Page 291 - ConvinceThemFlip

the show must go on
in and out through there directly into your belly.” She
chuckled. “Oh my, it’s so easy.”
“Do it again, and this time see if you can smell the cof-
fee.” There was a carafe of hot, fresh coffee in the room.
“No, only when I switch my nose back on,” she said,
and we cracked up.
As long as you’re concentrating on your breathing,
your phobias will recede. This technique has given lib-
eration to dozens of people: a man scared of elevators, a
woman afraid of kitchen knives. On this day in Houston,
it gave Teresa the confidence she needed to go out and
teach CPR to the state of Texas.
Making Your Point
I told Teresa about the stepping-stones metaphor for
shaping a narrative and helped her come up with an
opening that would capture her audience’s attention and
get her point across straightaway. She decided to start
with a simple question to immediately involve the audi-
ence: “How many of you know what CPR stands for?”
I told her that if you want people to put up their hands,
put your own hand up first. When someone answers,
include your point when you repeat their answer to the
rest of the audience. “Yes, cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
And if you keel over right now, I can save your life, because
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