"Opened Dawes" Podcast Ep 3: Treat it as a Conversation NOT a Presentation

This is the podcast of  “Opened Dawes” Live, which runs weekly as a live video show on YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn at 11 am on Tuesday mornings so that we can throw open the doors and welcome you in for a relaxed sharing of information, tips, thoughts, and answering any questions about public speaking and presentation/communication skills you may have.

So, make sure you set the reminders for the shows on Facebook or YouTube (links below) as they are scheduled online and get involved.  The stream is designed to be interactive, with comments/questions able to be shown and attributed on screen.

This week’s show looks at how you can switch a mindset, which will naturally also switch your style!

This style will help your nerves, your delivery, how you are received, and the level to which your information can be digested and connected with.  It may seem like a throw away statement, but by “having a conversation” with your audiences/meeting participants rather than falling into the rigid presenter/reporter mindset and method will have huge benefits for both you and those listening to you.  The discussion includes how tone, emotions, attitude, inflections, etc. are all affected by this switch.

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This show can be watched live (and previous shows recorded) from the following locations:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/OpenDawesTraining/live

YouTube:
www.youtube.com/channel/UCnwlPiWylgEDLrwemI8ZZjw (or search YouTube for Open Dawes Training and click subscribe to be notified)

Thanks to:
www.opendawestraining.co.uk
www.chrisdawescomms.co.uk
www.opendawestraining.co.uk/connect

Transcript

1:16

Thank you for listening to the Opened Dawes Live podcast. This is actually the audio taken from our weekly live video show that you too can get involved in or watch past episodes back by going to Facebook, YouTube or LinkedIn and searching for Open Dawes Training. That's da w e S. For other ways to connect with us go to Open Dawes training.co.uk forward slash Connect. There you'll find ways to communicate with us free downloads and information about our training programs, whether that is face to face online, or a blend of the two, all designed to help people grow in confidence, willingness and skills to communicate in public. Whether that is giving presentations or speeches, providing training, having great presence or communication skills in meetings, or just having those difficult conversations effectively. public speaking is a soft skill that gives your core skills of voice and can open doors that you may not even know exist yet. But for now, let's dive into this episode of Opened Dawes Live. Good morning, welcome to Episode Three of open doors. Have you ever considered how different it feels in the audience? When someone's actually having a conversation with you rather than directly presenting at you? And have you considered how different it would feel for you? What today's show is going to look at how it probably is the thing that made the biggest difference to me, is the time that I suddenly went right. I'm no longer going to try to present, I am now going to have a conversation, and it applies across the board. My name is Chris Dawes. I'm the founder of Open Dawes Training. And I have spent What are we now over two decades, giving business presentations over a decade of Motorsports commentating hosting awards. And yet this applies across the board. Genuinely, it has made the biggest difference to me, I would say. And I want to try and share that with you today. So that you can feel a lot more comfortable, you can feel a lot more in control of your delivery, you can feel a lot more connection with your audience. And it therefore just has so many knock on effects that it is is a massively powerful difference for me. If you're watching either on YouTube or Facebook, please do drop comments, questions, anything at all, we can see them come up below here and I can answer them, I can put them on screen if appropriate, keep them clean. But we can do all of that. Listen, if you already do it, you feel that you have a conversation with your audience, you feel totally relaxed, you have a two way interaction with them. This live might not be for you. probably still worth watching, just to see if there's any tidbits but for the majority of us, I know that I spent many, many years doing the same thing at university and in business where you just suddenly switch into right I've got to present and I've got to remember everything I'm saying and I'm going through it. If that is you potentially and you're not sure, then this video will hopefully do it. It is to open you up relax you and and get even more out of it. And by the way that that applies whether it's given a presentation, whether you speak up in a meeting, whether you're giving a training, and as I found is that I still apply that stain, same style, when I'm commentating as well, whether that's to a few 100, or whether it's to absolutely 10s of 1000s of people, I still do it, I like to have a conversation. And I think one of the nicest compliments that I get with regards to my, my commentary, the biggest compliment I get is that the audience the crowd, say that they feel like I'm talking directly to them. And I love that I really appreciate that feedback. And it, I try to understand what what does that mean, how am I doing that? Because I'll be brutally honest, it was a pure luck thing, I didn't go into that going well, this is the way it