"Opened Dawes" Podcast Ep 13: Does Practice Make Perfect?

Show Notes

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.

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This week’s show looks at the impact and virtues of rehearsing and practising, and the answer may not be what you expect…

This show can be watched live (and previous shows recorded) from the following locations:
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www.opendawestraining.co.uk
www.chrisdawescomms.co.uk
www.opendawestraining.co.uk/connect

What is "Opened Dawes" Podcast?

Open Dawes Training is a public speaking, presentation and communication skills coaching company, with the key motivation of the company being to help people open doors that they may not even know exist yet, with increased confidence, willingness, and skills to present and speak in front of/with others. The podcast is taken from the live weekly "Opened Dawes" Live video show, where founder Chris Dawes dives into the key areas that make the difference with "public speaking", whether that is for those who are too nervous to do it or those who want to "up their game", whether that is for presentations, presence and participation in meetings, delivery of training, sales pitches, demonstrations, or even just communication with others in the best possible way. Chris Dawes: "My key ethos when I formed the business is that we are not, and should not be trying to create the mythical blueprint of the "perfect presenter", but unlocking each person's own personality, growing their confidence, helping them to be in control, organised, and of a quality that will make them become asked to do it more often, and no hesitation in their acceptance to do so. Apparently, public speaking is a soft skill, but it is a soft skill that gives your core skills a voice! Everyone owes it to themselves, and it is priceless to all of us that get to listen to them share their knowledge, experiences, passions, enthusiasm, and opinions. It gets them, their organisation, and their product/service recognised and appreciated, and helps us to grow and become more empowered from what they have to share."

Good afternoon, I nearly said
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to it. My name is Chris Dawes,
founder of Open Dawes Training.

And it is a pleasure to have you
along. And for this week's show.

I want to address does practice
make perfect. And I want to kind

of look at two distinct areas.

And that is the rehearsal side
of things. It's fairly obvious,

and we want to look at that in
more detail. But also picking up

that some people have said, Oh,
I don't need training, because I

do plenty of them. And I want to
address where the practice

definitely makes perfect on that
front. And I'm talking about

habits and they're not always
good. I'm going to start with

rehearsing though. And where the
rehearsal element tends to come

from is that people are used to
thinking, well, I've got a

script, I've got to memorize my
script, I need to rehearse it

and get it completely off
patter. Well, the script element

is actually the the number one,
just trying to bring the

microphone a bit closer, the
number one source of nerves.

Because people are paranoid, I'm
going to forget what I'm going

to say, Well, if you are trying
to memorize a whole script, the

likelihood Yes, you are because
you're gonna be nervous oil,

you're up there, your minds
gonna sort of go your squirrel,

it's gonna go somewhere else, no
matter what you do, people are

gonna get involved with comments
with actions, and something's

just gonna sort of take you away
from what you want to do. And

this isn't a scripted drama,
where you need to, to memorize

your your lines, this is all
about sharing information,

whatever that information
happens to be, whether you are

standing up giving a
presentation, whether you are

providing a training course,
whether you are actually

participating in a meeting, and
you've got something to add to

this meeting. It is the same
thing with just sharing

information. So we cover a whole
area on on scripts and content

where you're better off having
just bullet points saying I want

to cover this, this this this in
this ideally in that order. But

you know what? It's not the end
of the world. If it's not an you

know, it's not unheard of that
you're there with a pen and you

take it off as you do it to make
sure that all I need to go back

to that because I didn't cover
that. So what do we need to

rehearse? If I'm advising people
that that's an easier and a

safer way for you and a better
flow and personality that will

come out? If you do it that way?

