Once you have your talk sheet created you need to rehearse it.  When I first started speaking (preaching) I practiced every sermon.  I had a rottweiler and if ever there will be a dog in heaven its him. He listened to all of my early sermons and I am confident if God would have given him free will he would have made the decision to become a follower of Christ.  Practicing what you are going to say helps you get it down and become familiar with the most powerful parts of your presentation.  I still practice after 17 years of public speaking.  I always finish my talk sheet on Thursdays which gives me more than two days to think about it.  I go through my talk sheet several times before I deliver it.  Then I go through it again Sunday morning before I leave the house.  I always visualize the people who will be listening as I rehearse.  This is how I ensure that I make a connection.

The other thing that I do to continually develop my public is self-critique.  The only sure fire way to critique yourself is video.  Since we record all of our services I have the opportunity to watch my presentations.  This is difficult but well worth the pain.   You will be amazed at how many quirks you have that actually get on your nerves.  When you see yourself making awkward movements, repeating yourself, and getting bogged down you will want to improve.  So if you speak publicly in a large venue or facilitate a small group I DARE YOU TO TAPE YOURSELF! If you want to increase your effectiveness as a speaker or small group facilitator just set a camera up in the back of the room and see for yourself how well you did.  Tell your group you are conducting research and go for it!  Tell me your thoughts!