should be done. I was just, frankly, a kid in a sweet shop. So lucky that I was up in the commentary box. And I was getting to talk about my favorite sport, and get all excited about it. And I suddenly realized it was no, it's kind of a legacy of what I do in my presentations. I'd like to have a two way conversation. Now it may be me speaking because I'm giving a presentation. But you still, hopefully you can see I'm doing it now is that we're basically we could be start opposite each other. In a pub. There's a thought with that son pub garden, that's even better. And it will go pub garden looking at this weather out there. But we could be just having a conversation with each other, I don't need to suddenly talk at you. And I think that's the difference talking with rather than talking at. And it really, you know, relaxes the whole thing. Now the irony is is that this is there's two distinct sides that I feel this impacts us in terms of our level of nerves, our control, the way that we deliver the way that we recall information. But equally in terms of your audience and how you receive it. Just sit there for a minute or stand if you're standing. Don't tell me if you're laying down. But if you're there, think of a time when you've been watching a presentation, watching a training course even if it's via webcam, and somebody is delivering information to you. Which ones do you remember most? And I'll venture a guess because I've spoken to many people about this and looked into it as I'm sad like that. That's why I don't get invited to dinner parties very much, I think I know. But it's the ones that that you feel connected to the ones that are delivering that information in you know in flexions and change of tone is important. And we'll cover that in a future live. And of course, we go into a lot of detail on that in our training courses. But it's where it feels like you are having a two way conversation. It doesn't mean that I'm actually directly involved in saying things, but that two way conversation could almost be kind of, yeah, good point. Yeah, yeah, I see what you mean. And I'm interacting within myself, because it feels like I'm being invited rather than information just being Bang, bang, bang, bang thrown at me, in a news reporter kind of way. The best thing I can suggest is that if you're going to speak up in a meeting, deliver a presentation or a speech or a training course, if you're able to get it recorded, either via video, or at the very least, audio. Audio is really, really useful. Because if you're not seeing your visual clues, and we cover visual clues in more detail in a future episode as well, it's really good to be able to actually listen to it and you can go I was smiling then I was looking directly at somebody and and interacting with them at that point. And you can hear yourself doing that in your conversational tone. But let's go through it in a bit more detail what things can get into in your have an impact with thank you for the people that are like in Hi, Jeff endo. Hi, Lisa pink. You're over in Australia. Lisa, you're welcome from all the way over there. Great to see you guys. Remember, put comments, put questions, anything at all, it'll be lovely to hear from you. First one, and I've already been touched on these, but I want to go into a little bit more detail. Hi, Carl Alden. Hello, my nerves, the impact on your nerves. Now if you psychologically have said, right, I've got to now stand up. And I've got to give a presentation. This was the big issue I had. When I was at university, I could be out in a pub holding coat with the lads. No problem, I'd probably be the loudest the one cracking the most jokes. And they were jokes honest. And hello, Chris pa pap apart. Good to see you see that we can put people's comments up there. So do keep them coming in any questions as we're going along as well, or your thoughts were and your experiences, put them in there. But so I would do that in a social environment in the pub, whatever. Cracking the jokes have in the chat, loud, brash, whatever, probably a pain in the neck, frankly. But as soon as we I did a business and IT degree and we were regularly having to do presentations. And as soon as I had to give this structured presentation, I would stand up. And I would just melt. Not the same person I was when I was out. And it was ridiculous. How can I go from this person with this with this level of confidence to suddenly freeze. And it was because right I've now got to give a structured presentation and I've got to go through I've got to remember everything I'm going to say I'm going to deliver it all I've got an order that I'm going to stick to forget it. Throw that away. I'm going to go in a lot more detail in a future. And we certainly in our training, talk about things like scripts and content, and how the audit doesn't matter. You're the only one that knows. So you could literally have a bullet list of points and go I want to cover this, this, this and this. Guess what, you know this, this, this and this. It's what you do as a job. It's what you do in your life. So stick with it. But it doesn't as a guide to go Oh, haven't talked about that yet. Now have a conversation about those points, your nerves, I guarantee you if you could find it in yourself to just not actually be a presenter, and just have a conversation with your audience, you will relax into it. It doesn't mean it gets rid of that the nerves at the beginning. And when we cover nerves, we talk about how you've got it at the start. And you get over that hump and then you go and if you relax into a conversation, it will