I used to dread speaking in front of groups.  It didn’t matter if it was a small group or a large gathering I absolutely hated it.  Speaking in public is the number one fear for the average person and the stress it causes can lead to many sleepless nights. I knew this fear would hold me back personally and professionally so here are some of the actions I took to face this fear head on. Know Your Material  It is crucial that you know your stuff and that you have studied up on what you are talking about.  If you are creating Power Point slides give yourself as much time as possible to put them together.  Don’t make them too cluttered and whatever you do make sure you are not reading the slides verbatim to the audience.  This is just plain boring to the audience and it also makes it…