The Installation, Care and Maintenance of Your Resource Anchor:

A properly installed Resource Anchor is one of the most effective presentation aids you can have. The technique is extensively used among elite athletes, and has its roots in what happens naturally to us. A scent may remind us of someone we once knew. If you're called by your childhood name other memories can come flooding back.

You need to think of some unique physical signal to yourself that is easy and comfortable to do any circumstances, but which is something that you don't do all the time.

Some people like a toe clench, others an ear lobe tug, others a fist clench, some make a pointed finger.

Then you need to recall at least three situations in which you've felt the way you want to feel when you are presenting.

Think of times when you were 'in flow' with what was going on, times when you felt in control, when the answer to any question you may have been asked would come easily, or a time when you knew you were surrounded by people who liked you, and were giving you attention.

One at a time go back to each of those times. Try to vividly imagine being there; see what you saw then, hear what was around you then, and remember any other physical sensations - the feeling of your clothes, or any special aromas. As you do that you'll notice the feeling coming back - intensify the feeling as much as you can. If you can double it, good, then try to double it again. As you begin to feel the feeling peak, do the action you thought of, and release.

Now think of something else. Anything will do, as long as you change from the state you elicited. Then repeat the process for the other two memories, breaking between them.

The Resource Anchor is something that you convince yourself about. It is there when you feel a genuine flood of the good feelings that you imagined when you had the anchor installed.

Make sure that when you fire the anchor you allow it to work fully, and acknowledge it.

Repeated firings of the anchor without concentrating on the feelings it re-creates will diminish it.

If you have another experience that you'd like to add to the anchor, use the technique you've been taught to install it. This is called stacking anchors.

An anchor can be attached to a particular location. For example many people attach their anchor to the position in which they'll be presenting.

Other people have anchors which highlight their creativity attached to the place where they work.

Anchors can be created for all sorts of different states, like aggression (dangerous) or sexiness (which may also be dangerous!). Sometimes we unwittingly programme these ourselves, of course.

Skilled speakers use anchors based on location, inflection, or facial expression to anchor their audience to different emotions.

If you do have a good positive anchor it can help you with outcomes. Think of three things you'd like to see and hear if you got your outcome.

One at a time vividly imagine each sight, and sound, firing your anchor for each one. This can programme your subconscious to think it has already experienced that sight or sound, and to work to get it again. One typical use for presenters is to imagine members of the audience walking up, smiling, after your presentation. You could also imagine a successful business outcome from your presentation.

A positive anchor can also be programmed to trigger in unpleasant circumstances. If that's appropriate for you, ask me about it.

Comedians who repeated the same gag lines and get repeated laughter have anchored the audience to respond to them. Some presenters will mark out the stage so that in one position the audience expects them to be negative and in another positive.

When you do get the reaction you want from an audience signal your approval. You can probably use the same signal to trigger a similar response later.

Chris Collinwood's site nlp.com.au is a good place to start exploring NLP generally.