Here are some tips for those who do public speaking. Archbishop Fulton Sheen was a masterful speaker. One day as Fulton Sheen was waiting for guests to arrive to one of his talks an inquisitive nun asked for some hints on public speaking so he gave her some suggestions on how to present a talk.
1. Voice tone: Plato recalls tone three or four days after hearing a talk. It’s the tonal 
quality that strikes an audience.
2. When listening to a speaker, count the words on each breath. Indicate each word by a dash, and each pause by a stroke. If it’s -/-/, it’s dull, flat and stale.
3. Avoid a pulpit voice. Be natural. As Disraeli said, “There’s no index of character as sure as voice.”
4. Learn the value of pauses. Never for their own sake, but for emphasis or to allow the thought to sink into the audience. They need time for digestion.
5. A whisper can have more value than a shout. Macaulay said of Pitt, “Even a whisper of his was hear in the remotest corner of the House of Commons.”
6. If there’s a commotion, disturbance, or latecomers, do not raise the voice; lower it and the audience will try to catch the whisper.
7. The audience is infallible in judging if a voice is artificial or natural.
8. Let a first sentence be interesting. Do not state the obvious, e.g. “Today we celebrate a 25th anniversary.”
9. Only nervous speakers need water.
10. If brevity is the soul of wit, the secret of oratory is “know when to quit.”
11. Before beginning, pause a few moments. As a mother cannot forget the child of her womb, we can’t forget the child of our brain.
12. Start with a low voice.
13. Audience needs a come-on; feel superior, not timid or obsequious.
14. To begin with, have a story where you came out second best.
Summary
1. Talk naturally.
2. Plead vehemently
3. Whisper confidently.
4. Appeal plaintively.
5. Proclaim distinctly.
6. Pray constantly.
H/T The Thin Veil
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