Stand with proper and authoritative posture by placing your legs shoulder-length apart, keep your chin held high, relaxing your throat, pushing back your shoulders and maintaining a strong abdominal core.
Wait for the audience to pay attention to you. When a speaker prepares to give a discussion, he can signal he is ready by first standing next to the podium or lectern and then moving into position to speak when ready to start. Physical presence plays a large role in preparing the audience.
Avoid closed gestures such as crossed arms and folding your hands in front of or in back of you. Instead, keep your arms to your side or on either side of the podium. This will signal to the audience your openness and your readiness to speak.
Breathe from the diaphragm to project a strong voice when opening your speech.
Provide music before the speech and cut the music before the speaker comes out on stage. Lower the lighting on the audience and increase the lighting on the podium to further indicate the speaker's intention to begin the speech. Choose music appropriate to the occasion. For example, an arts function should have classical music, while a rock awards ceremony would want rock music.