What do I actually need to
rehearse then it is important to

rehearse but it's it's how
you're doing it, you're not then

trying to deliver what you're
going to say verbatim word for

word. It doesn't need to be,
I've seen some sort of bits of

advice where it says, you know,
in practice, you know, where

you're going to smile, where
you're going to laugh where

you're going to do this way. And
it's like, really, how unnatural

is that going to come over? You
might have a preconceived idea

of idea, you know, I'm gonna
sort of like Mike drop at that

point, I'm gonna do this, I'm
gonna, whatever. And that's

fine, you've got performance
ideas in your head. And that

gives you some ammunition in how
you're going to deliver

absolutely fine. But don't get
caught up on it. Allow yourself

to just flow naturally, because
that's where the personality

will come out. Maybe your
personality isn't about cracking

jokes about being dramatic about
being emotional. Whatever your

personality is, as long as you
are allowing yourself free to

just share that you're going to
be able to do it. So what you

actually rehearse is your
intended flow to make sure have

I got the all the bullet points
that I need, right? Yep, yep,

yep, yep, yep. And I'm going to
flow I'm going to then talk

about this and I'm going to go
on and talk about that.

I won't be going and doing that
whole presentation necessarily,

in exactly how it's going to go
right. So now I'm talking about

this and I know that I will be
mentioning that these are the

facts and these are the stats
and you then notice any gaps you

may have in your knowledge and
you go oh I need to check what

is the latest stats on that and
that could be added to my note

sheet that I would have in front
of me. Okay, so it's that

percentage it's that many out of
100 or whatever it might be

great, I've got that so that I
can instantly going Would you

believe that even to this day,
public speaking is the number

one fear and death is number
two. Obviously I do remember

that but if you got more
detailed stats, you're able to

look down at it and just fill
yourself with the confidence

that you can just go Yep, there
it is. That's what I need to do.

Remember what I've said I'm sure
I've said it in this countless

times is try to get away from
putting sentences in your bullet

points because the minute you
put sentences human nature is

that we will read them as in
read them as we're looking at

them and also read them as we
are speaking them out as well.

So try not to do that too much
it will throw you whether you

intend it to or not it will help
you to fill those gaps it will

help you to fill the gaps of
things you might not know enough

about does it mean that I should
get someone involved in this

with me an expert that might be
able to help do I need to go and

do some more research then also
practice the flow of your if

you're using presentation slides
go through it make sure that the

slides are in the order you want
them to be that it's got the

right level of information on
there that the any animations

happen in the right order I've
had that loads of times and it's

worse if it's one you do repeat
it repetitively, but you just

kind of tweak it and literally
realize oh no, it's now gone.

That animation comes up before
that one because I changed a

number of things but the
animations don't necessarily get

to just rehearse to go click yep
click and I'm talking about this

and I'm talking about that
because what this means is that

once you get up there and you go
with a clicker in hand your

presentation behind you so
you're looking at your audience

rather than turning your back on
them which is a massive no no in

my book is that you're able to
just relax and and go through it

and let everything happen a lot
more naturally with personality

we've also now I've talked about
we've gone through we've

rehearsed the flow so that we're
confident right is that the

order that I wanted to be at you
know what I want to put that up

here because that will lead into
that quite nicely and that will

actually justify that point that
I've made there. But also

remember the key point I made is
that it's not the end of the

world you know no one knows your
script your content your

intended order other than you so
there's no problem you've got

something that makes sense as
your utopia and you allow

yourself to go through it but if
you get taken in other

directions you're able to look
down and go oh I still haven't

covered that but yet let's put
it back in remember that if you

have rehearsed the flow I've
lost my train of thought there

you go so you this is an
important part by the way is

that if you have not scripted
and done it exactly right you're

able to react a lot more
naturally to when you suddenly

forget something to when you
just lose your train of thought

I'm sure we've all done it where
you're they're going I was about

to go somewhere and I've
completely forgotten what it is

they make that comment that it
will come back to you when

you're not thinking about it
well that doesn't help me but by

the way cheers this ever coffee
it but

you're able to react a lot more
natural you're able to take it

in your stride if it's not this
sudden oh my gosh I've forgotten

my script I forgotten what I was
gonna say next it doesn't matter

you know it's a lot more natural
for you to just go through it

now so that is my simplified we
go into more details I'm sure

you can imagine on the training
but simplified in terms of it's

it's what do I rehearse just
rehearse the flow, get yourself

comfortable, make sure you've
got no gaps that the the order

you intend to do is about right?

