Question: What do giving a holiday speech and giving a holiday gift have in common?

Answer: We use the same principles to give a speech or to give a gift!

When we think of the folks on our holiday gift list, whether they're the people we work, live or network with, we take into consideration their likes and dislikes, the financial limits we all agree to observe, and then try to come up with something they'll appreciate that they didn't have before. Something that will make them feel we care about them. And when they smile and say, "Thanks, I love this, it's just what I need!" they'll really mean it.

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You have to write a speech for an important occasion like a presentation for your company. Or perhaps it's the toast at a wedding, a bon voyage send-off to someone who's retiring, or a memorial speech for someone you loved. You stare at the white page while a million jumbled thoughts run through your head. Or worse, you can't think of a thing to say. You have some vague feelings about how you'd like your speech to sound, but you're totally confused when you try to find the words to begin.

You're not alone. For many people, the fear of speaking in public is not getting up and talking. It's not knowing if what they're going to say is "right".

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