Some people are more afraid of this than they are of death.

The capacity to capture people's attention and persuade from the front of a room are critical tools -- whether your goal is winning a new client, motivating your employees or changing the world. They're widely recognized as key career skills. Failure to master presentations can limit opportunities in many fields.

We've all heard the story that most people would rather choose death than public speaking. Death wouldn't be my choice. I'd choose the podium. Here's why. When public speaking anxiety rears its ugly head, it can be dampened down and managed easily with practice and a handful of tried-and-tested techniques.