Write Down Your Opener Word-for-Word
(and Memorize It, too)
Even though you are not going to write
out your presentation word-for-word, you
should write down your opener word for
word. If panic sets in, you can read your
opener to get you going. The worst anxiety
typically passes within the first minute, and
is completely gone by minute two. So if you
www.vtbar.org
have written down the first minute or so,
and you start to feel a panic attack coming
on, you can get through it. Even knowing
you have your opener written down wordfor-word might prevent the worst anxiety
from setting in. Memorize it too. Accessing
the part of your brain that you use for memory retrieval can prevent you from activating the part of your brain that leads to panic
attacks.
Try to Make a Connection with Your Audience
If you look at Mr. Bay’s video, he walks
onto the stage and begins his presentation
without ever saying hello to the audience,
or really ever making eye contact with them.
Being so unconnected can make you as the
presenter feel isolated and alone, which
hastens anxiety onset. Try starting your presentation with eye contact, a warm smile,
and a “Hello.” Every presentation audience
has at least one friendly face in it. Find that
friendly face in the audience and begin your
presentation with five seconds of eye contact on that person. When you start to get
nervous, go back to that person or find another interested face. Making a connection
makes your audience more engaged and
you more comfortable, and therefore, less
nervous.
THE VERMONT BAR JOURNAL • WINTER 2015
Use Power Poses for Added Confidence
(Why Not?)
Power Poses are all the rage recently. Harvard Business School professor Amy Cuddy
gave a Ted Talk a few years ago on the value of Power Poses. Her point was that our
body position can make us feel more confident and powerful (in addition to making other people think of us as more confident and powerfu