Performing in an Interview

Grant Leboff: Michael, one of the things that you point out in the book which I think is very important, and people don’t think about is this idea that when you’re being interviewed, and it could be an interview situation, but it could also be radio, TV, whatever, it’s actually a performance…. I suppose most people don’t think of it as a performance in that way. So if they are performing, how does someone make sure they perform to their best in that given time?

Michael Dodd: I don’t want you to act when you’re giving answers because I want everything to be totally genuine, but you do need to realize that it’s more than just trying to inject facts into your audience. You actually do need to perform in some way. Actors are great to interview. If you ever interview an actor, you’ll find typically they’re really good at telling stories, capturing imagination, appealing to emotion as well as giving useful information. They are performing in an interview. They’re using their thespian skills to do that. I want people to do the same thing in the business world. Typically, I have to get this message across to finance directors and numbers people particularly when they’re poised or being trained to become the chief executive because they have a different role then. They have to make sure that they’re really people focused, as well as hitting the right targets, et cetera.

It is important to plan, prepare and actually practice. If you go to the theater, and you see a great performance, someone does Hamlet, and you see it on the opening night, you think that was fantastic. Opening night, how are they that good? The answer is what have they been doing for the last couple of months? They’ve actually been planning, preparing and practicing. Sure, they’re not making it up as they go along and having to react to questions, but nonetheless they are performing. When you’re in the spotlight whether it’s on TV or whether you’re the head of the company, and everyone is watching what you do, then you need to make sure that when you are in the spotlight, you are performing. You need to pay attention to what your body is doing. You need to pay attention to how you sound, and you need to pay attention to your script. That’s why when you’re doing a Q&A with the staff or with prospects who might be interested in investing or buying from your company, you are performing. You need to be aware of that. I say get over it and perform in a way that helps you get your message across.

Grant Leboff: What is the best way? Someone who is not experienced at this, and they’re not used to doing it, what is the best way to prepare? What are the key things they should be looking to do in terms of preparation?

Michael Dodd: It is about planning, preparing and practicing. If you actually do the planning, and you actually think what does this audience need from me? What are the kind of questions they’re likely to ask, and what are the great messages and examples that I can get across? When you’ve got that under control, and you’ve actually thought about it, you don’t need to write out every word, but you do want to think about it and do practice in a mirror. Actually, even better, if you can get someone to record you on your phone or their phone and play it back, you can get to critique yourself in advance, and that’s good. I actually train people in this, and it is really important to actually have those training sessions before big occasions.

If you’ve actually cut the neural pathways in your brain, so you’ve actually got a really good idea of what lines you’re going to be coming out with in response to certain questions, your answers could be so much better. It allows you when you know what you’re going to say, it’s much easier to be aware of having your hands open, for example, which signals you’ve got nothing to hide, and you’re really keen to engage with the person asking the questions and the wider audience. You’re also much more in control of your voice. If you know what you’re going to say, then you can think I’ve got this fantastic number, 247,000 happy customers. You can say it in a way that sounds genuine even though I just made that up. You can actually come across and perform when you’re giving out numbers or really important facts, so that you are actually having the right emotional response from the audience which you’re seeking.

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