9 Habits of Highly Effective Speakers  Whether you're giving a
wedding toast or an address to thousands, here are nine key
practices from the best public speakers in history.   Whether
you're giving a wedding toast, a TED talk, or an important
address to an audience of thousands, you want your words to
resonate. In the wake of the State of the Union address, here
are nine keys to success from some of the best public speakers
in history.  They are authentic.  Many advisors will tell you to
open a speech with a joke, but that's not always good advice,
especially if your persona or the subject of your speech doesn't
readily lend itself to humor. It's far more important to strive
for authenticity, and connection. This is why President George
W. Bush's short speech in 2001 at Ground Zero resonated in a way
his prepared remarks never could. Also, have you watched the
beautiful speech that Malala Yousafzai gave at the United
Nations last year? Pitch perfect.  They choose phrases
carefully.  A speech is prose, but a