It’s important to arrive at your speaking venue early, for a couple of reasons. First, being on time means you’ll be calm (or at least calmer than you would be if you were late), you’ll have a chance to chat with the person who will introduce you, and you’ll have a chance to acclimatize your mind to the room.

Let’s address this issue of acclimatizing through several specific questions that will help you prepare yourself:

* Where will you stand? I find it helpful to know where the lectern will be, so I can mentally picture myself standing there and speaking. In some cases, that’s simply mental preparation. But, I can also recall a recent speech from a packed table, when I had to use my elbows (so to speak) to make my speaking materials accessible.

* Where will you sit before going to the lectern? If you have to walk down or across the room to get to it, it’s helpful to know what hurdles might be in the way. Will you have to step over an extension cord, for example, or squeeze between members of the audience? With a little planning, you might shorten your route, and make it easier to navigate gracefully.

* Through which door will late-comers arrive? If you have a choice, ask to speak from the end opposite where the latecomers will arrive — you want as few distractions for the audience as possible. If you have to speak from the late arrivals end, then minimize disruptions by saying to the latecomers as they come in (and look lost), “Welcome to XYZ meeting — you’ll be able to find a seat over there.” as you point out the direction.

* How big is the room? Another way of asking, “How loudly will I have to speak?” or perhaps finding out whether or not you’ll need to use a microphone. By arriving early, you’ll have a chance to make that decision calmly, and mentally adjust your speaking volume in advance.

* How many people? This raises another couple of issues. For example, if it turns out I’m speaking to a very small group, I’ll be more informal and interactive than I would be with a larger group. Again, arriving early gives me a chance to decide that calmly, and to prepare myself for whichever style I choose.

All simple, and seemingly Speaking 101 questions. But, it’s surprising how often we can prepare ourselves for the big problems, yet get tripped up by the little ones. That’s why I like to arrive in time to acclimatize my mind to the room.