Driving Business Growth and Overcoming Leadership Solitude: Insights from Business Sounding Board Phil Fraser

Present Influence

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