Building and Protecting your Reputation |
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OK, I know it's not to everyone's taste, and may not be to yours, but I do enjoy the annual festival of over-the-top stage sets and even more over-the-top performances that make up the Eurovision Song Contest.
We all know that the UK won't win, and Greece and Cyprus will give each other full marks despite the quality of the songs, but it's a lot of fun if you like that sort of thing. This year, my gorgeous wife Heather has provided me with a treat - six beers representing past winners. I can't guarantee to drink them all during the performances, but I will definitely savour them over the weekend. I hope you have a great time whatever you're up to. |
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On Monday afternoon, at 3pm BST (UK) and 4pm CAT/CET, my co-author Paul du Toit and I will be going live on Facebook with a free storytelling masterclass.
We will be offering our professional advice based on over 60 years of joint experience. and drawing on material from our book, The Exceptional Speaker.
I hope you can join us. |
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There was a great response to my chat with two performing legends last week.
There are still a few tickets left for Crowd Sauce, the online family-friendly show on Thursday May 27th at 6pm, which stars Neil Mullarkey, Josie Lawrence and Steven Edis on keyboards.
It's ridiculously good value, at less than a tenner for priceless entertainment. You can get tickets from The Comedy Store website, and you'd be mad not to. |
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 | Steve Postell is a singer/songwriter/guitarist/composer and producer.
Over the years, he's worked with David Crosby, Jennifer Warnes, John Oates and many others.
He recently won a “HOLLYWOOD MUSIC IN MEDIA AWARD” for best song in the Americana/Roots category for his song “3:45 Coming Through” (which you can hear in the show)
He was an absolute joy to chat to.
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The MediaMaestro is HBO, for bringing together the cast of Friends for a reunion show. After a teaser trailer last week, an actual trailer was just released (see below).
It was due to be filmed and broadcast last year, but, well we know what happened.
It's not a new episode of the show, but features the actors themselves, and many guest stars, talking about the long-running series and its impact.
The reunion will be broadcast on 27th May in America, and probably the following day elsewhere.
And yes, it's called "The one where they all get back together". |
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The MediaMug is actress Gwyneth Paltrow, Her company has just been sued for after a customer said that one of her products exploded. The product was a vagina-scented candle (I'm not making this up).
Colby Watson, from Texas, said he bought the 75-dollar "This smells like my vagina" candle from Goop's website in January.
After burning it for about three hours on his bedside table, he alleged the candle "exploded" and became "engulfed in high flames", according to a court document.
He said the blaze left a "black burn ring" on his bedside table and the candle jar was "charred and black".
Thankfully, no injuries were reported.
I know what you're thinking. He paid seventy-five dollars for a vagina-scented candle. Hmm.
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Speaking Tip - Are you more interesting than a phone? |
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More than ever, it is difficult to keep an audience engaged.If they are in your virtual audience, you often won't be able to see them. Even if you are using a system that allows you to see faces, people will often turn off their camera.
For speakers who have been used to watching the audience and gauging their reaction, having no feedback can be disconcerting, But for anyone who has done radio or TV work, it's a normal day at work.
So how do you engage an audience that you can't see? Here are a few tips.
- Always talk to individuals. and use singular language. Never "How many of you have...?" but instead "Have you ever...?"
- Tease an outcome "In a few minutes I will be revealing...."
- Speak with warmth and a smile
- Know exactly what you are going to say - no long pauses
- Make a connection to their experience "You know when you're looking for a parking space..."
- Use simple words and avoid jargon
- Most of all, be interesting!
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Media Tip - Be a reliable expert |
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All reporters love a reliable source - someone they can turn to for a ready quote to include in a story when they're on a tight deadline (ie 100% of the time). You should make every effort to become a reliable, expert source, because then you will receive press calls on a regular basis. As your name becomes more familiar to press and public alike, your expertise will become common knowledge.
People tell me that I'm lucky to have so many press contacts. That's true, but luck is only a small part of it. Whenever I speak to a reporter, I try to help them do their job. I don't over-promote either myself or my business. I don't need to, since the reporter will often do that for me. The rules of engagement are simple -
- Be contactable - always give the press all your contact details
- Be reliable - always return calls and emails from reporters as soon as possible
- Be brief - offer the sound bytes they need
- Be honest - never make false claims
- Be professional - never tell a reporter how to do their job
- Be useful - keep up to date on your business area
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Social Media Tip - E M Forster and LinkedIn |
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Author E M Forster was gone long before social media appeared. There is a link, though. The epigraph to his great novel, Howards End, was "Only connect!". The novel, often considered his masterpiece, was about social conventions, codes of conduct, and personal relationships in turn-of-the-century England.
Alas, many people online seem have taken him literally. Every week, I receive around a dozen LinkedIn connection requests from people I don't know and have never met. I don't have a problem with that if there is a genuine common interest, and they have contacted me to explain it.
So I respond to what looks like a template message, often including the phrase "I loved your profile.." by asking them what in particular interested them. I received two marvelleous responses. One said "All the stuff you do", and the other said "Your great work and your very interesting business". Needless to say, I did not accept either connection.
When you offer a connection request, make it personal. Show why the connection might be mutually beneficial. "Only connect" is not enough.
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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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