get rid of the controlling nerves. I think that's the right way to say I never like to say it gets rid of the nerves. It gets rid of the controlling or the debilitating nerves. And you are now into a free flow conversation about what you're there to talk about what you're there to pass on to people. And so it will make a massive, massive difference for yourself. Think about it. You could be bumping into someone that you've never met before. And it might be awkward at the start of that conversation. But as soon as it gets going, think about how you relax into it. And you're suddenly going oh yeah, yeah, I've just been there. I've done this. I know that I this is what I do. It flows. But if you just suddenly go right I've now got to do this, you will clam up So change the way you are thinking. Thank you very much, Chris. Very interesting. I agree wholeheartedly with your rationale. Thank you very much. Oh, by the way, if you don't agree, I'll always be interested to hear those as well. I will share those and greetings, Andy Sweeting. Thanks for your like there as well, Mike. So the nerves, it's gonna make a big difference. What about connection, the connection that you're going to have with your audience. And I've already touched on this really, so I'm not going to harp on because, again, this is an example I've done it slightly out of order. I earlier touched on a Can you remember a time when you have had somebody stand up and speak in a meeting. And they've done it conversational, rather than dictatorial law, or, or nervously you know, let's go from one extreme or the other very vague, right? This is the facts. Or maybe maybe this is the case, I think we've seen this. Well, from what we were looking at, the information we pulled together is x, y, and Zed, you know, to suddenly have somebody have a conversation, which could equally get somebody to start getting involved, it will make a difference to the connection with people. If you are delivering a training session, and you're doing it more conversational, you will get people bouncing backwards and forwards, and it's much more interactive. And you will form that connection. Equally. By the way, that connection has a very high chance of staying even after you've gone, that they will remember their love warm to you in some way or another. Not everybody likes everybody that that's kind of a given. But if they've had somebody that's that they feel that they've been, you know, getting a connection this person was, was having a chat with me about their information, and they were sharing it with us quite nicely. Well, they're the people that you're going to connect with. Whereas if somebody has just been there, and they've just been throwing all this information, you'll be they're probably scribbling some notes down, trying to learn desperately from it. But it doesn't mean that you will have connected with them that you will remember it that you will recommend that person to somebody else, that the bosses might remember your interaction. And therefore you stand the scope of, you know, promotion, or sideways steps, headhunted who knows what it could happen, it will always create much more connection if you're having a conversation with those people. Chris Mason, good to see you're my friend used to be terrified of public speaking. Absolutely. And I'm glad to hear that you've flipped over when we do nerves, we talk about how the nerves never go away, you've turned us the adrenaline to your advantage. So what I made, that's brilliant to see. And thank you for coming. And thank you for watching YouTube you're on. So here you go. It shows you whether the person is on YouTube, or Facebook when they're commenting. So welcome. Great to see you guys there. The flow now I've kind of crossed over this really in the fact that the flow is going to be better when you have a conversation. Now, when I say flow, people may have the misconception that the flow is I need to go this this this and this, it is always good to have a degree of structure. Obviously the basics is that you open up you introduce content. And then you close. We've also got in our training, we go into more detail of structure where we've got what I passionately believe in, have a towel show towel and break in your your, if it's a structured presentation, breaking it down where you tell them what you're about to show them, you show them it. So they have now understand what they're looking at. And then you tell them what you've just shown them so that you put it back into context. And you break that down, that doesn't need to be a rigid scripted thing is that you just know everything I'm about to talk about everything I'm about to present, everything I'm about to demonstrate or show. It is definitely very, very good to turn around and go, Okay, this is what I'm about to talk about. Now. This is why it's important. This is what you need to look out for. I'm obviously telling you the subtext of what you talk about there. You then do that. And you then give them the conclusion that so this was important. Imagine if you don't have to do X, Y and Zed anymore. That was why this was so powerful. Right next part, but that doesn't still doesn't need to be scripted. And you'd still make it conversational. My biggest claim to fame is that for the 20 years of presenting it solutions, I got accused of making it entertaining. Yes, really pleased with that word. And it was because I would you know be infused about it. But I'd be having a conversation about our document management solution. And I still go and do it now. I contract to a company called first office