Episode 178
Driving Business Growth and Overcoming Leadership Solitude: Insights from Business Sounding Board Phil Fraser
Mastering Public Speaking & Business Soundboarding with Phil Fraser
In this episode of Present Influence, host John Ball dives into the importance of presentation skills in professional success and how being a confident speaker can give you a competitive edge in business.
John sits down with guest Phil Fraser, who shares his unique role as a business sounding board, helping small business owners combat the loneliness of leadership and provide much-needed guidance.
The conversation covers Phil’s background in presentation skills, tips for handling Q&A sessions, and essential elements that make speakers listenable.
They also discuss the impact of podcasting on professional growth and valuable lessons in hosting and guesting on podcasts.
Tune in for practical insights and strategies to enhance your public speaking and leadership capabilities.
keywords
business sounding board, business coach, business mentor, small business owners, loneliness, challenges, presentation training, communication skills, Q&A sessions, podcasting, podcasting, guesting, audience building, business sounding board, Leeds Business Podcast, entertaining, educational, motivational, inspirational, strategy
takeaways
- A business sounding board is a combination of a business coach and a business mentor, providing support and guidance to small business owners.
- Having someone to talk to and bounce ideas off of can help alleviate the loneliness and challenges of running a business.
- Effective communication skills, including presentation skills, are crucial in business and can boost professional credibility and confidence.
- Handling Q&A sessions during presentations can be done by using specific phrases like 'Who has the first question?' and 'Who has the final question?' to encourage audience participation and maintain control.
- Podcasting is a valuable tool for reaching a wider audience and sharing expertise and insights. Guesting on other people's podcasts can help build your audience and raise your profile in a specific community.
- Creating your own podcast allows you to stand out and target a niche audience.
- Podcasts should be entertaining, educational, motivational, and inspirational to keep listeners engaged.
- Being a podcast host can enhance your positioning and credibility in your industry.
- As a business sounding board, Phil helps small to medium-sized business owners create a strategy to achieve their goals.
titles
- The Power of Podcasting
- Tips for Handling Q&A Sessions The Benefits of Hosting a Podcast
Sound Bites
- "I work with small business owners to stop them being lonely at the top."
- "I help business owners to be better business owners and to not be lonely at the top."
- "My background going all the way back, my initial first half of my career, I sold advertising space."
- "I will guest on other people's podcasts... I'm piggybacking on your audience."
- "How hard can it be to run your own podcast?... It's a lot harder than it looks."
- "I launched the Leeds Business Podcast... to raise my profile in the Leeds business community."
00:00 Introduction to Presentation Skills
00:24 Meet Phil Fraser: Business Sounding Board
01:32 The Role of a Business Sounding Board
05:43 Phil's Background in Presentation Skills
09:03 The Power of Public Speaking
09:57 Transformative Journey of Public Speaking
16:17 The Importance of Presentation Skills in Education
18:53 Mastering Q&A Sessions
20:31 Effective Q&A Techniques
21:45 Podcasting in the Professional World
22:01 Phil's Podcasting Journey Begins
22:30 Guesting on Other Podcasts
23:22 Creating the Leeds Business Podcast
25:04 Local vs. International Podcasting
26:03 The Art of Good Hosting and Guesting
30:44 Balancing Entertainment and Education
34:08 Professional Benefits of Podcasting
36:50 Phil's Ideal Clients and Strategy
40:35 Final Thoughts and Takeaways
Transcript
How does having great presentation skills give you a serious
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:edge in your professional life?
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:Being able to step forward as a good
speaker and presenter is going to give you
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:a huge competitive edge in business most
people are terrified of public speaking.
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:How grateful do you think your colleagues
are going to be when you are the go
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:to Presentation and public speaking
person that they can breathe a sigh of
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:relief that it's not going to be them.
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:My guest today is Phil Fraser and in the
show Phil's going to explain his unique
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:role as a business sounding board and how
he distinguishes that from traditional
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:business coaching and mentorship.
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:Phil generally works with small
business owners who are looking
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:to generate serious revenue.
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:You know how they say
it's lonely at the top.
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:Phil is there to help people combat
the loneliness of leadership Now he's
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:also going to delve into some of his
extensive background in presentation
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:skills detailing how his experience
as a sales trainer has given him a
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:unique edge and he's going to share
some practical tips for managing Q& A
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:sessions and one of my favorite parts
is that Phil is also going to share four
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:things that make you very listenable.
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:So welcome to Present Influence the
show that helps business leaders develop
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:the skills to influence and inspire.
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:My name is John Ball, I'm a keynote
coach and professional speaker and your
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:guide on the journey to leadership level
communication and presentation skills.
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:My mission is to provide rising
business leaders like you with
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:everything you need to maximize your
impact and present with influence.
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:Follow the show on your favorite
podcast apps for weekly episodes and
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:interviews with influence experts.
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:As we kick things off on the show today.
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:Phil is going to explain what a
business sounding board does as a role.
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:I would say one of the most
important things is that he becomes
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:that trusted voice, for people
who may be don't have anyone that
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:they can turn to in a business.
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:But let's hear from Phil.
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:Phil Fraser: Thanks
for having me on, John.
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:okay, what's a business sounding board?
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:In very simple terms, it's sort
of somewhere between a business
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:coach and a business mentor.
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:So I work with small business owners.
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:So anyone between, let's say half
a million turnover to about three
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:million, usually the staff of sort
of three to 12, that sort of size.
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:And I work with the business owner
to stop them being lonely at the top.
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:Cause we all know running your
own business is lonely at the top.
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:When I first thought about doing this
I didn't want to call myself a business
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:coach because I think business coaches,
definition, teach a certain skill.
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:So it might be sales training.
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:It might be presentation training.
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:It's a coach, it's like a sports coach.
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:It teaches you to be something better.
