In Episode 6 of the podcast, former tv news anchor Carol Sowers shares her tips for becoming more at ease in the physical side of your courtroom performance: how to speak with confidence, project a pleasing vocal quality, connect with jurors, tame your nerves, and rebound from your mistakes. Carol spent more than thirty years as a broadcast professional for CBA/ABC Affiliate station KHQA in Quincy, Illinois, where she worked as a reporter and main anchor all the way up to vice president for public affairs—and everything in between. When she retired from the news, she began training broadcasters and law enforcement and governmental officials in public speaking. She now offers that same training to trial lawyers at NITA programs across the U.S. and abroad. Topics2:58 Breaking up with your notes4:27 Muscle memory and the mind-body connection6:30 Preparation and practice9:00 Writing “for the eye” versus “for the ear”10:18 Cultivating a pleasing vocal quality13:10 “Shrill” 14:33 Warming up for a presentation17:55 Learning about public speaking from trial lawyers19:40 Communicating while sitting versus standing22:00 Hand gestures24:35 Question about Broadcast News25:25 Looking sharp27:40 “The Three C’s”32:08 Effective eye contact35:15 Using emotion while speaking38:57 Managing mistakes and anxiety 40:32 How to regroup discreetly45:20 Communicating in high- and low-context cultures49:32 Changes in culture51:46 Signature “softball”Quote“I try to use . . . eye contact, especially at the beginning of a presentation, as a way to give myself some confidence. I automatically seek out people who look friendly or look engaged. Maybe they’re smiling at me, maybe they’re nodding their head. Because at the beginning when I’m a little bit nervous, that adrenaline rush is making me feel a little uncomfortable, I like to get that little boost of confidence from those people. So, those are the people I’m going to seek out first, and once I get that little smile or little nod of acknowledgment, then I’m going to move on to other people around the room.” Carol SowersRecommended Resources10 Tips for Presenting Yourself Online—Carol SowersWebcast—Remote Advocacy: Representing Your Client during the COVID-19 PandemicCarol Sowers LinkedInCelebrating Carol Sowers’s Nearly 30 Years with KHQANITA Whitepaper: Communication Tips from NITA’s expertsBroadcast News (1987 Movie)Broadcast News Movie Clip—Aaron Struggles on AirHigh-context and low-context culturesNITA International Programs