that I've known for many many years, and I still get infused and and present the it and make it enjoy Both interactive and make their minds think, you know, I haven't even got that as a point, but it does. If you're having that conversation rather than, right, pay attention to each point I'm making, you're allowing your audience to, to paint their own mental pictures to sort of like, you know, express their minds and, and think out and you're going to get even more impact from what you're trying to share with them. So, in terms of flow, once you're doing this conversation, and you relax, that goes, right, I've got my crutch. And I've got it here. I've got pieces of paper down here. Even now, I've got my krupps that says, right, don't forget, make sure you talk about this, this, this and this, okay, no problem. I then suddenly flow and it becomes a more natural something, somebody could say something somebody could look, somebody might even just, you know, not to go, Yeah, we got that. Or for me to be able to say Oh, and I can see that, that that resonates with you. And it becomes my mind. I'm terrible. People who've heard me commentate will know this in particular is that I suddenly get all squirrel, just suddenly lose my something else. And that will come into it as well. Well, I don't have a problem with that, I enjoy that. And when you're flowing, it allows you to do that my crutches there to drag me back again. So I never need to be nervous that I'm going to lose my flow, it's there, I can jump back on track. And it's my track, not anybody else's track, because nobody knows what I'm about to say. Anyway, that therefore gives rise to my next point is that it does actually give you more control over it. It sounds ridiculous, people sort of go, No, but I need, I need to just present I need to have a script, I need to have a rigid structure to have control. I don't agree. The minute you've given yourself that level, you put yourself on edge, I have to go A to B to C to D to E, and I have to remember it all, and I've got to memorize all this script. Now have a conversation, you may well have a preferred route through this. But relax, if you're having a conversation, it doesn't have it doesn't matter. You know, it's It is okay that you think about when you were in the pub with your friends or your family or, or you're sat around a dining room table at home with with family that we're able to do a bit more these days, aren't we, then it's, you know, you are able to go off on a tangent because of your mind thinking of something else or somebody else's comments or interaction or whatever it might be. And so you allow yourself that flow, then drag yourself back down again. So actually, you've got a lot more control and you'll be a lot more expressive naturally, you'll be a lot more expressive. I'm just looking at the comments coming in Chris Mason says all shiny things, I tend to wander off track a little too. To the point I'm not allowed to teach the marshals first aid I take too long. Mason, I know you would do that he's a he's a paramedic these days as well as working at circuit on the medical side. Great every request. It does. And I mean their lives where I go deeper in the mentoring, by the way is that I can have people that do this, but then suddenly go too far. You know why use one word when you can use 100. And some people say I do that as well, probably the day apologies. And there's a there's a fine line, you know, you need to make sure that you're still getting those points across, you're being engaging. And frankly, if you're flowing in a conversation, and you're using these knees, remember there's two eyes, two ears and only one mouth use them in that order is that you are suddenly look I'm starting to lose the audience. I've gone off on a weird tangent that they're not relating to, then you drag it back again. But again, if I'm just going, I've got to go through this got to get everything out, got to get everything done. There's no flow. There's no control. There's no interaction. That's one way. I've talked Anna, thank you, me. Always a pleasure hearing you on the mic. But I love your videos too. They also help on a personal level, as well as business point of view. Thank you. Thank you very much talk Tanner. That that really means a lot. And I've had quite a few people that have said ironically, this probably came both helping sports people interacting with media and sponsors and fans and professional people presenting and training and participating in meetings more. But people have said it's actually helped helped them on a personal level as well. And I can relate to that. I mean, people find it staggering to think that I actually suffer from generalized anxiety disorder. It doesn't go away but I've learned how to control it, how to manage it and things like that. So it can they you know, sorry, I've just seen another comment. And Chris, I'm going to come to that because that's a great point. No, I've lost my train of thought so you know what I'm going to carry on I'm gonna bring this one because this is absolutely perfect. Chris Paul says, mind you, I've been out with reps, and I'm assuming you mean sales reps there. That worked for me who talked themselves out of business 100%, you've got to know when to stop when to be quiet. But don't forget, that's exactly the same in a conversation. The worst people in the conversation are the ones that again, they're talking at you. So that's still not a conversation, a conversation is very much a two way thing. Even if it's not them verbally getting involved, you're paying attention to their