Hands up if you’d rather swim 50 laps in a freezing swimming pool than deliver a presentation in front of 50 people? Thought so. The fear of public speaking – also known, in extreme cases, as glossophobia – is something that affects many of us to varying degrees, with symptoms including nausea, increased perspiration, uncontrollable shaking and feelings of panic.

Often, we deal with anxiety around public speaking by simply… not dealing with it at all. We keep our heads down when our boss asks if anyone wants to speak at the next all-staff meeting, and we never nominate ourselves to pitch to important clients. But, as any expert on phobias can tell you, avoidance is not the way to get over a fear.

Neither is it a particularly useful long-term strategy. While you might be able to get out of public speaking for a few weeks, months or even years, eventually the time will come when you have to step up to the mic.

Perhaps most importantly, feeling self-assured about speaking up could actually help you move forward in your career. Delivering a killer internal presentation is a sure-fire way to increase your visibility in the workplace, while taking speaking opportunities outside of the office will heighten your professional profile – leave you in a stronger position when negotiating promotions, pay rises or going for another job.

To help us learn how to feel more comfortable about public speaking, we consulted vocal coach Sylvie Lui, who has taught at institutions including the College of Public Speaking and the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama.

Lui has years of experience teaching professionals and performers how to use their voices confidently and effectively – and below, she shares her advice for how to master the art of public speaking once and for all.

How to master the art of public speaking once and for all