Building and Protecting your Reputation |
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In the latest round of allegations and counter-allegations about what happens in the corridors of power, the former advisor to Boris Johnson, Dominic Cummings, gave evidence to a Parliamentary committee.
I have no idea whether his accusations were true or not. However, he is a well-practiced communicator. He began with a personal apology for his mistakes, and then calmly presented his side of the story, and answered questions from MPs with carefully-crafted responses.
I very much doubt that Boris Johnson or Matt Hancock will be sending him Christmas cards this year. |
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This week, Paul du Toit and I presented a free storytelling masterclass on Facebook. It's a condensed version of what we do in our day-long masterclass (smiling delegates pictured)
We had a lot of lovely comments from viewers, so we decided to put it online permanently.
Or just click on the image below. |
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 | Sean Weafer is not only my best pal, he's also a prolific author.
I chatted with him a few days ago about three of his latest books about trust, both online and offline, how to coach and invoking the feminine.
It was a tour de force.
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The MediaMaestro is James Newman, who competed for the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest. OK, he came last and scored no points, but he's taken it extremely well.
Asked if he'd do anything differently, James said he "wouldn't change a thing". "Maybe people just didn't like my music," he added.
"We tried as hard as we could. I need time to process what it is that we could have done better."
James says he's got support from loads of people, including Coldplay's Chris Martin, who Facetimed him on Monday morning.
"He told me to not take the result personally, said I was amazing and told me to keep my chin up. I've grown up listening to him, he's an amazing songwriter so it made me feel so much better."
I wish James every success. This may be just the thing to get him a lot of work....
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The MediaMug is Bitcoin.
A poster plastered over London's public transport by cryptocurrency exchange Luno said: "If you're seeing Bitcoin on the underground, it's time to buy".
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the advert was misleading and left out important risk warnings. Advertising must be clear that the value of investments, unless guaranteed, could go down as well as up, ASA rules stipulate.
The poster should also have included risk warnings that both Luno and Bitcoin are unregulated leaving consumers with no regulatory protection.
Luno said the ads would not appear again and that future ads would feature an appropriate risk warning.
And Bitcoin doesn't work on the tube payment system either. |
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Speaking Tip - How to be Churchillian |
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Winston Churchill was a fine orator. I'm often reminded of him since he was the MP for my part of London, and his statue is just up the road. Here are a few tips to help you emulate him in your speeches.
1) Rhythm and Repetition. Like many great orators, Churchill loved to deliver repetitive phrases that gave his speeches an almost musical rhythm. Here's an extract from his "Fight them on the beaches" speech. "A miracle of deliverance, achieved by valor, by perseverance, by perfect discipline, by faultless service, by resource, by skill, by unconquerable fidelity, is manifest to us all." The repetition of "by" and the wonderful language used makes the words sing.
2) Analogy. Churchill was an expert at delivering a ringing phrase that became what we'd now call a meme. For example "an Iron Curtain" or "the Few". You may not be able to deliver phrases that are so widely used, but consider what analogies you can invoke to make an idea more memorable.
3) Cut, and cut again. The length of your speech is not a measure of its impact. Churchill used to pare down his speeches to the bare minimum by taking out every word and phrase that didn't support the main message. It meant that his speeches were often only a few minutes long, but they were immensely powerful.
4) Try out phrases beforehand. Churchill was well known for asking friends what they thought about elements he was considering using in a speech. He would test phrases over and over again, and use them only if people reacted well. Never be afraid to try out parts of your speech on people you trust - and take their advice! |
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Media Tip - Be re-bookable |
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If you want to be a regular guest on the media, there are only three basic requirements. You need to be:
- Interesting
- Memorable
- Available
That's it. If you are dull, difficult to get hold of, or completely forgettable, your media career is over before it has begun. (Of course, I'm not talking about the witty, charming, helpful person that you are, I'm simply pointing out where your competitors go wrong).
Getting repeat bookings on the media is really important. Some people try to make a career out of a single appearance on CNN, but it looks desperate, particularly if it was more than five years ago. (And don't ever put a broadcast video on your website without the broadcaster's permission). For example, I appeared as a guest on Sky Business News every Thursday morning for four years - over 200 appearances - and it was only then that I began to be recognised as a "TV expert".
So how do you get a regular slot on TV or radio? Be nice to the show's producer, and mention what else you know about when you come off air. Make sure they have your contact number at all times - even when you are on holiday. You may not be able to make the interview, but if you can be helpful over the phone, they will remember.
Be patient, keep in touch (not too often - monthly is enough) and don't be pushy. If you're good enough, your time will come. |
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Social Media Tip - Four Social Media tips |
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Various things are said about social media; "Content is King", "Engagement is everything", "The future is video" etc, etc. The fact is, no-one really knows, but there is one common theme - your social media content has to be interesting. So let's look at a few ways to up your game, using information from the platforms themselves.
1) Post more images Statistics from Facebook say that photos get seven times the amount of likes, and ten times the number of shares over content that only links to a page or is just written content. That's worth having. Add images whenever you can, but make sure you have permission, or use your own.
2) Post shorter pieces on LinkedIn, and longer ones on Facebook Conventional wisdom suggests that Facebook is for short and chatty posts, while LinkedIn is for longer more serious posts. While the sentiment seems appropriate, according to LinkedIn, shorter posts get much more engagement. Facebook stats show the opposite.
3) Go hashtag mad on Instagram Figures from Instagram show that hashtags are the main way of finding content, and that up to fifteen per picture are normal.
4) Think about voice and tone Your social media voice should be consistent - it represents your brand and what it stands for. Your tone of voice, however, should vary between platforms, just as suggested in tip 2. If you master both voice and tone, you'll be doing a lot to improve your social media presence. |
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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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