Ah, public speaking. The phrase that sends a shudder down the spines of an estimated 75% of Americans. Some fear that they’ll be exposed for a lack of competency, while others fear that they’ll bore their listeners into a snoozefest. The psychologically-backed term for the fear of public speaking is glossophobia, and it tends to manifest in situations when you’re giving some kind of speech or presentation in front of other people.

When you think about the potential negative consequences of public speaking, that anxiety provokes the autonomic nervous system because it perceives those consequences as a threat. This unconscious reaction, known as the fight-or-flight response, makes you sweat, breathe heavily, and maybe even feel nauseous as your body pumps oxygen and blood to energize and prepare you to fight.

Wondering how to combat the fight-or-flight response and speak to groups of people like a pro? We’ve got you covered with what we’ll call the “three P’s of public speaking”: Prepare, Practice, and Perform.

Prepare

Start by doing your homework. What’s the size of your audience? Do you know how long they’re expecting you to talk? Where are you speaking? Knowing what your environment will look like ahead of time can help you avoid any surprises on presentation day. Speaking of avoiding surprises, writing out your talking points in advance is another way to quell your speaking fears. Scientific studies show that physically writing content boosts brain activity and improves your ability to recall that information later.

Practice

Once you’ve determined your talking points … practice, practice, practice! Know your presentation upside down, inside out, and backwards. Practice doesn’t mean memorizing word-for-word, but rather delivering your presentation enough times that your pace is relaxed and you have a good handle on the key points you want to hit in the introduction, body, and conclusion. Here are a few other tips and tricks for effectively practicing your presentation, both days in advance and minutes before your big moment.

Perform

It’s your time to shine! You’ve prepared and practiced well, and your listeners are rooting for your success. Keep your focus on your audience, much like the way you’d focus on a friend during a normal conversation. With that, engage your audience by talking with them, not at them. The more you think about them, the less you’re thinking about yourself. And ideally, you’re sharing about a topic you love. So, smile, crack a joke (if appropriate), and enjoy yourself!

Whether you’re delivering from a podium or simply presenting in a meeting, leveraging these three P’s can get rid of those notorious “stomach butterflies” during a presentation. A few butterflies mean you care, but an overwhelming number of butterflies blocks you from focusing on what matters: effectively communicating to your listeners.

Interviews are a great way to put your public speaking skills to use. Browse open positions with Reynolds here.