The Media Coach | July 28th 2023 |
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Building and Protecting your Reputation |
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| It's been an interesting week. We were at our niece's wedding in Dover, which turned out to be a very jolly affair.
The wedding speeches were grand - the groom delivered his standing on a chair and toasting everyone in sight - and the celebrations were long and lively.
Unfortunately Heather ended up breaking her wrist after an enthusiastic bit of jiving, so we've been sampling the services of the NHS in various hospitals - all of which have provided magnificent service.
She's on the mend now, and the only after effect will be pinging the airport security metal detectors with the plate in her wrist - though I'm sure the security staff are well used to that.
Moral - at a wedding, jive gently.
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| A few places have opened up for my speaker coaching.
Six-month or one-year packages are available, and I'd be more than happy to have a chat with you about options.
There's also an intensive package if you have an important speech looming.
Drop me a line on alan@mediacoach.co.uk or call me on 07986 852621. |
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| This week's interview guest is a speechwriter and expert on rhetoric who has worked in the White House (quite a few years ago).
As a speechwriter, he literally had to become the voice of the President, a heavy responsibility which he told me he very much enjoyed.
I played his interview a few years ago, but his advice bears repeating.
Hear the wise wisdom of Pete Weissman in this week's Media Coach Radio |
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MediaMaestro, MediaMug of the Week |
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| The MediaMaestro this week is Sinead O'Connor, who sadly died at only 56.
She had a voice that "cracked stone", said English musician Alison Moyet, while British band Massive Attack spoke of the "fire in her eyes".
English musician Jah Wobble told the BBC the singer and activist had "the essence of a Celtic female warrior".
Her family announced the death "with great sadness" on Wednesday.
After tearing up a picture of The Pope on American TV in protest against child abuse by Catholic priests, she appeared at a tribute to Bob Dylan. The crowd booed her. Kris Kristofferson, who introduced her, came on stage and told her not to worry. She ignored the boos, silenced her musicians and sang an a cappella version of War. That's who she was.
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| The MediaMug of the week is Elon Musk, who has rebranded Twitter to "X".
He tweeted (Xed?) this week about a heart attack suffered by college basketball player Bronny James, the son of LeBron James, linking it to the Covod vaccine.
A fact-check automatically appeared, saying that the connection was far from clear, and that heart attacks were more common in those who'd contracted Covid.
A few hours later, the fact check mysteriously disappeared. Musk’s embrace of vaccine skepticism and conspiracy theories is not a new development. He has given a substantial platform to Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a well-known anti-vaccine figure who once claimed Covid somehow spared Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people.
But since he owns the platform, he can say what he likes without contradiction. I wonder how long it will last? |
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Speaking Tip of the week - They've come to hear from you |
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| Anyone can tell a story, but only you can tell your story. So why do so many speakers tell stories that involve other people, or may even be made up? The answer, I suppose, is that they have heard the stories themselves, and were very impressed by the point they made, so decide to pass them on to their audiences. The trouble is, the audiences may have heard them before too. In that case, the impact may be completely lost, as they already know the punch line.
There are hundreds of stories you could tell that deliver strong messages. Things happen all the time. The trick is to observe and record them, which is why you should always carry a notebook and pen, or if you prefer, a phone with a voice recorder. However, the batteries never give out in a notebook. I write down things every day, and then review the notes every few days. If something might be useful for a speech, I transfer it to my story file, which I refer to whenever I have a speech to make.
It's also much easier to recall your own stories, and in the words of Lou Heckler "Don't tell and re-tell stories on stage, live and re-live stories". If you can re-create the sights, sounds, smells and feelings that you noticed at the time, your stories will be much more powerful than those you've heard or read that involve someone else. And one more thing. Try not to include too many quotes in your speech. That's like telling mini-stories from other people. One or two is fine, but remember that the audience has come to hear from you, not from dead philosophers.
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Media Tip of the week - Become a source |
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| Journalists look after their sources. That's because their sources are so valuable, that journalists will do everything they can to protect them. So how do you become that valuable?
Most importantly, make sure that any information you supply to a reporter is reliable. The reputation of the journalist will depend on the quality of the information they put in their stories, and if you supply poor information, it's big trouble for both of you.
Make sure that you are available too, and that your contact details (often a mobile phone number) will lead to you. Don't be afraid to be known as a "rent-a-quote" either, since the idea is to make sure that you do comment on stories regularly. Provided you give a frank and honest opinion, preferably with some wit and humour, you will be called frequently. Lastly, be prepared to be opinionated. News thrives on comments that are seen to be controversial. If you are concerned that you may get into trouble for talking to the media, you'll never become a trusted source. So - be reliable, honest, available and outspoken. Easy, eh?
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Social Media Tip of the week - Five messaging tips |
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| Social media messaging (and also email) is something that can disrupt our train of thought, and distract us from our priorities. Here are a few tips that may help to restore balance
1) Set your own priorities. When a message arrives marked "high priority", it reflects the view of the sender. You need to decide the priority, not them
2) Switch off the "alert" noise. That little "ping" that tells you when a message arrives may tempt you to check it. Finish the task in hand first.
3) Set yourself times to deal with messages. If you were with a client, you couldn't deal with messages, could you? Make yourself your client.
4) One subject, one request per message. That way, it is far more likely to get a response.
5) Be brief and to the point. You are much more likely to get a quick and useful response.
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Looking for a speaker coach? |
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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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