eyes and their ears. And it's like, shut down, which is the same as in terms of presentation techniques, is that I also talk about how pauses they're just as important as the sound. And it's often amazed me in training where people have gone well, I'm always worried about pausing or stopping, because people will think it's over. And they might jump in. Well, first, if they jump in, there's probably a reason for it. But secondly, no, you are the one that is presenting at the moment to pause allows them to digest. It allows you to regain everything, and it enables you to then flow with your conversation afterwards. And Mic drop moment, you know, it can be that really powerful. Just make the point and, and emphasize it and just really let it hammer home. So you're absolutely right. Chris, it is about you know, making sure that you know when to shut up as well. As I say, I still think that's relevant to a conversation, you're more likely to know when to shut up if you're thinking of it as a conversation. Whereas if you're thinking, presentation, I've got to go, I've got to keep going, go go go go go all the way through it. That's when you're less likely to stop because you're there going, I've got to get to the end. And Chris taken your comment about, you know, reps not knowing when to shut up as well. And with my sales and marketing background, I'm with you and I had to learn in my early days is that you keep going because in your head, you're going no, but I've still got this bit to present to them. Sometimes you don't need to, sometimes you can go Do you know what I've achieved what my goal was, whether that was selling your product or service, whether it was, you know, convincing the powers that be that we need to do X, Y and Zed whether it was letting the knowledge sink into these people that you suddenly go Do you know what, I don't need that this conversation has achieved what we wanted it to achieve, it is reached the goal is hit the nail on the head, I'm not going to do that. So I'm going to stop. But when you are presenting, you're in your head going I've got a B, C, D, E, F, BB, I've got to cover all of that and I'm flowing from one to the next, throw it out. Honest to God, my advice is just throw that out and be and be a little bit more flow. When someone turns to you says right boardroom five minutes, I need you in there to present about that. No problem piece of paper, I need to cover this, this, this, this and this, right. Let's see how it goes. I'm gonna have a conversation about these points. That's what they need to understand. That's what they need to learn about. That's what they need to be aware of whatever it is to go with it. Like the title for that. Yeah, over formalizing I like that, Chris, over formalizing that makes sense that that is a good title for it. It really is. speed. Now, I'm going to do enough. In fact, the the next week's Opened Dawes Live is going to be about speed speed is of the essence. And I would say in terms of the verbal delivery speed is the one that will make the biggest difference to you and to your delivery. Because you need to be in control of what you're going to say. You need to have your brain ahead of your mouth at all times, you need to be in control of your breathing. And you need to allow your audience whether it's physical or on a camera, to have that time to digest what you're conversing with them. Now, if you are having a conversation, you've got a better chance of being in control of your speed. It means that it's not always staying slow, there are times that you're going to suddenly speed up in your conversation. Think about in the pub in the garden, watching the football on Sunday as I was you suddenly getting excited, your speed goes up, whether that dramatically emphasizes what you're saying. But the conversation is also going to enable you to slow it down and be in control. Whereas if I'm just quickly going towards getting everything out, and I've got to let everybody know this, there's a chance that you're going to have yourself speaking too quick. Especially if the nerves are in control. And remember, we've got this, you know, ever diminishing circle of nerves where you know, we're suddenly taking the They all layers off that are reduced in any way. And by having a conversation, I've got less nerves. And because of now having a conversation, I'm more in control, which means I feel less nervous about being out of control. And you see how it all happens? Well, naturally, you're going to be able to control your speed a lot more anyway. So a conversation will flow much more naturally, and you'll be able to play around with the speed, your interaction with your audience is always going to be there, the tone, if if you just present I mean, this is huge one for me. And again, tone is a subject on its own that I've started playing around with, you know, trying to do a video on that to sort of really discuss it. And I don't mean, changing your accent or anything like that. I mean, the the impact you're going to have on your audience, you know, the the, the way that they are going to receive that information, the attitude that you are giving off, that will be down to your tone, you know, are you angry about it? Are you excited about it? Are you quite nervous about what you're saying? playing around with your tone, and even down to its basics of that you need to be able to raise up and down in your voice, change the inflections change your tone? Well, the minute people become a presenter, we almost sort of like think that stereotypical old fashioned news presenter where suddenly I'm getting