Summer or not, as a speaker it's generally in your best interest not to show perspiration in front of your audience.

In the event that you are prone to heavy perspiration, a variety of steps can help minimize the incidence of it:

• Beyond the obvious elements of good hygiene, there is a deodorant compound composed of salt crystals that you can buy in health food stores. The odorless, colorless crystals, applied as a roll-on, kill bacteria and absorb excess perspiration longer and far more effectively than most of the name brand deodorants available.

• Wear a T-shirt, the sleeves of which will serve as a buffer underneath your shirt or blouse. T-shirts come in a variety of necklines so as to not be seen under your clothes. On a warm day, you’ll be more comfortable wearing a T-shirt that absorbs some of your perspiration than not wearing one and somehow attempting to hold back the perspiration. A T-shirt can help make you feel cooler on an otherwise warm day, particularly when you wear a cotton outer garment that can “breathe.”

• Avoid spicy foods such as hot peppers and condiments with jalapeno or cayenne ingredients for at least a few hours before your presentation. Such foods can trigger bouts of perspiration that may recur more easily once you’re at center stage.

• In advance of your presentation, check the room temperature, and ask the room monitor what it will be at your start time. A slight chill in the room decreases the chances of you falling prey to profuse perspiration as a warm room increases it. If you’re mildly uncomfortable with the room temperature prior to going on, I guarantee that you’ll be over-heated once you start speaking.