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:And a business mentor often is business
or sector specific, and it tends to
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:be somebody who's a bit further down
the road than you are in your role.
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:So you need a mentor, somebody
who's walked the same path
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:that you're about to walk.
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:And I felt I didn't do either of those.
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:I mean, I ran my own
business for 18 years.
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:So I was very much a generalist, but
having run a business, I have, I'd
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:always felt that lonely at the top.
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:Who can I speak to?
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:As business owners, hands up,
everybody, we all feel like we're
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:making it up as we go along.
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:And you can't sit in front of your team
and go, Hey guys, I'm going to I'm not
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:really sure what we're doing here, but
this feels like the right way to go,
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:which tends to be how business works.
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:But if you've got somebody to talk
to, somebody outside the business,
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:somebody who's been there and done that.
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:Somebody you can sit down with and
say, Hey, Phil, I don't know what
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:I'm doing, or I've got this problem.
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:I don't know how to solve it,
or I've got this opportunity.
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:I don't know how to maximize it.
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:Or just to be an accountability partner.
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:So, great running your own business.
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:You make your own decisions,
but you tend not to do the
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:things that You should be doing.
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:you need somebody to go, John, last week,
you said you were going to do X, Y, and Z.
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:Did you do them?
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:And you're like no, I did
the things I like doing.
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:I didn't do the horrible things I'm
supposed to do as business owner.
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:So that's what I do?
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:I help business owners to be
better business owners and
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:to not be lonely at the top.
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:So that's why I call myself
a business sounding board.
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:John: One of the things that I shared
with Phil here was that myself and
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:a friend that had an idea about
kind of being like a surrogate
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:boss for people who are business by
themselves and don't have a boss.
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:Because sometimes we need that person to
be able to tell us what to do and hold
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:us accountable so that we can be our
own employee, as well as our own boss.
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:One thing's for sure that people like
Phil needed because the old adage is true.
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:It's lonely at the top.
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:Phil Fraser: Yeah and you can
define it in lots of different ways.
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:Sometimes it almost feels like being a
non exec director for a small company
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:that doesn't need a non exec director.
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:Sometimes it is being that accountability
partner, but most of the time it's me.
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:Asking questions of the client and
saying, have you thought about this?
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:Have you thought about that?
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:How does that feel?
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:How does that work?
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:And the classic, why
do you do it like that?
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:We've always done it like that.
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:And obviously somebody looking
from the outside in can go, well
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:why do you do it?
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:Have you considered this?
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:Have you considered that?
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:And often clients will have
problems that I came across.
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:In my business career.
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:And it's not me saying I did it.
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:I had that problem.
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:I did this.
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:You should go away and do it.
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:It's I had that problem.
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:This is how it played out for me.
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:Have you considered this?
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:Have you considered that?
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:Have you considered the other, and
then they can go away and go, ah,
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:now I know what I should be doing.
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:I'm not telling them what to do.
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:I'm helping them work out
what they should be doing.
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:John: Now if you're a regular
listener to the show, you will know
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:that one of the key areas that I
focused on ever since the show began.
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:Is the area of influence and persuasion
and especially operating those
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:things within an ethical framework.
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:Now I wanted to find out from
Phil what his thoughts were around
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:the importance of influence and
persuasion in his professional life.
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:So here's what he had to say.
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:Phil Fraser: Yeah.
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:So my background going all the
way back I sold advertising space.
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:So it was a lot of face to face stuff.
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:It was a lot of telephone stuff.
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:So I'm used to not presenting in
the standard sense of standing
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:on a stage and talking to people,
but I'm used to selling to people.
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:I then joined an ad agency and the ad
agency had this fantastic thing whereby.
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:Everybody who joined the agency,
whether they be secretary or a director
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:would go through an in house two day
presentation skills training course.
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:So it was, Yeah,
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:it was part confidence building.
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:It's part team bonding.
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:It was adding skillsets
to it, to everybody.
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:And after I'd been through
that two day training.
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:Eventually I was asked to be one
of the trainers and we did this.
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:It was a two half days training
course about presentation skills.
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:It was sort of based on
loosely based on Carnegie.
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:But it had been sort of shuffled
around a bit and we talked about.
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:Presentation deliverer.
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:We talked about presentation structure.
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:We talked about, , answering
questions at the end of presentations
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:content and, this dates it slightly.
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:We did it before PowerPoint.
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:So it was like using, so we
were using props and visual
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:aids and things like that.
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:Then as PowerPoint came in, it was
like, okay, how, how not to use
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:PowerPoint, Don't look at the screen.
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:Don't just put words on,
all that sort of stuff.
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:John: a quick aside here.
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:I know how important PowerPoints are and
I know a bunch of people who love them
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:on a bunch of people who hate them in
terms of speaking and presentation work.
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:However, I'm going to be bringing in
a guest to the show very soon who's
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:going to help us if we are going
to be using PowerPoint, help us to
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:have the most beautiful and creative
PowerPoints and effective ones as well.
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:So look forward to that coming up.
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:Back to the show.
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:Phil Fraser: So I'd been
training this as a freelance.
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:So I left the agency and they still
brought me back in as a freelancer.
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:So I'd been training this quite a lot.
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:When I launched my own business
it was quite new in my sector.
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:And the best way I thought of getting
myself out in front of as many people
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:as possible, as quickly as possible was
to put my hand up and say, I'll speak
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:at your conference, I'll speak at your
conference, I'll speak at your conference.
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:So I was wheeled out on a regular
basis speaking at conferences.
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:Eventually I ended up
chairing an annual conference.
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:So, so I'm very used to being out there
in front of people doing presentations.
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:And to be honest, I actually prefer
standing up on a stage and doing
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:presentations than I do sort of like
a networking event doing one to one.
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:A lot of people.
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:There's a, what's the stats on like
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:75 percent of people, 75 percent
of people fear dying, sorry, fear
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:speaking in public more than dying.
