You’ve spent weeks preparing for your presentation, and the day’s finally here.

You’re running on two hours of sleep and three cups of coffee. As you look out into the audience, you notice all eyes are on you. Suddenly, your hands start shaking, your mouth goes dry, and you forget everything you’ve prepared.

Have you experienced a situation like this? Maybe you didn’t forget everything, but the stress leading up to the big presentation took a toll on your confidence and your mental health. Sometimes, the preparation can be even more daunting than the presentation itself.

When speaking in front of an audience, you want to feel prepared, relaxed, and confident. But in the days and moments before delivering a speech, even the most prepared individuals can struggle with stage fright and nerves. How can you manage those anxious feelings? Research shows that speech anxiety can be greatly reduced through the practice of simple relaxation techniques,such as deep breathing and visualization. Check out our latest infographic for tips on delivering a great speech.

When a woman leader stands at the podium to speak, why does the spotlight often seem to flash red and blue? Women’s voices have been policed since the beginning of time. Women speakers are frequently criticized for sounding “shrill,” saying “like” or  “just” too often, using uptalk (raising one’s pitch at the end of a sentence), and more. Sometimes, listeners appear to judge the delivery of a woman’s speech at the expense of the message.

For so many of us, speaking in front of an audience can be an anxiety-inducing experience. First come the physical symptoms: excessive perspiration, blurred vision, dry mouth, rapid heartbeat, and trembling hands and knees. Then, the mental effects--including confusion and mental blocking--make their appearance, making it difficult to focus and articulate our thoughts.

Fortunately, there are a number of effective techniques to deal with the common symptoms of anxiety and nervousness caused by giving an oral presentation.

Designing a presentation is only half the battle; the next part is delivering the content to an audience. For many, this task of speaking in front of an audience—whether large or small—can be an anxiety-inducing experience.

One of the first steps in managing the fear of public speaking is understanding the signs and symptoms of speaking anxiety.

We communicate in both personal and professional settings on a daily basis, but how much of our written or verbal communication resonates with the audience on the receiving end? Strong communication skills are essential in all types of business and can help take your career to the next level. If you can communicate with clarity, tact, and honesty, your ideas will have an impact. Check out these ten tips for effective communication in our latest infographic.

Communication comes in different forms. The most basic form of communication is the spoken word, but we communicate with unspoken messages all the time. We often use body language, which is a nonverbal form of communication. Our posture, eye contact, and hand gestures are all forms of body language. Our latest infographic covers five tips that can help you improve your body language.

Many public-opinion surveys have shown that Americans fear public speaking more than anything else – even more than death itself. But they really shouldn’t: if you can follow just a few basic steps, you can banish those public-speaking jitters forever. Our latest Skye video shows you how.

At some point in your career, you may be asked to speak in front of an audience. Are you prepared for such a task? Public speaking might come naturally to some, but for many others, it can be a nerve-wracking experience. With the right preparation, you can learn to manage your fear of public speaking. Our latest infographic covers the 7 stages of public speaking. Use these tools to help you prepare for your next speaking endeavor.