Building and Protecting your Reputation |
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Like many people, we're opting for short staycations this year, and last week we stayed in the charming town of Ely.
While I'm not particularly religious, I do marvel at religious buildings that were created hundreds of years ago by teams of builders over decades, working with simple tools.
The construction of Ely cathedral began 950 years ago and took over a century to complete. That's even slower than the Crossrail project through London.
Best of all though, on a perfect summer's day, it provided the backdrop to possibly the best beer garden in the world. |
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I've been to several gigs there in the last few weeks, and I can't speak highly enough of it. They've just become the UK's first grassroots music venue to receive carbon neutral status.
They serve superb vegan food in their cafe too, and even for a meat eater like me, the pasties and pizza are splendid!
Take a look at their website, and drop in to see a gig if you can. |
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There are still places on my annual speaker programme in September. Two to be exact. If you want to give a huge boost to your speaking career, with one-to-one coaching from me every month for a year at an astonishingly reasonable cost, check out the details here. |
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 | As the Olympics draw to a close, I'm looking forward to the Paralympics, and in particular to the performance of someone I've got to know - World Champion long-jumper Stef Reid.
I spoke to Stef just before she headed off to the Rio 2016 Olympics, where she won a silver medal.
She spoke about the ups and downs of being an athlete, and her hopes for the future. I wish her well in Tokyo.
And there's also a great song from Roseanne Reid - (no relation to Stef), who is the daughter of Craig Reid of the Proclaimers - who will be on my radio show again soon.
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The MediaMaestro is musician, beard aficionado and bass player in ZZ Top, Joseph "Dusty" Hill, who passed away this week.
“We are saddened by the news today that our Compadre, Dusty Hill, has passed away in his sleep at home in Houston, Texas,” surviving members Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard said in a statement.
“We, along with legions of ZZ Top fans around the world, will miss your steadfast presence, your good nature, and enduring commitment to providing that monumental bottom to the ‘Top’. We will forever be connected to that ‘Blues Shuffle in C.’ You will be missed greatly, amigo.”
What a perfect tribute. |
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The MediaMug is Digby, Lord Jones.
He's been complaining about a BBC presenter, Alex Scott.
Apparently he's upset by what he calls her elocution. Actually he was moaning about her accent.
He said on Twitter "Enough! I can’t stand it anymore! Alex Scott spoils a good presentational job on the BBC Olympics Team with her very noticeable inability to pronounce her ‘g’s at the end of a word.Competitors are NOT taking part, Alex, in the fencin, rowin, boxin, kayakin, weightliftin & swimmin"
Clearly he understood her perfectly, so comprehension is not an issue. He also decided to have a whinge about the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, for doing the same thing, despite the fact that she clearly communicates well.
Basically he is saying that his accent is correct and other people should jolly well agree. Oh dear. |
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Speaking Tip - Fit to Speak |
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You don't need to be as fit as an Olympian to be a speaker. However, fitness is important, and not only for your speaking performance.
Speaking can be bad for your health. Often, gigs are in the evening, sometimes after a meal. There's a lot of sitting around involved, whether you're travelling to a gig or performing from home. And on top of all that, there is the stress of preparing and delivering a presentation to an audience, who may have been "instructed" to be there.
In my view, it's more important than ever for speakers to keep themselves fit and healthy. Even the way that you look on the platform or on screen can affect whether you get re-booked. If you look and sound well, you'll get a better reaction - particularly if your topic is reducing stress or finding a balance in your life.
I'm by no means a paragon of virtue when it comes to being fit and healthy. However, when I'm away for a speaking gig or preparing for a virtual event, I make use of my running gear and swimming trunks, so I can take the opportunity of any leisure time. I also find that activity - even a brisk walk - helps to clear my brain and keep me sharp. Of course, like you, I avoid alcohol and too much caffeine before speaking. (I freely admit to having a drink or two afterwards though).
There's no need to go mad about your fitness, but if you devote a bit of time to looking after yourself, you'll be a much more effective speaker. And you'll feel better too. See you in the swimming pool.
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Media Tip - In the mixed zone |
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At every major sporting event, competitors have to pass through the mixed zone. It's the place where they meet the media, who conduct post-event interviews. It can be a challenging time, especially if they didn't perform to expectations.
You may find yourself in a media interview while you're feeling stressed and unprepared, and possibly also annoyed and frustrated. How do you cope when you're in the mix?
The first thing to do is to be media-ready. That means knowing what your core message is, and how to deliver it in a sentence or two.
Secondly, you can keep it very brief. The longer you speak, the more likely you will say something you didn't want to. Once you've said your piece, make a polite withdrawal.
Thirdly, review what you said. The way to get better at media interviews is to understand how to do the next one even more smoothly.
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Social Media Tip - Pick your battles |
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It's easy to get caught up in a debate on social media. No, let me re-phrase that. It's very easy indeed to get caught up in a debate on social media that turns nasty.
It's been said (possibly by me) that all you have to do to start an argument on Facebook is to post something and wait.
Of course, we all want to defend our point of view. One of the reasons we post things is that we want other people to know what we think. However, getting into a heated debate can mean time wasted, frustrations felt and anger raised. None of that is helpful.
So how can you avoid getting embroiled in escalating tit-for-tat discussions? Here are a few tips.
- Make it clear whether you are posting fact or opinion
- If you are posting a fact, provide a verifying source
- Stay calm at all times, and never insult anyone
- Limit your responses - three times is enough
- Call in an expert on the topic if you know one
- Delete any sweary comments and warn the commenter that they will be blocked next time
- Declare the debate over after a decent time, and turn off comments if necessary
- If a thread gets really out of hand, delete the original post
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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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