everything out and I become a lot more monotone. The amount of people that you watch the thing, that's not the person I know, they have literally become a presenter. What I love in our training is that you we do the video at the beginning, you shoot yourself, record it, you know, you record, you don't shoot yourself, you record yourself. So just to clear that one up for legal reasons, is you record yourself, given a presentation, whether it's about yourself, whether it's about your product, your services, your company, whatever it might be, and we lock it away, we don't look at it, we lock it away, we then go through all the training. And then we do it again at the end. And you watch it back. And they sit there and suddenly go, wow. And the biggest thing is that they have become a stereotypical presenter in that one. And just suddenly they've given all of this because I've got remember this and I've got to think about that. Whereas the minute you relax into a conversation, and you get that information across the difference that they see between the two, and of course, it gives them that confidence. If you remember last week's if you haven't seen last week's go back to see Episode Two that was about accepting that you go on this journey from consciously competent to subconsciously competent. So you don't you know what you're doing. But you've got to remind yourself, you've got to think about it, you know, when we're learning to drive, and we're still thinking mirror signal maneuvers, and we've done enough now to be able to pass our test, but we then need to drive for a period of time, before we become subconsciously competent, where it happens naturally, well, it's the same with this is that you, you might suddenly kind of go, oh, I've just flipped into presenter mode, again. Deep breath and start interacting back with your audience and just get back into it being a conversation all over again. And you were relaxed, a lot more, your audience interact a lot more, and what you're sharing will flow and be received in the right way. You know, I think that that's a big one is that we do a big thing about trying not to dogmatically and dictatorial II go this is the this is the facts, this is it, this is the way it is, but actually present that, you know, almost like a buffet for them to take as much or as little as they want. You know, it will make a difference. We talked about recall as well. Sorry, I have let me put this into context. You might go Have you? Yes, I have. But let me explain what I mean by that. Is that your audience will recall more. Now you remember, don't you is that I said that? Which presentations or training Do you remember most? And it's the ones where you felt a connection with the person doing it. And so the recall for your audience now, that could be training, it could be a presentation, it could be you know, just that you are in a meeting and you've got all the department heads there and and everybody's got to say their pieces. You're going to recall what those people said better. If you felt that natural connection, it was a conversation, but equally for you. Because you've definitely heard it happen for me here is that as I Converse, I've got these bullet points and I kind of go right I want to now touch on this element. And I will bring it up as is but I then flow into a conversation about it and I expand on it. And I had it the little fluff. I've got a big phrase is that you know sizzle and steak. The steak is your knowledge your product, your service, your financial figures, your objectives, whatever it might be that you're about to share with someone that is the steak. But if you just went steak, it's not quite so good. If you had the sizzle, think of this the state platter when it comes out, and it's sizzlin. Oh, I can hear that in my mind now and my gosh, I'm suddenly hungry. Yeah, it makes a difference, that sizzle is then the fluff that we add to it. That gives it context that gives it principle that gives it the wow factor. But if I just presented the sizzle on its own, without the steak, that wouldn't work either. So we are enabling ourselves to flow a bit more, add more, more sizzle to it. So we remember the steak because that's what I do day in, day out. I've got the reminder. But because it's a conversation, I can now naturally add more sizzle, as we go more real life experiences, etc, etc. So it makes a big difference. This might seem ironic with how I've kind of gone squirrel a few times. But it does help you focus it honestly, trust me, it does, even with my style here is that it's enabled me to sort of just suddenly go, oh, yep, I just want to touch on the focus element, you know, it's there. But I've been able to flow about each of the areas I want to talk about, but still in a conversational mode. And I've allowed myself to focus on each point in turn, and have a chat with you about it. I hope that makes sense. And I haven't got excessively, you know, wofully with you there. But it really, it, it made the biggest difference for me when I went from paralysed by fear, to being able to present to university then into sales and marketing, for you know it and things like that. And then into commentating. And when I host awards, you know, I try to make it interactive for anybody who's who's, who's been party to be hosting, not just awards night, but you know, lifestyle events, business events, things like that, is that you add some some personality to it, you don't just go right, I now need to go through this. And the winner was and this was that ad make it conversational, and it will just flow. So it really