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:It's weird.
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:People hate talking in public, but
if you've been trained to do it
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:and you'd be given a structure,
you'd be given the tools, it's
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:actually quite straightforward.
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:And the other thing is, we used to
tell people this all the time and
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:it's worth people noting is when you
go and stand up on stage and you look
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:out there and there's all these faces
looking at you going, go on then.
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:Everybody's rooting for you.
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:They actually want you to be
a success and not to fail.
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:So you're standing there going, oh shit.
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:And then everybody in the
audience is going, come on.
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:You can do it.
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:You can do it.
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:You can do it.
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:And the other thing we used to tell people
is people don't know what you're going
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:to say, so you can't get it wrong because
they don't know what you're going to say.
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:And it's all about easing the
nerves and all that sort of stuff.
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:But as with everything,
it's practice makes perfect.
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:You just gotta go out and do
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:John: It's amazing to me how many
people don't do things like getting
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:up on a stage to speak just
because of the scared of it.
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:Because they don't feel like it.
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:They maybe don't feel
that they're good enough.
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:And the reality is you're not
going to be, unless you get
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:up and do it and practice it.
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:So Phil's absolutely right that we have to
be willing to put ourselves out there and
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:get up on stage in front of other people.
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:And the more do it the better
we're going to get at it.
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:So take note of what Phil says here and
how much of a professional edge that
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:speaking and training has given him,
that it can also do the same for you.
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:But there's another side to
this as well, which is that.
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:By making ourselves uncomfortable
and putting ourselves out there
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:as a speaker and trainer doing the
stuff that we're often afraid to do.
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:And sometimes even unwilling.
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:We become better versions of ourselves.
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:There is a journey of personal and
professional transformation and
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:development, but happens as we do this.
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:And I wanted to find out from Phil,
what that has been like for him.
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:Phil Fraser: Well, two sides to that.
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:When we did the training course
the breakthrough on day two when
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:people put things in, we used to
video them and then they'd watch.
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:So we'd do them a, like a first video
before we did any training, then
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:we'd do the last one after training.
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:And the breakthrough with
everybody was just, Oh my God,
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:this is absolutely amazing.
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:From my point of view, What I used to
like about it was, yes, it gives you
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:the opportunity to do a big sell to lots
of people all in one, all in one go,
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:but also I, yeah, for years people had
come up to me and go, Oh, hi, Phil, and
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:I'd look at them and go, no idea who
you are, but they think they know me
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:because they've seen me talk on a stage?
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:or something like that.
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:So yes, transformational because it's such
a great way of getting your message out.
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:To lots of people all at, all at one time.
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:And, I'm still doing it now.
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:I presented at a networking
event a few months ago.
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:It's just one of those
things I love doing.
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:And it's just as a sales
tool for anybody in business.
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:It's just one of the, often it's free.
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:It's, it's free marketing to an audience
who, if it's the right audience, want
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:your product, it's better than cold
calling, it's better than direct mail.
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:It's better than, Advertising.
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:You're just there in front of people.
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:It's just great.
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:And more people should do it
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:John: It sounds like it gave you
a real boost in terms of your
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:own professional credibility.
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:Did you also find that that boosted
your confidence as well as a
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:professional person, as a leader?
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:Phil Fraser: Very much.
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:So very much so.
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:And yeah, the sector I got into once
I launched my own business, we were
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:in we were an online bingo affiliate.
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:So we were part of the whole online
gaming industry because we were there
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:quite early and cause I was wheeled
up on stage as, the bingo person, I
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:was sort of given the moniker, Mr.
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:Online Bingo.
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:Huge credibility in the industry
and seen as one of the early movers
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:in the sector, pretty much by me
being the one who got wheeled out
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:regularly at industry conferences.
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:It's great free PR, but it's
great for your personal brand.
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:And it's great for credibility.
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:If, Yeah.
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:It says on your, on the screen
here, John Ball coach and speaker.
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:So actually by you saying
speaker, you are saying you are
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:giving yourself credibility.
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:And it's, as I say, it's quite
easy, you and I've done it.
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:It's quite easy to get that credibility
to be able to go, I'm a speaker.
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:John: Yeah.
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:I do find there is something about
being on a stage that there is a
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:level to which unless you prove your
audience wrong, they assume some
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:level of expertise by the fact that
you're Up on a stage in front of them.
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:So I do appreciate that.
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:A lot of people have fear , in
professional situations especially I
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:that can really turn up the dials on the
fear here, about getting up and speaking
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:and presenting in front of people.
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:Did you have experiences of things
going very wrong or were there some
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:particular times that stand out for you
as being like , horrible experiences
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:moments in a positive way as well?
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:Phil Fraser: I mean, it's like
any type of performance might
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:be a sporting performance.
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:It might be a professional performance.
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:If you haven't got those butterflies
you're not psyched and ready.
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:I am petrified.
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:Every time before I stand up on stage,
but then it's about, more and better
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:people to talk about this than me, but
it's about controlling their nerves and we
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:used to talk about getting the butterflies
flying in formation like red devils.
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:So rather than them go around in a circle,
you go, okay, let's just control this.
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:And also, if you go up on stage
and you're talking to, 20 people, a
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:hundred people, wherever it might be.
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:Unless you've got that, I feel, unless
you've got that sort of adrenaline
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:buzz, you're going to sound quite flat.
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:In terms of anytime anything went
particularly wrong I don't think
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:anything's gone particularly wrong.
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:I, one thing that, that, Hugely stood
out for me and you have to be really
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:confident in what you're doing to do this.
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:I was, industry conference stood up on
stage, next speaker is going to be Phil
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:Fraser stood up and there were two,
three people in the audience talking,
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:just talk to the guy next to them.
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:So I didn't say anything.
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:I just waited and waited.
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:And eventually they sort of thought,
oooh and then stopped talking.
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:Silence is one of the best tools
you can use in presentations.
