Many people will recognise the feeling of sweaty-palmed nervousness that comes with making presentations. Whether it is in front of colleagues or clients, standing up and speaking in public is not as simple as it looks and it can be easy to let nerves get the better of you.

Forward planning is the key to great presentations, so make sure you allow yourself enough time before the big day to get yourself ready.

Begin by really nailing down the purpose of your presentation, write yourself a list of exactly what you want to achieve and the most important issues you need to communicate. Then, as you prepare your notes, check regularly to make sure that you are sticking to your point and that you're not straying too far from your original aims.

Once you know roughly what you want to talk about, it's a good idea to write the presentation out in full. If you just write bullet points on cards without ever seeing a full script' you may end up stuck for words and find yourself skipping important bits.

You don't have to read from the script on the day - in fact this can often make a presentation sound stilted and dull - but knowing exactly where each point is going can be helpful when you're linking subjects together. If you know your stuff well enough when the time comes, you can then use bullet points on cards to jog your memory.

It's worth considering exactly who your audience will be so that you can tailor the language and amount of detail appropriately. If you're talking to colleagues who have some understanding of the issue, there is no use spending time going over the basics as it will only bore them.

Similarly, using jargon or technical language when presenting to people from another field could be confusing, and you risk losing their interest before you have a chance to make your main points.

On the day itself, it's a good idea to spend time checking that the room is set up correctly. If you're using flipcharts, check you have plenty of paper and some spare pens just in case. For more high-tech presentations, making sure that the computer works and has your presentation loaded and ready to go will save time and keep your stress levels down before you start.

When the moment arrives, try to relax. It's easier said than done, but being nervous is natural and if you've done your home work, everything should go well. You never know, you may even enjoy it.