worked for me made the biggest difference. To then lead on to all these other bits. You know, I've talked about speed and you know, emotion and all of those kinds of things. It feeds into enable those to work as well. So make sure you try to put some practice in, try to get yourself having a conversation, think about what you're like when you're with friends and family and colleagues. And it flows and do exactly the same. Even if you're stood on a stage with a lectern, try and do exactly the same. In the physical conversate, you know, communication, we talk about making eye contact. And we talk about smiling and things like that, well, that will help lead you into a conversation, you're actually having a conversation with your people, I'm going to cover at some point about doing it via webcam, because of course, we're having to do that a lot more these days. And I think that'll stay to some extent. And in that one, I sort of covered this, imagine that, you know, you are all there in that camera. It's you know, it's just going to suddenly bring this one your audience are there and you're able to interact with them. But you might have to create it when I do stuff for TV. And we got the big camera there is that I remember the first time I kept looking into the camera man looking for, you know, confirmation you're doing okay. And that looks terrible. And so I learned that you just look into this big black hole. And you imagine your audience are in there. And you are having that that conversation. If you think about it, when I'm up in a commentary box, I can see 1000s of people all around me around the circuit. But I can't really see them close enough to know whether they've smiled, nodded, laughed, understood, or whatever. So you have to kind of in your head just kind of go. They did you know, I laugh at my own jokes and the hope that they have actually done it as well. So it's it's really important, I'm just going to put this up and the sweet and I don't mean doing award ceremonies, I have what I want to say in my head, but when it comes to the crunch nine times out of 10 I tend to lose it and rush the delivery, actually and in what about flipping that on its head? Do you lose what you're going to say? Because you've rushed the delivery? Think about it, it doesn't matter exactly what you're going to say. And I know what you you're talking about there when you've suddenly got to, you know present the trophies and things like that, that people have done particularly well and they've won this, this particular award from your organization and what have you. And if you kind of go right well, I know that Who is I know what they did to deserve this, you know why we've picked them out. So that's it, that's all I need. I'm now going to just breathe, relax. Like I say, have a conversation about it, and not worry about it, you know who's to say that you've lost what you're going to say, because nobody else knows what you were about to say, as long as you get the key information out that it was this person. And this is what they did to warrant it, the rest of it, slow down and just get excited about it get humorous about it. That includes By the way, if you are a nervous, perturbed person, that's part of your personality. And that can come out in the way you say it. And you don't need to make it you know, hide the elephant in the room, it is what it is. But slow down. So you might find it's the other way around, you don't lose it, and then rush the delivery, you're rushing to delivery, possibly makes you lose it a lot more, as in lose what you're going to say I'm assuming you mean, there. But I'm 100% with you exactly where I was. And that's why I'm speaking in this way is that I was there. And I know exactly what you mean. Sometimes you do have that. Just take a breath, and go a little bit more, add a little bit more, add a little bit more, and you're gonna be able to achieve it for you. So I hope that that was useful for everybody try to turn it into a conversation relax. Andy says, Yeah, I think I tried to over deliver, maybe possibly, or you're met, you're over structuring, you know, you're trying to over deliver something structured, minimize how much of that is structured, and then just entertain or add personality for the rest of it. There is no wrong. The only bit that would be wrong, is the who won it. And why? Well, as long as you know, I know who's got it, I know why they've got it, how I'm going to deliver that, let's see. And the beauty would be actually if you were told to go and do it there. And then a mile down the road and a mile down the road to different people. But exactly the same awards. What I would love to hear is that you actually did it completely different for all three, that sorry, let me change that not completely different, just different. So that actually there was like, you know, you suddenly added a different sizzle here, and the differences are there. That's because we're having a conversation and it's flowing, and you suddenly go, Oh, that's quite funny. That makes sense. That is good. And you do it and someone else reacts in a different way. And you suddenly go, oh, that would make that relevant here. you slow down, you've allowed yourself to converse and be a lot more fluid a lot more natural. And that's what you're trying to go for. And remember something you're not trying to be a blueprint present, or a blueprint, awards host or a blueprint, CEO in in a meeting or whatever it is. You're being you. But the problem is, as soon as we go, got to be presenter, we're not getting you we're not actually getting to enjoy an experience