The first thing younotice about Elizabeth Trendowski and Wayne Botha is that they are quick to smile . Their affable manners make it easy for them to convince people to try things they otherwise might not do … like getting up in front of a group of strangers and pretending to be Paris Hilton .

The impersonation exercise was just one of the activities on tap for “ Panic to Power : Swift and Simple Speaking Strategies Anyone Can Use , ” a free seminar held April 10 at the Cragin Memorial Library . The event drew a wide range of people , from school teachers to business professionals , looking to beat their public speaking jitters .

“ Public speaking is a skill that anyone can learn if they want to , ” Trendowski said . “ People think that they should be able to speak well because talking is so natural , but public speaking is an art , and arts need to be practiced . ”

Trendowski has been in the business of giving presentations for more than 20 years– first as a safe service trainer in the hospitality industry and more recently as a public speaking trainer . She’s president of the Smart Training Institute and author of “ From Butterflies to Speaking Highs . ”

Botha has authored “ Dodging the Bullet Points – 5 . 5 Steps to Presenting with PowerPoint” and is co-author of a successful CD , “ Panic to Power . ”

The two are also active members of Toastmasters International ( Botha is area governor ) , a nonprofit organization that offers people a way to hone their communication and leadership skills by getting together for speaking practice . The group even hosts public speaking competitions .

When Trendowski and Botha asked the group why they were so afraid , answers varied . A businesswoman who gave presentations to colleagues noted that she often lost her train of thought while speaking . Another woman said she worried that others were judging her . A man said he rushed through his speeches and forgot to breathe .

“ Everyone is afraid of messing up and being embarrassed , ” Trendowski said . “ Even me . I didn’t start off great . ”

Ironically , her worst experience wasn’t in front of hundreds of people ( she said the number of people doesn’t make it the most difficult ) , but was during a publicity tour . She completely froze . For the television interview , the producer had to dub in her voice . For radio bits , the producer used sound clips .

“ It was very embarrassing , ” Trendowski said , laughing .

Botha had a similar experience , although his public speaking gaffe was only in front of two people .

“ I didn’t know the material , ” Botha said . “ I just froze . ”

Indeed , there are many reasons why public speaking can be a nerve-wracking experience , and Trendowski and Botha were armed with tactics to help even the meek become speaking mavens . They use the word “ panic” as an acronym for “ preparation , activity , needs of the audience , interesting and closing . ” During the seminar , Trendowski elaborated on each point , using group activities such as having everyone stand to make note of body language , for emphasis .

“ No slouching . Make eye contact , ” Trendowski coached the group . “ Don’t draw attention to yourmistakes . Make a point , tell a story . ”

By the end of the evening , everyone seemed to have conquered at least some of their jitters . People joked , laughed and offered their own public speaking anecdotes . Despite the progress , Trendowski admitted it will take more than one evening to become a public speaking pro .

“ It took me yearsof practice , ” she said . “ But I enjoy it . Public speaking is a real passion for me . ”

It’s also a skill : She’s participating in an upcoming Toastmasters Division Championship at the Colchester Town Hall . She admitted to the group that even she was nervous .

“ But I’ll be fine , ” she said . “ Because I’m not afraid to fail . ”