That the slides flow in the way
that you expect them to do that

you've got anything that you
need to prepare. So if you're

going to speak up in a meeting
and you know which point you're

going to do it Have I got
everything that I need to give

people because that's backing up
my point. Great. I've got

everything. I'm good to go. How
it then happens on the day. It's

Wednesday. I don't know And that
is the beauty of it is that you

are able to just be free and
share that information. However

it happens. I've done numerous
instances where I've presented

sort of like, I think the most
ideal is five times in one day,

the same presentation five times
to different groups. And every

single one of them will have
been that little bit different.

I think it was good for my
sanity, that they were a bit

different, just sort of switch
up a little bit. But it is

important to just be natural.

Ironically, the more natural you
leave it, the more natural you

will be. I know it sounds like a
silly thing to say. But

everybody gets hung up on,
right, I've got to have it

exactly as this. You don't. Now,
in terms of practice, and I'm

going to particularly pick up on
you know, people say, Oh, well,

you know, the more I do, the
better I'll become you Yes, to a

certain extent. But I mean,
because Aristotle made the

quote, We are what we repeatedly
do. Excellence then is not an

act, but a habit. But Napoleon
Hill also said one bad habit

often spores a dozen good ones.

And who's to say you haven't
clocked that that is a bad habit

at the moment.

It might not come across well to
the other people in because it's

now become a habit just because
you're doing it time and time

again, doesn't necessarily make
it right now, people who no Open

Dawes Training in the philosophy
that I tried to create in our

programs is very much about
there is no blueprint of a

presenter, it's mythical, it
doesn't exist. Don't try to be

your favorite presenter. Be you
just a slightly exaggerated

version of you. Sure, but still
you. So that means that whilst

we're not suddenly trying to
completely change you, what we

do need to look at and see
right? What are the bad habits

that you have. And I've worked
with people that have had all

sorts I've had people that maybe
get up on stage, and their bed

bad habit is is the physical
communication, and they pace

rapidly from side to side of
that stage. And it doesn't come

across well. And so what that
is, is go and write just because

that was your go to action. It
was your stress relief, it was

your crutch doesn't make it
right. And so we work on getting

rid of that bad habit. If they
habitually I'm an urge or have a

stock word, we try to get that
sort of wheedled out of people.

If they're too fast, it's
probably causing the arms and

the stop words. But equally, it
can be difficult for people to

really soak in what you're
trying to share with them. And

so we'll try to get people to
maybe slow down the eye contact,

do they do enough eye contact?

Do they look at the screen,
rather than that their audience,

you know, or they're just some
examples off the top of my head

of some bad habits that can
sneak in. And it's important

that we work on those and help
people. This is why not only do

we work with people that can't
talk won't talk. But people that

are are presenting regularly,
aren't particularly worried

about it, they don't get
excessively nervous, they sort

of take it in stride. They love
the adrenaline, they love the

buzz of it. And they're pretty
good. I've worked with some CEOs

of multinational organizations
that I've got to say a pretty

good, and sometimes I initially
sit there and go, right, okay,

what are we going to work on
here? This is good. But what

they've identified is they want
good is not good enough. They

want to take it to a whole other
level. That doesn't mean that

that we arrogantly sit there
going well that we can do that,

because we're better. It's like,
No, you sit back and you watch

somebody and see what their
attributes, their skills, their

real things that stand out about
them. any bad habits they may

have picked up, that would be
better if they weren't doing

that. And you then fine tune
those people. And that's what

they're there for, like sports
people that still have coaches,

no matter then potentially being
the best in the world. They'll

still be constantly working to
fine tune and just get that

little bit better. And that's
what those people do. So we get

to work with the complete
spectrum and it's wonderful. So

just doing lots of them does not
necessarily overcome all of the

things that stop you from being
I'm going to put the air quotes

sorry I hate doing those but the
air quotes have perfect, there

is no such thing as perfect, but
it's like the best possible

version of you, which is
probably a moving target anyway.

