Be comfortable in your skin, project your voice, don’t be shy about your mistakes, and laugh at yourself; it makes others more comfortable to be around you. Take a public speaking class or seminar; brush up on your PowerPoint skills. The way you look, the sound of your voice, the way you present yourself and your ideas, all impact the response and support you will receive from others. A tip before you give a presentation is to practice practice practice. Try it in front of a mirror, time yourself and memorize the introduction of the presentation, as well as your closing statement. The rest of the presentation should be fluid, and if you practice enough, it will be. Nerves come into play when you start and when you finish; if you memorize those points you will be much more effective.