Building and Protecting your Reputation |
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Many of us have been working from home for over a year, and though there's a gradual return to workplaces, it's clear that not everyone will be going back full-time.
This week, the BBC published a survey of the top fifty companies in the UK, asking them what their plans were for home-working.
Some 43 of the firms said they would embrace a mix of home and office working, with staff encouraged to work from home two to three days a week.
Four firms said they were keeping the idea of hybrid working, working from home some of the time, under review.
So that's the overwhelming majority of big companies planning to keep the changes that have been forced on them by the pandemic. That will have an impact not only on them, but on all of us. Will office space be freed up and turned into living space? Will some companies abandon their offices altogether? And will we miss the commute? (No - Ed.) |
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Sometimes film sequels seem to happen every few months (Police Academy 27 anyone?), and sometimes they can take a very long time to appear. But now it’s time for The Railway Children two.
The sequel will follow a group of children who are evacuated to a Yorkshire village during World War Two, where they encounter a young soldier who, like them, is far from home.
Sheridan Smith will star alongside Jenny Agutter, who is reprising her role as Bobbie Waterbury. The iconic Keighley & Worth Valley Railway from the original film will also feature.
I wonder if there will be a scene to rival that one? You know the one..... |
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 | I had a wonderful chat this week with Keith Christmas, a man with a remarkable musical heritage. He played acoustic guitar on David Bowie's Space Oddity album, and has toured with many bands, including The Who, Hawkwind, Roxy Music and The Kinks.
He's looking forward to getting back on the road soon, and if you get the chance to catch him in concert, grab it. His guitar playing is phenomenal.
We got on really well, as you can hear in the Media Coach Radio Show , where he talks about creativity, live gigs and his latest work.
There's also a great tune from his latest album Life, Life. |
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The MediaMaestro is a restaurant - the Churrasco Grill in West Derby Village, Liverpool.
They shamed four customers who ran off without paying the bill into apologising and returning to settle up after threatening to post their pictures on Facebook.
The post, which has been shared hundreds of times on Facebook, read: 'To the four boys that was in Churrasco grill tonight [April 30] we are giving you a gentle warning to come back and settle your bill or your pictures will be posted all over social media as well as contacting the police.'
It worked. A member of the group returned to the restaurant to pay the bill, leaving a bundle of money and a note reading: 'From the lads the other day - sorry about that.' They left a seven pounds tip too. Quite right.
A Churrasco restaurant manager later added: 'We wanted to give them the chance to say we don't want to contact the police, we know times are hard and everyone is struggling' |
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The MediaMug is supermarket chain Aldi.
They have decided to start selling mince pies in June, in order to celebrate "Junemas" (I'm not making this up).
But the idea has been met with mixed opinions as many shoppers joked the German retailer is trying to "shift out-of-date stock".
In a statement on Facebook, Aldi wrote: "Let's be honest, last Christmas didn't have our hearts, and sleigh bells weren't ringing like they usually do.So we think it's time for round two. A proper Christmas where you can hug your nan, get the whole family together and go to town with all the trimmings. Just one thing. It's in June. INTRODUCING JUNEMAS. Mark your calendars for June 25th, look out for some surprises in-store and be NICE. #AldiJunemas."
I'm guessing that not many people will be decking the halls. |
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Speaking Tip - Slow and Simple |
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The great comedian and speaker Bob Monkhouse used to have a rule about speaking "If the audience members have accents that sound different to yours, then yours sounds different to them. Respect them by slowing down and keeping it simple". That's not as patronising as it may sound, and I think it's great advice for any speaker, in front of any audience.
The advice that I give most often to people I'm coaching for speeches is "slow down". There seems to be a tendency, particularly with people who don't often speak in public, to speak even more quickly than usual, perhaps in an effort to finish quickly. Alas, that can cause the meaning to be lost, since the audience isn't processing the information as speedily as you are delivering it.
Or as the great speaker and author Lilly Walters (pictured) put it: "The success of your presentation will be judged not by the knowledge you send, but by what the listener receives"
Similarly, the type of language that you use can have a strong impact. Some of the greatest-ever speeches were delivered in simple words. The aim is to evoke feelings, not to impress with knowledge and vocabulary. Keep it slow, and keep it simple. |
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Media Tip - Controlling the Message |
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Whenever I work with my clients on media skills, I talk about how to control the interview. Even though it may appear that the journalist has more control, a skilled and well-trained interviewee can ensure that it is they, rather than the questioner, who takes control of the dialogue.
Staying in control of your media message is crucial, not only in an interview, but overall. Here are five ways of staying in control -
- Plan your message carefully and critically
- Never contradict or undermine a previous message
- Get your "retaliation" in first, by countering any likely objections
- Monitor the media, and respond rapidly to messages from the competition
- Make sure that the competition is talking about your message, rather than putting forward their own
Easier said than done, you may think. Possibly so. But if you follow those guidelines, as well as learning how to control an interview, you will find that your time on the media becomes an enjoyable, as well as a profitable, experience.
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Social Media Tip - Don't outsource your voice |
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I've met many people who say that they are too busy to use social media. I've also met many companies who offer to run social media as an outsourced service. It seems like a natural fit for one to work with the other. Indeed, I know of examples where outsourced social media services work really well. I also know of examples where things have gone spectacularly wrong.
I post all of my social media messages myself. If someone receives a reply that looks as though it comes from me, it really does. For me, social media is about building and maintaining relationships, often with people that I know in person. We have a shared history of experiences and contacts that no-one else could ever be fully aware of.
I believe that it is better to send a few personal messages each day than dozens of impersonal ones. It really doesn't take long to respond to a tweet, post a few lines on Facebook, or upload a picture to Instagram. All of us have plenty of "downtime" when we are travelling (though not when driving), waiting for an appointment, or sitting in a bar waiting for friends to arrive.
Of course, if you work for a huge organisation, you have to outsource, don't you? Well maybe. However, even Richard Branson sends his own tweets at times.
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An online or in-person speech to make? I can help.
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The information in this ezine may be freely re-used in any online or offline publication, provided it is accompanied by the following credit line - "This information was written by Alan Stevens, and originally appeared in "The MediaCoach", his free weekly ezine, available at www.mediacoach.co.uk." |
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