any books by
this guy are excellent, particularly the Blank Page to First Draft in 15 minutes one.
Having done many public speaking engagements (presentations to 500 people, best man's speeches etc), my advice is:
1. write it - don't worry too much about the content - people rarely remember it, but they always remember the delivery.
2. read it (as above, cut out bits that you stumble on)
3. re-write
4. read to mate who will give you honest feedback
5. read aloud so many times that you are sick of it, but you also know it almost by heart - you won't - quite - but you will know it enough so that you won't lose your place on the page and won't have to read off the page. About 20 times usually does it for me. If you know it well you will be more confident.
I learned this lesson in my first ever public-speaking engagement in the debating society at school. At the tender age of 16, I had rehearsed my 2 min stint (approx 10 or 15 cards) 30 or 40 times. I got to the school (half an hour away by car) and realised with 10 minutes to go that I'd left the cards at home! Utter horror. In deperation I wrote the entire speech down in note form on 2 cards in 10 minutes and delivered it as written - thank God I'd rehearsed it.
6. Smile and eyeball people in the audience - if you know the speech well, you will feel happier about tearing your eyes away from the page.
7. Breathe deeply and speak slowly, even if it sounds unnatural (it won't)
8. Never, ever apologise in advance of what you are doing.
9. Invoke the spirit of
Troy McClure in your introduction...."Ladies and Gentlemen good afternoon, I'm Stafford McClure and today I'm going to talk with you about...."
This is a skill that you can learn - if you put the work in. Good luck!