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:But that, that still stands out for me,
cause I was like, yeah, and it was quite
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:a senior guy in the industry as well.
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:So I was,
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:John: That's good, I love that.
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:There's a lot of power in the
pause, a lot of power in the
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:silence, I 100 percent agree.
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:Were there any experiences from your
earlier life, like school or just
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:when you were young, that maybe gave
some indication that this might be
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:something you were good at or perhaps
helped to prepare you in some way for
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:Phil Fraser: completely
opposite, completely opposite.
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:I,
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:I was quite shy at school.
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:And I think a lot of the fear of
presentations and standing up in
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:public, I think comes from school.
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:I think schools have got a lot of,
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:a lot of blame here.
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:They go John sat at the back of class
when he's 10 years old and the teacher
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:says, come on, John, you stand up and.
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:read from the book or do a presentation
or do a talk about something with no
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:practice whatsoever no training in front
of your peers and that seed from the age
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:of eight nine ten eleven twelve, whatever
it, might be of humiliation failure fear
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:¡ When you get to 25 30 and somebody goes
right, Present to the board or present
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:at a conference You immediately go back
to that 10 year old and go, bollocks to
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:that, I'm not doing that, I'll, I'll let
somebody else do it And schools have a,
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:a lot of blame for that sort of thing, I
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:John: Yeah,
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:Phil Fraser: And that happened to
me as well, at no point at school
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:would I have ever said, that kid
there will love standing on stage.
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:John: Now, one of my favorite Ted talks
ever was by the late, great Sir Ken
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:Robinson, which is all about education
and how often education is de-geniusing
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:kids and what we can do instead.
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:And really part of that to me, I
think to Phil as well is about being
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:able to have those presentation and
speaking skills that are going to help
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:people become amazing communicators.
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:So I had a chat with Phil about
what he would like to see happen in
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:the educational world, that could
change things for the better, ¡ For
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:the prospects of younger people.
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:Phil Fraser: I think the logical thing
to do and, this is a huge can of worms
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:now, is like, what do schools prepare
kids for, or what should they do?
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:Basic presentation skills, it's one
of those things that you probably, if
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:you're in anything fairly commercial,
fairly competitive, you are going
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:to, in its broadest sense, present.
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:It might be presenting an idea
to three of your peers at work,
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:or it might be presenting to the
board, or just talking in public.
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:Schools don't teach you that.
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:There's tons of things schools
don't teach you that, I did I did
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:You know, like logarithmic
tables and things.
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:Absolutely zero use.
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:Immediately the exam bell finished.
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:This is a huge, this is a huge topic.
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:What should schools be preparing
kids for in current time?
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:But yeah, it's one of the
basic things I think schools?
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:should possibly teach.
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:John: I would love to see that myself,
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:there's an expectation in leadership.
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:A lot of the time that you are
supposed to be able to get up and
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:speak, that you should be able to
be the Steve Jobs of your business.
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:If you are a leader, and to be able to
deliver presentations the way he did
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:well, if you know anything about some
of Steve Jobs most famous presentations,
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:you might know how much effort,
energy and practice went into those.
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:And before he delivered them,
they were well-rehearsed
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:well-crafted and well presented.
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:They didn't just happen.
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:But he is also someone who was willing
to put his vision out into the world in a
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:way that made sense and to tell a story.
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:There was so many things that pay here.
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:We are not going to become amazing
speakers and presenters overnight.
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:However it is something that could
make the biggest difference in terms
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:of your development, and your ability
to influence and persuade others.
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:But what about that stage
fright that often comes up when
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:you're about to get on stage.
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:Here's what Phil says.
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:Phil Fraser: The agency I was at,
everybody who'd come through the door
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:as new recruits would go on this course.
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:And we'd often find, with all
due respect, the secretary would
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:actually end up doing a better
presentation than the account director.
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:Cause they've sort of, I don't know,
for lots and lots of different reasons.
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:So yeah, it's, it is, it's the whole
Peter principle in its broadest sense.
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:You get promoting almost past
your ability level and by the time
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:you're a senior executive, you're
expected to be able to present.
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:I've seen senior executives who
are, you, I mean like painful,
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:painfully poor at presenting.
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:John: Now here we're going to get
into, were Phil tells us one of
380
:his favorite parts of training
was running Q and A sessions.
381
:Something that I personally haven't
always enjoyed doing, but Phil is
382
:going to give us some expert advice.
383
:On how to have excellent Q and A.
384
:So listen in.
385
:Phil Fraser: The thing I love,
this was part of our training.
386
:We did a, we used to do a
segment on questions and answers.
387
:So yeah, person does a presentation
and often just ends, it just dies.
388
:We used to do this thing where we teach
people to say, who has the first question?
389
:So you stay in control
of the presentation.
390
:So by saying who has the first question,
you're expecting questions, you're staying
391
:in control, you're expecting more than
one question, encourages people to ask
392
:questions, and we did this training
internally at my business as well.
393
:So anytime, even if we
did it like an internal.
394
:The management team report or something,
we don't, everybody would do it.
395
:So anytime somebody didn't do it,
it was like, ah, he didn't do it.
396
:He didn't do it.
397
:He did it.
398
:And I often watch people do
presentations and that bit at the
399
:end where they just finish and go,
does anybody got any questions?
400
:Yeah.
401
:The whole thing falls apart.
402
:That's the thing that really
stuck with me from the training.
403
:John: And I absolutely love that.
404
:that's particularly helpful for a
listener because a lot of people do have
405
:these Q and A sessions and really don't
know how to handle or arrange them.
406
:I personally tend to stay clear of some
of them, not because I don't know how
407
:to approach it, but because it just
doesn't, isn't relevant unless I'm doing
408
:a workshop, but , I wonder if there
are any other elements to running Q&
409
:A that you might be able to share that
could be helpful for our listeners.
