I'm sure you've all been in the same situation. You have to present something in front of an audience, you get up there, and you freeze. You forget everything you were going to say, your mouth dries up, and you feel very nervous. Don't worry, below I will present a number of strategies for dealing with the stress of Public Speaking.

Practice - The most useful technique is practice. Throughout all of my talks on Public Speaking, this is the element that I repeat the most. Practice, practice, and more practice make a successful speech. This means that you should practice your speech, but also that you should take the opportunity to speak in public whenever possible.

Visualization - Before you get up to talk, think about the end of your speech. Think of how wonderful you will feel, with the audience cheering madly at your great success. Try to visualize yourself standing in front of a wildly screaming crowd of fans. By doing this, you will subconsciously believe that you will do well, and the audience will notice the subtle body language you exhibit and believe the same.

Everyone's on Your Side - Strange as it may seem, the audience is actually on your side. They want to see and hear a successful presentation. Just remember this, and if anything goes wrong, you can handle it with ease. Understanding that everyone is on your side will allow you to overcome any minor problems, like losing your place or mixing up your notes. Just smile at the audience, apologize if you feel it is necessary, and continue.