It never ceases to amaze me how far off their predictions weathermen can be. How can they, veterans of the field with all the resources known to man at their fingertips, be so wrong?

Case in point: Late Monday afternoon the TV weather guys had this prediction for the Milwaukee area: From noon until 3:00 the next day we were to get rain with increasing winds. Starting at 3:00 the rain would turn to snow as temperatures dropped dramatically and winds picked up considerably. The result, by late afternoon Tuesday, we were to see blizzard conditions with approximately three inches of snow accumulating into the evening. Worse, the weather guys said, the high winds—predicted at gusting to 40 or even 50 mph—would create dangerous wind chill temperatures and even hazardous driving conditions. The stations posted travel advisories throughout the day Tuesday, saying people should avoid driving if they could.

So, what happened in the Milwaukee area Tuesday afternoon? Not much. We had fog and calm breezes until later in the afternoon when the winds picked up. Yes, the temperature dropped about 20 degrees in a couple hours—was in the low 20s by late afternoon—but noting out of the ordinary. (What was extraordinary was the balmy weather we experienced that morning. This is late January, after all.)

Sure, the winds picked up and we got some nasty wind chill factors going. Wednesday morning starts out -5 degrees, with a wind chill factor of -29 degrees. But the blizzard and dangerous winds? No where to be found, at least not around here. Turns out the big storm the chicken littles had been predicting on Monday afternoon would hit this area passed to the east. Illinois and Michigan got pounded, but not us.

Why can’t weather folks be more accurate? Or, more importantly, why do we give them so much credibility? Dozens of afternoon and evening programs around the Milwaukee area were canceled Tuesday because of the dire warnings coming from our TV gods. Me? I figured it would be a bust—confirmed when I checked the radar map on weather.com Tuesday afternoon—so I wasn’t surprised. But still amazed.

Amazed that an individual could be so wrong so many times throughout the year and still keep his job. Getting paid well to make so many false guesses. It boggles the mind.

Bottom line: use the internet to make your own predictions. You’ll be closer to reality than the $100,000 +/year “experts” at the TV stations.

For many people, public speaking ranks right up there with undergoing a root canal procedure or facing a tax audit.

That’s too bad. Becoming comfortable in front of an audience is not as difficult as you might think. Plus, that skill is critical in today’s competitive, customer service-oriented marketplace.

The biggest hurdle to overcome, of course, is the fear of getting up in front of people. If you can handle all those eyes staring back at you, you’re on your way to becoming a comfortable and confident presenter.

Whole courses are devoted to public speaking. We can only touch on the fundamentals here. The rest is up to you. If you follow these tips, you will quickly become more at ease and confident in front of an audience.

Speak often: Hate to burst your bubble, but you won’t overcome your fear by reading this blog post (or any other material). You have to get up and speak. But it need not be a formal event. Give a toast at a reunion or anniversary. Provide the reading at your house of worship. Take advantage of any opportunity to stand up and say something.

Be prepared: This goes without saying. Do your research, write your notes, and prepare any necessary handouts or equipment. Rehearse your presentation as time permits. Confidence in your material builds confidence in you.

Survey the room: Spend a few moments before your presentation familiarizing yourself with your surroundings. Note any acoustical or other logistical issues (for example, outside noise) that you will have to overcome.

Test equipment again: Regardless of how smoothly your laptop and projector worked during your rehearsal, you must test them again. There’s no better way to ruin a presentation—and give you a case of the jitters that’ll last a lifetime—than to have equipment fail.

Greet audience members as they arrive: You'll develop a sense of talking to acquaintances or colleagues instead of total strangers.

Stand in front prior to introduction: Remain up front but off to the side. Scan the room to further familiarize yourself with that sea of faces and eyes.

Start strong: Open with a powerful question or comment to grab your audience’s attention.

Focus on your material: Deliver solid information in a professional manner, and your audience will concentrate on that instead of you.
Don’t dwell on nervousness. Odds are it won’t show, and most will evaporate within a couple minutes.

Put that energy to work: Use any nervous energy to add life to your presentation. Imagine there’s a small power plant inside you radia-ting energy. Tap that energy source to enhance your voice and gestures. If your audience senses you’re excited about the material, they will be as well.

Avoid negative thoughts: Some audience members may appear to be uninterested. It’s probably because they’re dwelling on some pressing matter. Don’t let that bother you. Press on with your presentation.

Remind yourself who’s the boss: You’re the expert. That’s why you were chosen to speak. Pump yourself up with powerful thoughts, such as “I’m the expert, and I’m going to wow them with this material.” Remind yourself regularly as your speech progresses.

Overcoming your fear of public speaking isn’t difficult. First, you must convince yourself that it is possible. Then, using the suggestions provided here, get out and speak as often as you can. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you become comfortable in front of an audience.