410
:Phil Fraser: Okay.
411
:Q and a couple of things for Q and a.
412
:So, so.
413
:You have to say those exact words.
414
:Who has the first question?
415
:Five words.
416
:A brilliant tip I was given is if
you put your hand up while you're
417
:saying it, it encourages people to
put their hand up and ask questions.
418
:If you say who has the first
question and nobody has a question,
419
:you then ask yourself a question.
420
:So I'm often asked or I'm usually
asked X, Y, Z and you keep your
421
:hand up and then you go again.
422
:So who has the next question?
423
:So it's just, it's encouraging
people to question.
424
:And then, from a timing point
of view, if there's a couple of
425
:people, you go, Dave, I'll take your
question, and Mary, I'll come back
426
:to you, so you don't forget people.
427
:And then, when you're closing it
out, you then do the same thing,
428
:who has the final question?
429
:Because you're saying, right,
that's it, that's the last question.
430
:So, throughout this whole Q& A session, as
the speaker, you are totally in control.
431
:And when there isn't a question,
you can ask yourself one.
432
:From a timing point of
view, you can control it.
433
:It encourages people to ask questions.
434
:So that's, you can all use that.
435
:Take that away.
436
:But you've gotta use those five words.
437
:Who has the first question?
438
:John: I love that.
439
:I'm always curious to know why people get
into podcasting in the professional world.
440
:And how they get started, whether
they actually start off as a guest
441
:or whether they start off as a host.
442
:And some people, no.
443
:Certainly some people come in
and just do one side of that.
444
:Just the guesting or just the hosting.
445
:So I wanted to know from Phil
what happened, the positive
446
:effects of podcasting for him.
447
:Phil Fraser: Okay.
448
:So, I listen to a lot of podcasts,
mainly business and football.
449
:I'm a Leeds United fan, so I listen
to Leeds United podcasts all the time
450
:and I listen to business podcasts.
451
:So when I launched myself as a business
sounding board, and again, I have an
452
:advertising and marketing background,
okay, how do I get my message
453
:out to as many people to relevant
audience as quickly as possible?
454
:So I thought, I know what I'll do.
455
:I will guest on other people's podcasts.
456
:Because what you're doing
and hands up, this is What?
457
:I'm doing here.
458
:I'm piggybacking on your audience.
459
:It's great.
460
:I don't have to build an audience.
461
:You've got one.
462
:I can do my song and
dance to your audience.
463
:So I started putting myself out on
464
:lots
465
:of other podcasts.
466
:And actually, if anybody does want to
be a guest on podcasts, there were two
467
:things I used a website called podmatch.
468
:com.
469
:And a website called matchmaker.
470
:fm, both of which match podcast
hosts and podcast guests.
471
:Fantastic.
472
:So I did lots and lots of guesting on
other people's podcasts, explaining
473
:what a business sounding board was, what
my offer is, all that sort of stuff.
474
:And then, and this comes to us
all, and you've had this epiphany,
475
:John, you say, how hard can
it be to run your own podcast?
476
:And the answer is, it's a
lot harder than it looks.
477
:So I thought, okay, I'm
getting used to this guesting.
478
:Why don't I do my own podcast?
479
:And again, very clear marketing
thought process was okay.
480
:What am I trying to do?
481
:I'm trying to get my message
out to my potential audience.
482
:I'm based in Leeds.
483
:I work with small business
owners, or medium sized business
484
:owners, or large business owners.
485
:So I created the Leeds business podcast.
486
:So if I'm, or anybody is searching
through Apple or Spotify I want
487
:to listen to a business podcast.
488
:yeah.
489
:there's hundreds out there, starting
from Diary of a CEO and Joe Rogan
490
:and sort of working your way down
and I will, how do I stand out?
491
:So if somebody who is in Leeds and goes,
Oh, I'm from Leeds, I own a business.
492
:I'll listen to that rather than a
sort of a general business podcast.
493
:And I love.
494
:Listen to business owners,
business journeys and stories.
495
:So, you go on holiday or you're on a
train, you start speaking to somebody
496
:and they go, Oh, what do you do?
497
:And they go, Oh, I, I make pencils.
498
:And most people go what'd you
watch on Netflix last night?
499
:They'd sort of move it on.
500
:Whereas I'd go, you make pencil?
501
:Wow.
502
:That's really interesting.
503
:How'd you do that?
504
:How's it, how'd you market them?
505
:How'd you get into that?
506
:How'd you make a pencil?
507
:So I love that all that sort of
story and so that's what I did.
508
:I launched the Leeds Business Podcast
interviewing Leeds business owners
509
:about their business journeys.
510
:With the aim of raising my profile
in the Leeds business community
511
:so that I could sell my services
as a business sounding board.
512
:And that's how it came about.
513
:So every week, every Wednesday 7
o'clock in the morning is a new episode.
514
:And we're just I think we just hit 51.
515
:So quite pleased with that.
516
:John: now Phil has a local
based podcast in Leeds.
517
:wondered if he was very selective about
being on podcasts that were also local.
518
:Here's what he had to say.
519
:Phil Fraser: Well, there are two or
three, maybe three or four Leeds based
520
:podcasts that I'm aware of that I
have been on, but whilst I, I focus
521
:on Leeds because I wanted to keep
it niche, the service I offer, I can
522
:do remotely and I can do to anybody.
523
:So I've been on Australian podcasts.
524
:I've been on New Zealand podcasts.
525
:I've been on lots of American podcasts.
526
:So my service doesn't matter
where business owners are based.
527
:And some of the international podcasts
and obviously they feel international
528
:to us, but they're local to them
is really interesting cause yeah,
529
:there's different perspectives and
different ideas and different views.
530
:So, What the Americans do as normal,
is different to us and the same
531
:with Australia or New Zealand.
532
:So, yeah, I've been on, I've been, I'm an
international podcast guest, I can say.
