Hi John,

Funny old world. I was coaching a speaker the other day and he referred to the lighthouse v Battleship story.

I said it was a very old story, popularised by Stephen Covey who claimed it was real. I suggested to my coachee that he should do a bit of research into the origin of the yarn.

Today he contacted me and told me he'd found the reference to the story In Wikipedia, which revealed It was indeed an urban legend, and referred to the re-telling by Stephen Covey.

I said that I'd heard Stephen Covey tell the story. "I know" said my coachee "You're the source quoted In Wikipedia"

So I am. See the closing paragraph in the Wikipedia article. Funny old world eh?

A recommendation for you the next time you need profile pictures for your social media or website.

Baz Seal is a good pal of mine, and he is in my view, the best photographer around.

I've recommended him often, and everyone he has worked with is delighted with the results.

He knows how to show you (literally) in your best light, and will produce images you will love.

Baz can be contacted through his website, or if you'd like a personal introduction, drop me a line.

My speaker coaching programme has three places left.

If you'd like to raise your game, get more speeches and earn higher fees, just get in touch for a chat.

But hurry - the places go very quickly, and there won't be any more available for several months.

My guest in the radio show this week is Susan Popoola.

Susan is an award winning consultant specialising in Talent Management, Inclusion and Engagement; a Community Activist with a deep-rooted belief in human value; a published author of books exploring the world in which we live in; and a Public Speaker.

Susan's work is focused on developing a Mosaic World in which everyone is valued for who they are and what they have to offer to the benefit of individuals, organisations and the wider society on a local, national and global basis.

She has some fascinating insights that she shared when we spoke recently.

Hear our chat in the in the radio show.

Go to the MediaCoach Show

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And there's great song from Sons of Town Hall too.

The MediaMug of the week goes to Nottingham Forest football club.

After their two-nil defeat by Everton, they were less than impressed by the standard of the officials, especially the video assistant referee.

They complained that he was a "Luton fan" (one of the other Premier League clubs fighting relegation) and that his decisions were biased against them.

They said they were "considering their options".

I suspect they don't have any options at all - other than trying to come up with a defence to the inevitable charges that will come from the Football Association for accusing officials of cheating. Oh dear.

Speaking for a living can be bad for your health. Often, gigs are in the evening, sometimes after a rich meal. There's a lot of travel involved, which means sitting around waiting for, as well as being on, trains and planes. Healthy food isn't always easy to come by (though of late, it's getting easier). 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 (unless you're Bob Geldof) 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, I pack 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.     

The person who talks to the media on behalf of your organisation need not be the Managing Director. Of course, reporters will often call seeking an interview with the top person, but if they are either not available (because they are managing the crisis) or are not very media-friendly (and despite hours of media training, this can still happen), then someone else has to face the cameras.

The problem is, lots of MDs feel that they should be the company spokesperson, regardless of their communication skills. Their egos won't allow them to delegate the task. Under these circumstances, you need to have a very strong communications manager.

If the MD is a poor speaker, or worse, actively distrusts the media, then you need to rely on prepared statements, limit the length of interviews (on the pretext of having to manage the crisis), and brief the MD very strongly on the core message.

One company I worked with deliberately set up an interview with the MD on a local radio station, and then offered the same time-slot to the BBC. Since the MD was already in another studio, a media-savvy company spokesman handled the Beeb. I'm not sure the MD ever found out (unless they are reading this, in which case I just made that up). 

Watching Britain's Got Talent recently, I was struck by a couple of things; Simon Cowell was right on the money with all his comments; the crowd booed whenever he made a critical comment. To my mind, the acts needed to hear his comments, so that they knew what to do to improve. By contrast, two of the other judges, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon, found it difficult to say anything other than "you were brilliant".

What's the link to social media? It's to do with feedback. In my opinion, far too many comments about blogs or articles fall into the Holden/Dixon category, telling the author "you are so clever" or "I agree with everything you have said". That's polite, but not helpful to the original poster, or subsequent readers.

Of course, there's no need to be rude, or to resort to personal abuse. Simon never does that. Instead, say why you disagree, and don't be afraid to be critical. That's what good honest debate is about. Though it's nice to get people telling you how great you are, it doesn't help you to improve one bit.

So take a leaf out of Simon Cowell's book. Be direct, be honest, and tell people how they can improve.

Writer Kate Wagner creates critiques of expensive homes designed by people with terrible taste. Visit McMansion Hell.

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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."