your personality. The minute you calm that down, and you can be you that's where we're really gaining and no one can be you better than you. Think about that for a minute. No one can be you better than you. I can be Chris Dawes. And that's all I will ever ask myself. If people end up not particularly like and because I can't change that, that I'm not in control of that. And I shouldn't lose sleep over it. But I'm being the best version of me my personality, my knowledge is being shared and all of that sort of stuff, but I'm being the best version of me. And that's all you can ask of yourself. Chris Mason says just starting my award in training and education award now so these lives are really helpful. Our Chris I'm so pleased I'm really am pleased. And don't forget is that these said if you're watching on Facebook, then please make sure you go to Open Dawes Training. You can see how that's how that is spelt. 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Or some reason it's not on the Open Dawes Training and Well, hopefully you've got it on some of them they're tagged on at the top Tanner sorry, keeping control of my nerves and being relaxed is my big movie in the room when talking in groups, but it's getting there. 100% now, top 10 it definitely go to the Open Dawes training.com Uk forward slash Connect there is a free download that touches on nerves covers our top five out of the 15 that we cover, in a PDF for you to have a look at and you know, try to sort of gain control, the nerves will never go away. I get nervous. Whether I'm even before this, I was stood here for 10 minutes before we went live and I was controlling my breathing and everything. The nerves Don't go away. It's not about the absence of the nerves. It's about changing the perspective, the perspective of some of them. It's about learning how to manage some of them so that they diminish. And then it's about using the adrenalin caused by the remaining nerves. I have said the day I don't get nervous anymore is the day I will stop doing it because it means I don't care, or I've got arrogant and complacent. And that comes across in the presentation or the commentating or the hosting or whatever it might be. And I think that's terrible once that happens. And so I've said, If I get Don't get nervous anymore, that's it, not doing it anymore. So don't panic about the fact that you get nervous talk Tanner. And we will cover this in more detail in a future. I can't remember which episode that's going to be in. So stay subscribed and you'll see it. This is something very close to my heart. It's why it really this was created because I've managed to find a way to be in control, use the adrenaline, but definitely This will make a big difference. If you tried to have a conversation with your audience rather than present, the switch in your mind will make a difference the same as speed, which is next week's show. It will make such a big, big difference for you. There's no question about it. Right. I hope that that was used was to say early so I keep coming to that don't know, please go and have a look Open Dawes Training code at UK either just to that or put the forward slash connect and it just takes you to a page and it's just got all the different ways that you can connect with us open doors. If you're on YouTube, or if you go you can be on YouTube, go there and click Subscribe and turn on the notifications you put once you click subscribe a little bell will appear to the side, click that and turn on notifications. And it'll tell you when either lives or new videos are released. You know, they're designed there to help you to try and guide you. 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It's called Open Dawes Training because it opened doors for me that I never dreamed possible, I cannot believe how lucky I am the things I get to do. The doors that you open will be totally different for each and every one of you. But if you don't allow your voice to be heard, allow your knowledge to be shared, to let people know what you are good at and what you know and what you're passionate about. That's the only thing you can guarantee then is that you won't be able to go any further with it. An expert silent in a room isn't really an expert. They're not sharing it, we don't know how good they are. And it's unfair on them and everybody else. So it is about opening those doors, don't second guess what they are. Just go for it. Say yes more often to talking up in a meeting or presenting or providing training, put your hand up to volunteer to do it. And then make sure that you're doing it well. And stay tuned for all of these that will just help you sort of do those. Rest assured, as I said earlier, this is us my whole principle here is that I am not about trying to create a blueprint. This is how it's got to work. We're not all the same. We all have different traits and skills and classes. I'm all about unlocking that instead of being the reserved version of you so we don't actually get your personality. I want all of your personality, in a conversation, sharing your knowledge, your experiences, your passions, your beliefs, all of those things. It empowers others, and it opens up doors for you as well. I hope that was useful for you. And I look forward to seeing you all again very very soon. For myself, Chris Dawes. Have a very good week. I'll see you next week. Thank you for listening to Opened Dawes Live. I hope you enjoyed it and it was useful. Remember, go to Open Dawes training.co.uk forward slash Connect, to find out more about how you can interact with us and how we can help you