533
:John: Oh, that's cool.
534
:Have you found that some podcasts
have moved the needle for you more
535
:than others when you've been guesting?
536
:Phil Fraser: In.
537
:I mean, it's interesting and you said
you've done it the other way around,
538
:having been a guest and then hosting.
539
:It opens your eyes to what is good
hosting, what is poor hosting, what is
540
:good guesting, what is poor guesting?
541
:I've been on podcasts where it
almost feels like I'm a vehicle for
542
:the host to put their opinion over.
543
:Whereas when I'm the host, I feel I've
got the listeners in my ear going,
544
:ask him this, rather than it being
a vehicle for me to give my opinion.
545
:So, yeah, so it's interesting
how different people do that.
546
:And, whether they've done research
before they've come on this show,
547
:whether they've listened to episodes,
whether they even know who the guest is.
548
:And then you've got, bigger podcasts
who have, assistants who book you
549
:and make you fill in forms and
stuff like that, which just feel.
550
:Almost like you're sort of being
wheeled out in front of the, In.
551
:front of the host and sort
of wheeled out the other end.
552
:Whereas, good hosts will do the research.
553
:I mean, one of the things I do and you
did it to your credit as well, is I
554
:do a pre interview chat with people.
555
:So, A, when we're talking on a podcast,
it's not the first time we've ever met.
556
:And that works just from a
basic chemistry point of view.
557
:But also, If you do a pre chat and
you'll have found this, all right,
558
:you can look at my LinkedIn, you can
look at my website, you get, you can
559
:get a certain amount of information.
560
:There's probably bits we spoke
about when we did our pre chat.
561
:And I find this with my guests that
you think, Oh, I didn't know that.
562
:I'll, that's going to be a
really good part of the show.
563
:And that actually then
contributes to a better show.
564
:So as I say, being a guest
does make you learn stuff.
565
:And from a podcasting point
of view, but also as from a
566
:guesting point of view, it's.
567
:You can feel who's a good,
who's a good host and who isn't.
568
:You're a
569
:good host, John.
570
:John: So, Phil's giving away some of
my inside secrets here in podcasting,
571
:but yes I do pre-interview my
guests with very rare exceptions.
572
:That whole process of pre-interview is a
valuable part of a decision-making process
573
:and just know that it's okay to take your
time and to decide whether someone is
574
:going to be the right fit for you and your
show, or whether you are going to be the
575
:right fit for someone else as a guest.
576
:Phil and I are mostly in agreement about
what makes a good podcast and what makes
577
:you a good guest experience for a show?
578
:And thankfully Phil enjoyed his
experience being in Present Influence.
579
:But I was very curious, without wanting
to shame anyone, but what had been some
580
:of his best and worst podcast experiences.
581
:Phil Fraser: I think the one that
stands out as the worst, I think
582
:was was the guy who was, so the
structure was he asked me a question.
583
:I give my answer.
584
:Then he gives his answer.
585
:Then he asked me a question and I give
my answer and he, so it's like, And
586
:that's not me being all precious and
ego, it's like, I'm sure, And this was
587
:another business owner, it wasn't somebody
famous that people wanted to hear.
588
:I'm sure people want to listen to what
the guest has to say, not what you have
589
:to say, so the balance on there was wrong.
590
:Any that stand out particularly
from a positive point of view?
591
:No, I don't think there's any.
592
:that, that stand out and
go, wow, that was amazing.
593
:I think any of them that, that flow well,
that the host asks interesting questions,
594
:but also you'll know this as a host.
595
:And I try and do it as a host is
you're trying to, in your mind, you're
596
:thinking, what will the listener want?
597
:How will the listener benefit?
598
:Will they get out of this?
599
:What I want them to get out of this.
600
:And, we want our listeners to end that
episode and go, From my point of view, I
601
:always aim for interesting, motivational,
educational, and entertaining.
602
:So if I can tick all those
four boxes, I think, yeah, the
603
:listeners got something out of it.
604
:And one of the things I've
crafted a couple of things into
605
:the show to try and do that.
606
:One is, I ask every week I ask
guests to do a how to so they
607
:can share some experience, some
expertise with our audience.
608
:So, and you'll know this as a
coach, and I found this as a coach.
609
:We often in our minds will think, well,
everybody knows that, but they don't.
610
:So, so all my guests have got
lots of things in their head that
611
:they think, Oh, everybody knows
that, but actually we don't.
612
:So that, that sort of
ticks the educational box.
613
:And then the rest of it, I'm
hoping, By my guest selection,
614
:they're going to be entertaining,
motivational, and inspirational.
615
:John: side and, and I think
a lot of people miss that.
616
:Podcasts need to be
entertaining to a degree.
617
:I work with a lot of people on
keynote presentations as well.
618
:And that's what they nearly always
miss, especially if they've come from
619
:a training and workshop background
where the intuition is to teach and
620
:to teach and to teach some more.
621
:And it's great in a workshop,
although there still needs
622
:to be some variety, I feel.
623
:But it's not so great.
624
:Not great.
625
:in a keynote certainly
not great in a podcast.
626
:interview where and maybe you've
had this experience as well of
627
:going to someone else's show.
628
:I hope I haven't really done this
myself as a host, but tell us about
629
:yourself and all the typical questions
that kind of show they haven't
630
:really got interview skills yet.
631
:And And it really isn't, it isn't
It isn't kind of interesting.
632
:It's just somebody droning on about
the life story for most of the episode.
633
:So entertainment piece I think is.
634
:So critical.
635
:what do you do to maybe inject
some lightness or humor into your
636
:appearances or your own show?
637
:Phil Fraser: I always look at this
as, and I do this with clients.
638
:And one of the things I encourage
clients to do is I use JFDI, just
639
:do it, I'll miss the adjective out.
640
:And the other thing I say within
that is look, We're not doing brain
641
:surgery, nobody's going to die,
what's the worst that could happen?