You need to get yourself to the
stage that right I have

confidence that I know my stuff.

I don't therefore need to be
worrying about that I don't need

to overthink it. When I
rehearse, as I said, I'm going

through making sure there's no
gaps, there's nothing that might

be out of date in what I'm about
to share, right? That's there

and I know my stuff. So the
fluff or the sizzle, as I call

it, that I'm going to wrap
around the facts and the figures

that I'm about to share. I get
to relax and just do that and

have fun. I remember when I
first started commentating. And

I think this stood out to me
more than when I was doing the

business presentations. And when
I first started commentating,

especially when I went further
afield, and I saw I got a like

from Nigel forest. Thank you for
that, my friend. He's up Oulton

Park direction, and this is
where it sticks in my mind, I

was at the Nikkor Brook
commentary box, for the first

year that I got had the
privilege of being able to

commentate there. And I think
back to it now and I cringe. I

obviously got away with it
because I got more opportunities

thereafter. But I cringe because
everything I did was thinking,

I've got to remember the corner
names, I've got to remember the

driver names, I've got to
remember the cars I've got to

remember the championship
histories, I've got to remember

what's coming next, I've got to
remember the corporate

responsibilities of promoting x,
y and Zed I've got to remember

when to hand over to my co
commentator, and then doing the

grid and doing it this way. And
everything was all about, oh my

gosh, I've got to remember this
I've got to do that. I've got to

do that. When I became what I
call subconsciously competent, I

no longer needed to remind
myself of the corner names. I

had a system in place that made
sure that what I couldn't

remember in terms of drivers or
championships or latest I had on

paper in front of me if
anybody's been tried commentary

box, they know it's normally a
bomb site with information

everywhere. But it means whilst
ongoing and always find what

crutches Do you need in place?

So that I could literally go for
a fraction of a second I

panicked, oh my gosh, I can't
remember but look down there it

is bang, there's my answer. So
remember when I said rehearse,

fill in those gaps. That doesn't
mean that you necessarily fill

in gaps in what you've got. But
you certainly go all Do you know

what, that's one area that I
can't remember the exact detail

the exact fact the exact figure,
right, you know what, that I'm

going to just quickly add down
there so that I've always got it

if I need to, to look down. So I
had my system. As soon as every

all of that was taken care of. I
then got to be me. I got to have

fun. And I made some wonderful
friends up there at Oulton park

in that first year. That still
to this day, sadly, I haven't

been up there for a little
while, because of being pulled

every here, there and
everywhere. But because we had

fun I interacted I was a person,
you know, allowed my personality

to connect with their
personalities, and we had so

much fun. And it worked,
thankfully could have gone one

or two ways, admittedly. But
you've got to have the

confidence that you know your
stuff, there's a reason why you

are presenting about what it is
you're presenting as a reason

you are providing training on
what you're providing training,

there is a reason why you're
about to speak up on this

information in the meeting.

You're not about to speak up on
someone at about someone else's

information. That's that
department. That's their

expertise, they're about to do
that. But I'm here from this

department with this experience,
and I've got the confidence that

I'm going to do it. So once
you've done that, you then let

your personality out, you let it
flow more naturally, which

ironically, will make you feel a
lot more confident and

comfortable, as well as how it
will be received from others.

Things such as you know, to pick
out some of the areas that we

work on pace, pauses, body
language, and movement icontact,

all those kind of things that we
work on in our training, they

will become more natural, excuse
me, more natural, more

expressive, and they will become
the habit for you. So whilst

we've said yep, keep going
practice. And the more

presentations you do, the better
you can get. As long as it is

the right things that you're
doing. If it's the wrong things,

again, air quotes, or your
you're doing is the wrong things

coming out more naturally.

doesn't necessarily make it
right. So this is the key thing

to know your staff work out what
you need to work on. Get

mentoring or whatever if because
that's the other thing. We don't

just provide training. We
provide mentoring, ongoing

mentoring for people create good
habits, not bad ones.

