by Karen Clymer

Created on: May 29, 2008

There you are, with your stomach doing inversions like you're riding the California Screamin' Roller Coaster. You can't breathe. You're sure that if you stand up, your knees will crumple and you'll ooze your way across the floor.

And you haven't even stood up in front of your audience yet.

The biggest reason most people dislike giving oral presentations is simple: stage fright. Perhaps you had an unfortunate experience as a child, where others made fun of you. Perhaps it's just your overactive imagination. No matter what is behind it, the fear is real. The amazing thing is, you can put fear to work for you!

Fear is a natural reaction to danger, and it pumps more adrenaline in the blood stream. A result of that surge is that your brain also works faster and becomes more alert. Having a little bit of fear gives you an edge and makes you sharp. You think and react more quickly. You have more focus.

Channeling that fear isn't easy. Fear wants to take charge of you and get you out of that uncomfortable situation. The best way for you to manage it is to remember the three P's: Preparation, Practice, and Passion.

Preparation is the first key, because nothing will give you confidence like thorough preparation. When you really know your subject, you're brain finds it easier to organize your presentation. You won't have nagging worries that you have left out something important. You know you are able to answer any questions your audience has. The more time you take in researching, organizing and structuring, the more confident you become.

Practice is the second key. It's is difficult to practice your presentation too much, although you do want to maintain some feeling of spontaneity. Here is the key: Don't memorize your whole presentation! Just memorize key phrases and their order. Audiences don't like to be read to. Eye contact is vital.

Then start talking. That's right, out loud. Talking in front of a mirror is good. If you can't face yourself, then talk while you're washing the dishes walking the dog or mowing the lawn. Any mindless, repetitive task is a good opportunity. Pretend you are telling your story to an imaginary friend who is standing, walking or sitting next to you. Talk, talk, talk. Talk to your dog or your cat or your parrot. It will give you practice at looking at someone and thinking at the same time.

Try varying your voice louder or softer. Getting used to the sound of your own voice is important. If you have trouble talking out loud, read aloud from a

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