642
:So let's have a bit of fun with
it, and going back to the, so, so I
643
:try and just keep it light anyway.
644
:So if a guest says something that's
a bit funny or a bit odd or, just
645
:a bit, whoa, I gotta say that again.
646
:What was it you said?
647
:You've just got to do that because,
we are being given as podcast hosts,
648
:Somebody is giving us their attention
for half an hour, 45 minutes.
649
:That's valuable.
650
:There's a million other
things they could be doing.
651
:So you've got to respect that and
honor that and make it entertaining.
652
:Yes, it could be educational, but it's
got to be entertaining at the same time.
653
:And some of that is, is how people
speak and how people deliver.
654
:And, on one hand, you can argue
that, the way people talk.
655
:They can't really help it, but
actually they can, going back to the
656
:presentation skills we talked about.
657
:What part of the training we talked about
was pause and pace and intonation and
658
:impact and all those sorts of things.
659
:They can all be taught.
660
:You don't have to drone just
because you are naturally a droner.
661
:You don't have to stay a droner
that talks like this all the
662
:time and is very monotone.
663
:It can be taught.
664
:So it has to be entertaining.
665
:So, but you know, somebody sat in
the car, then the gym, then on a dog
666
:walk, they've got us in their ears,
it's very easy to go, geez, this is
667
:really boring, I'll go somewhere else.
668
:So you have to make it entertaining.
669
:If you can make it entertaining and
educational and inspirational and
670
:motivational all at the same time.
671
:And something that, I mean, I had, I
think the best podcast I've listened
672
:to for a long time was Daniel Priestly
on Stephen Bartlett's daughter, if
673
:you see I was driving, listening
to it and it got halfway through.
674
:And I thought I'm going to have to
go home and listen to this again.
675
:Cause I'm going to need a pad and a pen.
676
:And if you can get to that level of
inspiration and motivation, education,
677
:John: yeah.
678
:Daniel's been on this show before.
679
:He is a great guest.
680
:Awesome.
681
:Yeah.
682
:Yeah.
683
:Yeah.
684
:Phil Fraser: on as well.
685
:John: He's a, He's an interesting guy.
686
:Phil Fraser: He's brilliant.
687
:Absolutely brilliant.
688
:John: That's fantastic.
689
:Thank you.
690
:There's some great insights there
Do you find that hosting a show
691
:has been professionally beneficial?
692
:Have you picked up clients
through guesting and hosting?
693
:Phil Fraser: I've, I haven't
specifically picked up clients
694
:but the aim I had was twofold.
695
:One was.
696
:Raise my awareness in the
local business community.
697
:And that has a big tick, of people
coming up to me in networking
698
:events, go, Oh, I love your podcast.
699
:It's great.
700
:And I go, Oh, goodness me.
701
:This is really, it's a real like, Oh my
God, I'm honored that you actually, A,
702
:you listen and B, you think it's good.
703
:But I think the long term part
of it is as a podcast host, you
704
:are there to interview the guest.
705
:As a business sounding board.
706
:I want people to feel that they are
comfortable with me and to work with
707
:me, so it's a whole know, like, trust,
which is more of a long term play.
708
:So I don't think anybody's gonna
listen to me interviewing somebody
709
:and going, He's a great interviewer, I
want him as a business sounding board.
710
:That gap's too big, so I
need to close that gap.
711
:And there's ways and means I'm
trying to do that at the moment.
712
:To go, I'm a podcast host.
713
:I'm a business sounding board.
714
:Come and work with me.
715
:But if I've been in, and you'll know this
as well, if you've been in somebody's
716
:head for two or three years, I've only
been in a year, you've been in a lot
717
:longer than I have, eventually they come
to know you as a person, they understand
718
:you, and then they get to the point where
they go, I'd like to work with that guy.
719
:And also a lot of people who listen
to podcasts might not be at the point
720
:in their business journey where they
721
:feel they need one, but
Well, they need my services.
722
:But it's often like that with marketing
you try and stay front of mind so that
723
:when they do need you, they go, ah, if I'm
going to, if I'm going to get a business
724
:coach, business mentor, business sounding
board, I'd love to work with Phil.
725
:Cause I've been listening to him
for weeks and weeks and weeks.
726
:And I feel like I know the
guy and I trust him and.
727
:I like the way it works and whatever.
728
:John: It reminds me of what my good
friend Bob Gentle says, he has a great
729
:show he said, even if it, even if he
didn't have the level of listeners
730
:he had, he still thinks it's worth
doing for the positioning that it
731
:gives you and the access to people.
732
:And which I 100 percent agree with
is great for your positioning, and
733
:it's certainly great for things like
credibility, and I found it's given me
734
:the, , the bravery, if you like, to be
able to go and approach people who I
735
:probably never would otherwise approach,
but I would really want to, say, would
736
:you be open to coming and being a guest
on the show, because I can do it for
737
:the the audience , it's not just for
me, because I want to connect with them,
738
:And I found that doesn't always work
out with a yes, but so often it does as
739
:well that makes it really worthwhile.
740
:It's great that it relates
to what you do now as well.
741
:who do you generally end up working
with as a business sounding board?
742
:Is it mostly business owners or
people inside other businesses?
743
:Who do you really help?
744
:Phil Fraser: So I work with business
owners rather than something
745
:like C Suite or stuff like that,
although I suppose I could.
746
:So if you're a business owner with
between three and fifteen staff, half
747
:a million turnover to three million
turnover, I find those business
748
:owners are still, whilst, they've got
businesses making money and, things
749
:are starting to work, there's lots of
bits in that part of the journey where
750
:they're still learning and they don't
know what to do, or they're stuck, or
751
:they don't know how to get to the next
stage and that Is my sweet spot and
752
:they're the people I tend to work with.
753
:I always start, with clients with what
does perfect look like in a year's time?
