The Objection Drill

Much of the fear in high-stakes speaking is fear of the question you cannot answer. The fix is the objection drill: for every important message, write out the five toughest questions someone could ask, then rehearse your answers until they feel natural. Handle the hard ones and the easy ones take care of themselves.

The payoff shows in your body. Your voice steadies because follow-ups no longer scare you. Your eye contact holds because you have nothing to hide. Try it before your next important conversation.