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Remember when you were a child ? Fearless , confident , happy to say anything to anyone ? Lots of us were like that , but at some stage along the way social conditioning crept in and we began to conform . Of course , conformity is important , but it can also hamper our natural confidence , and when we lose confidence we perform less well in public . Put simply , to succeed in public speaking and presentations – whether that ’ s to a room full of delegates or trainees , in a meeting , or simply getting your point across during a chat at the water cooler – it pays to rediscover your inner child .
So just when do we lose our natural confidence ? Probably earlier than we think . Take the daughter of Open Dawes Training ’ s Managing Director Chris Dawes . She is a confident , chatty , happy eight-year-old . But Chris was very surprised at what happened when she was given the task of presenting to her classmates . She became nervous – and Chris knows exactly how that feels .
“ She had to research Viking Gods , then stand up in front of the class with her Power Point presentation . We helped her get the presentation together , and then
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it came to the point where she wanted to practice . She absolutely froze and broke down in tears the first time and didn ’ t want to do it . It is quite staggering how early in life those nerves start to affect us , and a lot of that is down to the need to conform in school and society , and actual or fear of mockery by our friends or peers . Our natural abilities and confidence are , to a certain extent , hammered out of us , which is a huge shame .”
Chris swapped his ‘ Dad ’ hat for ‘ trainer ’ and swung into action . Just as he does with all Open Dawes Training clients , Chris videoed her first practice session .
Through training , Chris helped her overcome her nerves and improve her performance . Then she practised again and Chris took a second video . The difference was remarkable , and you can see the before and after videos on the Open Dawes Training website here : www . opendawestraining . co . uk / blog / presenting-as-your-inner-child / or search for Open Dawes Training on YouTube .
“ I talked to her about the fact that giving a presentation is just like having a
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conversation , and also reminded her of how much she had enjoyed researching Viking Gods , and how to get this enthusiasm across . We discussed how the feelings are caused by adrenaline , which we release when we are excited or nervous , and how we need to change whether we see them as a positive or negative . Then to take a deep breath , smile , and make eye contact at the start , to USE the adrenaline rather than let it CONTROL us . We talked about how to slow her pace and to talk with the audience . Not to read from the slides as a script , but use them as notes to remind her where she was going , and to animatedly describe her points .”
Chris ’ s daughter then made her own notes including : be confident , pause , smile , make eye contact . The training paid off , her presentation to school , according to her teachers , was excellent and her classmates thoroughly enjoyed it .
Open Dawes Training runs CPD accredited public speaking and presentation training in groups and for individuals . These are delivered online but can also be delivered selectively , inhouse or at the company ’ s head office training centre in Swindon .
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If you ’ re ready to rediscover your inner child and learn how to deliver great presentations , then contact Chris and the team . Email enquiries @ opendawestraining . co . uk or call 01793 238259 For more information visit : www . opendawestraining . co . uk |
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In most cases the overwhelm , panic and firefighting is because cash flow is tight , there is no capacity in the business and nobody to delegate work to . A remarkably simple and cost-effective way to introduce capacity without the cost of another new employee is to consider a good Virtual Assistant .
A good VA will introduce immediate capacity and then I can help you plan , develop the structure , processes , procedures , to allow you to regain control and breathe again !
I work with multi-million organisations yet there has to be a starting point - where you do find that first hour ?
I was in this very scenario myself during a very busy period in late 2019 , I had been
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recommending Claire Weaving from Angel VA to a few of my clients and I had a dawning realisation I probably needed her help too . It was time for me to ‘ walk the walk ’.
I knew strategic decisions needed to be made , so my overwhelming treadmill could start to be addressed and I could give greater attention to the clients who needed my help .
After an initial meeting it became apparent how cost effective and invaluable this was going to be for me . Claire and I discussed the rapid growth of my business and we then structured a process where appropriate tasks could be handed over easily . This included :
• Social media posts & scheduling
• Basic video editing
• Blogs , case studies , newsletters
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• CRM system
• Presentations , banners , brochures
• Website updates
• Research campaigns
I have worked with Claire ever since and like many who ‘ take the plunge ’ was kicking myself for not doing so earlier !
Recommending a VA is now often a first step in helping a business owner take back control , freeing up time to focus on the growth and success , then we begin the process of structured change with fantastic results .
To discuss how you can get control back and take your business to the next level please get in touch .
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Paul @ pchbusinesssupport . co . uk 0771 500 8521 |
28 www . tbeswindonandwilts . co . uk |