And that's the key and that as I
said a minute ago about myself.

It's a constantly moving target
and that's the fun of it. We are

expressing we are sharing
information, knowledge,

passions, experiences, opinions,
heaven forbid, all of those kind

of things. But remember, you've
got the information. This is how

I intend to go. Have I Got any
gaps? Does any visual aids? Do

the visual aids flow in the same
way? Do I need anything visual

physical with me to support that
or to hand out, that has got me

in order, I am now ready to go.

And I can just press the start
button and let it flow. If I

lose my train of thought, if I
forget what I intended to say,

how I would have liked to have
said it, I don't end up having

this complete meltdown in front
of everybody. I just relax and

go, nope, it's gone. I'm gonna
go this direction instead. And

I've got this crutch in front of
me that says, I can go back,

suddenly, the whole thing feels
better, comes across better, is

received a lot better. And
you're ironing out all your bad

habits. So practice on its own
does not necessarily make

perfect to answer the question
that was posed for this

particular session. But it can
do if you are gradually working

on ironing out your bad habits.

The question is, do you know
what those bad habits are at the

moment, if you're able to record
yourself, preferably on video,

so that you can see as well
because there's a lot of

physical things, or at the very
least, you know, audio record.

And listen back. Don't be
hypercritical about yourself.

Don't try to, you know,
paralysis by analysis and

micromanage and all of those
kinds of things. But just look

at it and go wow, yeah, do you
know what? That's not great. I

know I have to keep doing the
thing is that I can become too

expressive with my hands, I can
sometimes get too quick, I can

sometimes get too loud. Depends
on the room, whether that's

right or wrong thing to do. But
I will always have myself at a

slow enough pace, for example,
that you may have noticed that

there isn't much in the way of
arms and ORS when I am

presenting, that's not a
mythical thing that, you know,

wow, what a genius I've managed
to do. And now it's all my brain

is always ahead of my mouth. My
wife would disagree with me

there. I'm sure I have no doubt.

But I'm always able to be
thinking ahead, slow down my

voice instead of being too
quick. And I'm then able to sort

of pause, keep the flow steady.

And not an urge, the thinking
has already happened instead of

pausing and going. What's next.

I don't need to do any of that.

So it is a lot more natural. So
practice on its own, doesn't

necessarily make perfect
rehearsal isn't about overdoing

it, you know, memorizing your
lines and getting them all

right. It is about making sure
you're comfortable with what

you've got with what you know,
with the flow of it in an ideal

world, and then just let it be
natural. Let your personality

out. So that's it for me. Thank
you very much for listening to

or watching Episode 13. As I say
listening to because this will

also become a podcast later this
week as well. It's been a

pleasure, thank you for
listening in. Keep practicing,

keep doing those things. Keep
thinking about what you're

doing, keep taking the
opportunities to speak in public

present, provide training, speak
up in meetings, having those

conversations in general with
people even when it doesn't

necessarily feel natural,
whether it's at these networking

breakfasts or whatever, have
those conversations. And that's

the key thing, have
conversations, and I hope you

can feel it even with this is
that I'm not trying to stand

here presenting. It's a
conversation, even though you're

not physically here. It's still
having a conversation with

people. That also feels a lot
more natural as well. And do you

plan before you go down to a
pub? Right? This is the

conversation I'm going to have
this is how it's going to go

this is of course we don't allow
yourself to bounce, allow

yourself to be reactive. Just
have your core information ready

for you to share with people.

For myself, Chris Dawes Open
Dawes Training. Thank you so

much for joining us, and we will
see you next time. I need to

have a think about what the plan
is possibly about the having the

confidence of our inner child is
nothing better than having the

confidence of a four year old in
a Batman t shirt.

So I might have a little look at
that next time. But for now,

thank you very much and we'll
see you next time. Cheers. Oh

bye