Giving speeches in front of large or small groups, with old familiar faces or new unknown ones, you may feel that the stress of public speaking is always with you. What I am going to do is give you these seven great tips for public speaking that work for me and should help you work through your nerves so you can communicate your speech topics with genuine confidence.

1. Accept that you will be nervous, but realise that you can overcome your nerves. Public speaking nerves are natural and help you rise to the challenge – they're a form of stress response that heightens your senses. Problems only occur if you allow yourself to dwell on the stress of the situation and how you feel rather than focusing on the speech itself. Tell yourself how bad you feel and even more tension sets in. Keep your mind on your presentation and all will go well.

2. Keep your mind on your speech topics by thinking to yourself: "I'm here to deliver some important information". Whether it is a persuasive speech to convince clients to buy or an acceptance speech at an awards ceremony you should believe that the audience is attending to hear what you can tell them. The thought that "they want me to do well because they will learn something" is a powerful motivator when public speaking.

3. Try to get to your room before anyone arrives. If you can become familiar with the layout and 'feel' of the room your speech will go better. Look around the room at the seating arrangement and try visualizing people sitting in the audience. Move around the room and you will be more comfortable in the surroundings. Stand at the lectern and raise your eyes to the back of the room; now look at the front row. Move away so that you won't fall into the trap of 'hiding' behind the equipment.

4. If you are using visual aids or other equipment practice operating it beforehand. You will relax more if you don't have to try to remember how the things work. Being seen as a confident public speaker is partly about being able to operate the equipment! If you are using presentation materials don't replace all of your speech topics with slides that say what you are going to say.

5. Public speaking gets easier with practice. So practice your speech out loud, especially the opening and closing remarks. Practice the main body of your presentation with your visuals running – this helps with overall timing. Keep practising until you feel that the flow of your words sounds natural and you are used to the sound of your own voice.

6. Some light exercise before you speak will burn off the stress. Do some stress-burning exercises before you speak. Massage your neck, shoulders, lower back, temples, or anywhere else you feel the physical signs of tension. Breathe deeply, jog on the spot or shout out – anything you do will help you remain calm and your public speaking experience will be improved.

7. Walk confidently to the front of the room, think about your message and move with confident body language. I sometimes think that starting to speak before you reach the front can capture you audience's attention and avoids any unnerving silence as you stand there. If you are on the platform, however, then glance around and try to catch the eye of one or two people – you'll be surprised how this gets their attention and starts to quieten the room.