754
:And you think, well, that's a
simple question, more sales.
755
:And you go, well, all
right, it's more sales.
756
:What you really want to go.
757
:Well, actually, I'd like to
hit a million pound turnover.
758
:You go, okay, so is that the target?
759
:Well, actually, do you know what?
760
:I'd like to work four days a week.
761
:And I actually had this with a client.
762
:I want to play golf on a Friday.
763
:That's what perfect looks
like in a year's time.
764
:And then what I do with my clients
is I work backwards from there to
765
:build a strategy to deliver that.
766
:So that's how I help business owners.
767
:And I use a, I've got a five step very
basic strategy system, which I call the
768
:Fraser five step so that I can write
FFS on an email and snig it to myself,
769
:it's very childish very childish.
770
:and We use this five step process
to, to put a strategy together.
771
:So, okay.
772
:If perfect is.
773
:What do we need to do?
774
:What do we put in place?
775
:How do we make it.
776
:deliver?
777
:Who's going to do It
778
:Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
779
:And that's how I work with business owners
because they can control all of that.
780
:And that question, what does
perfect look like in a year's time?
781
:sounds really simple, but actually
when you think about it, it then
782
:really gets the brain going.
783
:So yeah, if anybody wants to wants a
copy of the FFS drop me an email at Phil.
784
:philfraser.
785
:co.
786
:uk.
787
:Happy to share it with you.
788
:It's a very simple document.
789
:You can fill it in yourself
or I can help you fill it in
790
:John: sounds good, Phil.
791
:Phil Fraser: And you can snigger
to yourself that somebody
792
:professionals for FFS in
793
:John: You know, if
794
:sometimes my mom listens
and she'll be she'll again.
795
:What's FFS?
796
:So she Googles that I'm coming back to you
797
:Phil Fraser: Sorry, Mrs.
798
:Ball.
799
:John: so that'll be in the show
notes for anyone who wants to come
800
:and check that and get in touch with
you and I think that sounds like a
801
:great form and a really simple a lot.
802
:I like that.
803
:It was really just You just ask
that question, what does perfect
804
:look like in a year's time?
805
:And then just, is that
what you really want?
806
:Is that what you really want?
807
:It's not that hard to drill into it.
808
:And yet we need those need to have
as business owners or entrepreneurs
809
:or whatever level we're in, really,
or business, that thinking time,
810
:that ability to ask the questions.
811
:One of like, one of my favorite books is
, The Road Less Stupid, if you've ever come
812
:across that, which is Keith Cunningham.
813
:And that's all about business owners
or business people asking themselves
814
:important questions and taking some
time out to think, but structured
815
:time out to think, where you're
asking yourself relevant and important
816
:questions, because if we don't plan
those times with someone like you
817
:or for ourselves, It doesn't happen.
818
:We just get caught up in the busy.
819
:So I really love that you're out there
giving people the opportunity to take
820
:that big picture, the overview and
have someone to sound stuff out so
821
:they can get clarity and create that
plan to what they really, really want.
822
:Phil, I hope people will
get in touch with you.
823
:It's been awesome having you on the
show and I really appreciate all that.
824
:Knowledge bombs that you've dropped
and the valuable information that
825
:you shared and that if only one thing
people remember from this is like what
826
:does perfect look like a year from
now or they remember the Q& A stuff.
827
:Awesome, we've done it.
828
:We've done our job today.
829
:So, Phil Fraser, thank you for coming
and being a guest on Present Influence.
830
:Phil Fraser: It's a pleasure.
831
:Thanks for having me on John.
832
:John: I really enjoyed the chat.
833
:I got the half with Phil and the fact
that we both shared understanding
834
:of that presentations and guest
appearances need to be entertaining.
835
:You need to have some value that
you're going to give and you need to
836
:be somewhat animated and have a level
of charisma about you whilst you do it.
837
:Over the years I've generally found that
people are unwilling to put themselves
838
:forward, often talk themselves down or
talk themselves out of being able to
839
:be that person who gets up and does the
training gets up and does the presenting.
840
:Without sometimes being put in
the position where they're told
841
:they have to do it or where there
really is no other option.
842
:But why wait?
843
:Because you may never really get put in
the position where you have to, but for
844
:something that can be so advantageous to
your professional growth and development.
845
:And you're positioning.
846
:You may want to consider how you
could be getting up in front of people
847
:in your professional life, whether
that's as a speaker or workshop
848
:leader, as a podcast host, as a
podcast, guest, all these things are
849
:going to enhance your credibility.
850
:And potentially your positioning as well.
851
:If you are a business owner,
852
:one of the things I will especially
be taken away from this episode is how
853
:to effectively run a Q and a session.
854
:And some of the great questions
that Phil says to ask in the right
855
:way that sets you up for success.
856
:I hope this has been great value to you.
857
:I'm going to be back next week with
another episode, which is going to be the
858
:follow on in my keynote creation series.
859
:We've already talked a little bit
about the keynote development and
860
:expert positioning that I've been
working on, now I'm going to take
861
:you forward into creating what's
called an abstract for the talk.
862
:And the actual talk
title and concept itself.
863
:So, it's going to be a fun episode.
864
:If you are writing keynotes or you're
interested in creating keynotes.
865
:You might want to tune him for that.
866
:And if you're looking for help with
your own keynote creation and delivery,
867
:you might just want to get in touch.
868
:And you're very welcome to do that.
869
:You can email me,
john@presentinfluence.com.
870
:Either way.
871
:I hope you'll stay tuned to the show and
will listening for the keynote series and
872
:for future interviews, guests that I have
coming up, I'm getting so many wonderful
873
:guests coming forward for the show that
I can't wait to bring them all to you.
874
:So wherever you're going,
whatever you're doing.
875
:Have an amazing week.
876
:I will look forward to
seeing you next time.
877
:Bye-bye.