The 5-Minute Rule of public speaking states that all nervousness and anxiety about doing public speaking will go away in the first five minutes of your presentation. In fact, when I’ve taught classes and workshops on the topic, people report that after the first few minutes of their presentation they get absorbed in what they’re doing and completely forget about any anxiety they previously had.
This means you must have the first five minutes of your presentation down cold — not memorized word for word like an actor memorizing a script, but being able to deliver the first five minutes of your presentation without any notes.
Being able to do the first five minutes in your sleep means you’ll feel comfortable and confident during that critical zone in the beginning and then breeze past any problems with stage fright or fear of public speaking.
After that, it’s smooth sailing for you!
[From David R. Portney’s Get Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.]