I received an email recently from a woman in Michigan. She was interested in learning how to quell her fear of public speaking. She's not alone. Do you ever suffer from cottonmouth, sweaty palms and shortness of breath when you have to stand in front of a group and speak? If not, don’t worry, it’ll happen at some point, and when it does, here’s a few tips to keep your fears in check and face your chicken within:

• Meet and Greet: nothing calms nerves like getting to chat with as many audience members in advance as you can. Then, when you deliver your speech or presentation, you’re not talking to strangers – you’re talking to a group of people you’ve already met.
• No one wants to hear a lousy speech: tell yourself that every single person in that audience wants to be wowed (who wouldn’t?). Their mindset is already on your side. They’re cheering for you.
• Serve your audience: believe that your message is valuable to your audience, that you are imparting information they need to know or from which they will benefit. It’s all about service.

If you're nervous about speaking in public, focus your mind and energies away from yourself and turn to the needs of your audience. What information do you have that someone else needs? Face your chicken within and share with them, and prepare to fly high.