Think about the most important business presentation you have ever had to make. Then multiply its importance 100 times. Now you know how Sebastian Coe felt when he rose to present London's bid to host the 2012 Olympic games to the International Olympic Committee in Singapore in July 2005.
It probably helped that the former athlete was used to high-pressure situations – Olympic finals, for example. Years of preparation and hard work had led to those few most intense moments.
Preparation was key to Lord Coe's success that day in Singapore as well. That, and the realisation that only a personal appeal would persuade the IOC that London's bid was stronger than those being made by its main rivals, Paris and Madrid.