of a theatrical play: a great script, excellent staging, appropriate props, and believable actors. These same elements can make your next philanthropic presentation a success.

"Out, damn'd spot! Out, I say!" paints a vivid picture of tormented Lady MacBeth trying to wash the imagined blood stains from her hands after the murder of King Duncan. Shakespeare created this memorable line to evoke a picture that would linger in the mind's eye. Your challenge is to carefully create pictures with your words that will hold your audience's attention and help brand your charitable cause into their memory.

As you develop your presentation remember it must answer seven crucial questions for your audience: Who are you and who do you serve? What makes your organization special? When did you start? Where are you located? Why do you need support? How can contributions assist your cause? How much money is needed? Not having the answers to any of these questions will mark your organization as suspect and you as less than a credible speaker.

Great speakers know that meticulous care must go into their presentation. Every word and phrase must be just right to convey the desired message. This may come as a surprise -- famous speakers like Art Linkletter, Dan Quayle, and Zig Zigler who look so relaxed and extemporaneous on stage spend countless hours preparing their presentations. They

know their careers and reputations are dependent on the message they convey and how it's received.

When preparing your presentation try to place yourself in the seat of the person listening to you. What will excite that person? Dull facts and figures? Probably not. Exciting stories about how your organization saves or changes lives will capture the audience interest and keep them focused on you. Use powerful words in your presentation to elicit responses. Don't just say your organization is dedicated to helping children. That's boring. Plenty of organizations can say the same thing. Instead, tell the gut-wrenching story of a little girl who was snatched from the jaws of certain death and through the dedicated efforts of your caring staff is alive, well and prospering.

The director of a play knows how to move actors around the stage to accentuate critical lines of dialogue. An actor close to the audience projects much more authority than one further away. Use this concept to add more power to your presentation. Never, never position yourself behind the podium displaying only your head and shoulders to your audience. Step away from the podium and walk into the crowd. Move down the aisles or between tables to talk nose-to-nose with individuals. If you're holding a microphone ask questions of the audience then make sure the microphone is near the person responding. These techniques will pull the attention back to you and your presentation and away from the ice cream desert that was just delivered.

Prince Hamlet would have looked pretty silly in that dark, foreboding graveyard with a rubber chicken in his trembling hand reciting his famous line, "Alas, poor Yorick, I knew him well." The skull he holds is a dynamic prop drawing the attention of the audience into the play. Props and audio/visual aids can help you hold and maintain your audience's attention. One of the most effective visual aids I've ever seen was used by a speaker who wanted to show how a family can be torn apart by alcoholism then put back together by the efforts of her organization. Before the program she had placed a large plastic puzzle piece on several of the luncheon tables. During her presentation she asked audience members to bring their piece forward and place it on the magnetic board she had positioned in the front of the room. By the end of the presentation she had a complete photograph of a happy, harmonious family.

The possibilities for props and visual aids are nearly endless. Be creative but keep several things in mind. Props should enhance the presentation and be large enough for everyone to see, especially the people in the back of the room. Slides and overhead projections tend to aggravate and distract people if the words, pictures or graphs are so small they can't be read. If you use electrical equipment be sure to take along your own extension cord and an extra light bulb for your projector -- amateurs are caught without these essential items and lose credibility when equipment can't be used because of a distant power source or a burned-out bulb.

I really believed Academy Award winner Jack Nicholson was a homicidal maniac in the Stephen King movie The Shining. His exaggerated actions, horrific facial expressions and wild gestures made me cringe at the sight of him as he rampaged through the film. You don't have to go to this extreme to convey your personal feelings or organizational mission, but you can emulate some of the actions incorporated in fine acting performances. When you stand before an audience don't be afraid to raise your voice -- shout if need be to make an important point. Are you shocked by the way the environment is being destroyed by pollution? Don't just say it, show it. Pound your fist on the nearest table, kick a chair or a trash can. Don't just tell me you're angry, show me. Grit your teeth, bug your eyes, flail your arms. Give your audience something to remember you by -- you may not win an Academy Award, however your chances of receiving a contribution will be greatly enhanced.

One final bit of advice from Fred Astaire. He once said something about his dance routines that could be applied to speech making, storytelling, and a lot of other things. He said, "Get it 'til it's perfect, then cut two minutes." It's a proven fact that the mind can absorb only as much as the seat can endure.