Matt Abrahams is the author of Speaking Up without Freaking Out: 50 Techniques for Confident and Compelling Presenting, which is now in it’s third edition. In this episode, Matt offers some great suggestions that have been academically validated to reduce a speaker’s anxiety and increase their confidence. You can use them whether your speaking to a crowd, in a meeting, or on Zoom. But more than this, he shares some really neat information about the power of words to influence how people act, how you can vary your voice without even thinking about it, and why the Q&A portion of a presentation is yours to own if you keep one simple idea in mind.  Be sure to check out our show notes at staypaidpodcast.com for more in-depth information and added details not included in the episode.  Connect | Resources  Books:  Speaking Up without Freaking Out: 50 Techniques for Confident and Compelling Presenting  Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Take Hold and Others Come Unstuck  Improv Wisdom: Don't Prepare, Just Show Up  Website: nofreakingspeaking.com  Podcast on Apple Podcasts: Think Fast, Talk Smart    0:00     Introduction  2:28     Matt’s business bio  4:51     Eloquence and intelligence  5:50     What fueled your writing a book?       6:52     Tip #1: Reflection and goal setting  8:05     Tip #2: How to open a presentation  9:51     Tip #3: How to keep an audience engaged  12:23   Tip #4: Augmenting your vocal variation  14:03   Tip #5: Building your confidence  16:58   Tip #6: Handling the Q&A/objections.  20:57   The power of language  23:27   Using stories in your presentations  28:49   Top 3 confidence building exercises  32:27   Matt’s book recommendations  33:34   Matt’s principles to live by  35:50   Action Item