The Media Coach | 22nd March 2024 |
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Building and Protecting your Reputation |
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| Hi John,
One of the things I love about living in London is getting the chance to see performances and exhibitions without having to go too far.
On Wednesday, we spent the morning in a small chapel in Fitzrovia looking at portraits of David Bowie taken by photographer Kevin Davies in 1992.
In the evening, we were at the London Palladium to see former Spandau Ballet frontman Tony Hadley with his swing band, delivering some classic songs, as well as the hits from his former band.
But wherever you are, you can still go and see stuff. Get yourself to a show, exhibition or whatever you like - it's good for your soul... |
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| I'll be volunteering at the Spain v Colombia football match tonight.
Alas, it's not in Madrid, nor Barcelona, nor Seville, nor even Valencia. It's in Newham, East London, at the London Stadium. No, I've no idea why either. I'll be helping the spectators to navigate QEII Olympic Park, using my best Spanish (which is not that great).
The trick will be to find out whether people are heading to the football match or to the ABBA arena for ABBA Voyage. The glitter usually gives it away, but we'll see..... |
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| My guest in the radio show this week is a good pal of mine, David Hyner.
He’s carried out over 250 interviews with top achievers and takes inspiration from this research to see how this learning, behaviour and wisdom can be applied to get better results for people and for businesses.
He's not a fan of smart goals, he's a fan of massive goals.
He's a lovely bloke, a brilliant interviewee and offers superb advice.
Hear our chat in the in the radio show. |
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MediaMaestro, MediaMug of the Week |
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| The MediaMaestro is Steve Harley, the frontman of Cockney Rebel, who died this week.
With his distinctive voice and sense of style, he was a pop icon, especially in the 1970s. But he was also an actor, being the original lead in the Phantom of the Opera in London.
In 1989 he assembled a new version of Cockney Rebel, which toured the UK and Europe. It was the start of Harley’s rebirth as a touring artist, which would continue into the 2020s. They were regular festival guests, and played at Glastonbury three times. “Out there, on the road, that’s where I come alive,” he said.
He was also a radio presenter and a fantastic raconteur.
He made us smile. |
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| The MediaMug of the week is Dan Dafydd, owner of Sinclair General Stores on the Orkney island of Sanday.
He thought he'd ordered 80 Easter eggs for the island's 500 residents. Unfortunately, he ordered 80 cases by mistake - meaning that he now has 720 eggs, outnumbering the population.
He explained to BBC Scotland "I was wanting to order 80 Easter eggs – the deals weren’t great so I wanted to get the bare minimum, and we could always add more when the time gets closer. I thought nothing more of it – until the delivery truck turned up two weeks ago with a lorry filled with Easter eggs."
News reporters have had a wonderful time with egg-related puns. But I won't make any yolks about it. (Oops) |
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Speaking Tip of the week - Getting from here to there |
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| Transitions occur in every speech of more than a few minutes (and sometimes in very short speeches too). How you manage them is very important, so that the listeners can follow the flow, and understand how your argument develops. Connecting the major parts of your speech together in a seamless way requires preparation and practice. You can't just flip to a different topic.
You can use single words, phrases, sentences or even a number to move from one topic to another. There are many options, such as: "However, on the other hand, let's look at that in another way". Whatever you choose to make the transition, pause before the transitional element. This will grab the attention of your audience as you lead them gently to another part of your speech.
You can use a question as a transition. For example, you could be talking about a global trend that affects a particular market sector, and then say: "What does this mean for you in practical terms?"
Setting up an opposing position is also a useful technique. You may be discussing a marketing tactic that works particularly well in the USA, and then offer the transitional phrase: "However, in Europe, the situation is completely different"
Your audience will be barely conscious of the transitions in your speech. However, if you don't use them, your speech will be disjointed, and they won't understand your main point. Always make sure that you can get from here to there, and that you take your audience with you. |
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Media Tip of the week - Be a go-to media guest |
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| If you are in a position where journalists call you, simply because you are the best topic expert they know, you will achieve the nirvana of free publicity for life. Here are some characteristics that define a go-to spokesperson.
- Dependable - You're available and ready to comment at short notice
- Controversial - You are prepared to go against the grain
- Quick-witted - You can talk about your topic off the cuff
- Honest - You say only what you believe to be true
- Reliable - You follow-up on everything you have agreed to do.
- Quotable - You deliver your points in short, snappy statements
- Fun - You make the interview enjoyable
- Innovative - You come up with new ideas
- Self-aware - If you have no opinion on the topic, you say so, and don't get involved
- Professional - On time and efficient
Becoming a go-to spokesperson has a snowballing effect - the more you are seen, the more other journalists will call. |
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Social Media Tip of the week - How to be engaged |
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| Any marketer will tell you that it's not just about publishing information or adverts, it's about getting engagement. Here are three tips to raise your level of engagement on social media.
1) Offer a teaser. Tip lists are very popular online. You're reading one right now, of course. Many people publish "Ten ways to do this" or "Seven ways to be better at that". There's a way to encourage people to read the list, or click on the link to see them. Simply offer a little teasing phrase such as "Check number two, it's absolutely amazing" or "The last one is the most effective I've ever seen". Natural curiosity will make more people look.
2) Stay in the conversation Another often-used technique is to pose a question. That's fine, but you need to keep the debate going when people respond, otherwise it looks as though you're not interested. Even if people disagree with you (perhaps especially if they disagree), having a conversation will engage not only them, but a number of others who will watch the discussion. 3) Post informal videos Many organisations now post formal pieces to camera that are frankly, rather dull and way too long. You can use short videos on TikTok or quick captures on your phone uploaded to YouTube. Even if you're a large, formal organisation, a little informality at times works well. |
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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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