The Media Coach | December 27th 2019

Building and Protecting your Reputation

Hi John,

I trust you are having a relaxing time over the Christmas and New Year period. I won't detain you too long today. On the verge of a new decade, it's time to reveal the best of 2019, with the most commented-on tips, interview and music of the last year.

You will see that there is a theme this year for all the tips. Don't ask me why, I just count the responses...

I'll see you again in 2020.

The most popular interview of the year, by far, was the conversation I had with music journalist Lesley-Ann Jones back in April. She tells some wonderful stories about her background with rock legends. Listen to it again in the Media Coach Radio Show. The song of the year was from the wonderful Rob Corcoran - Ringing that Bell.

Go to the iTunes Archive of the MediaCoach Show

Follow me on Twitter

MediaMaestro, MediaMug

The MediaMaestro of the year is ASOS. They were praised in August for their excellent response to some bad press that EasyJet was receiving. In case you didn't see it, a passenger on a flight bound for Geneva shared a picture online of a row of seats that had the backs removed, with a passenger sat in one of them (obviously not a safe way to fly at all).

EasyJet responded to the tweet by asking the person to remove the photo and DM them to take up the issue and has since said that passengers weren’t actually permitted to sit in that row because the seats were awaiting repair. Not very smart or helpful.

ASOS then tweeted: Hey @easyJet we love your funky new backless seats... possible uniform upgrade to compliment? #EasyJet #BacklessBoarding pic.

The MediaMug of the year is an unfortunate television production staff member in Peshawar, Pakistan.

Politician Shaukat Yousafzai was giving a a briefing to reporters in Peshawar when a member of his social media team inadvertently switched on the cat filter. The event was streamed live on Facebook.

It was several minutes before organisers realised that the minister had acquired pointy ears. When one of his mustachioed party colleagues began to speak, looking earnest and holding a pen, he too was transformed into a cat.

The press conference went viral on Facebook, despite the stream being swiftly deleted. The party said it felt proud to have brought Pakistani politics to the internet.

At least it wasn't a catastrophe.

Speaking Tip - 7 ways to improve a speech

No speech is ever perfect, though some of the great oratory of the past comes pretty close. I'm not suggesting that Churchill or Lincoln should have punched up their speeches with these tips, but you may find some of then useful.

1) Make it shorter. It's a good discipline to consider what could be left out, in case you ever find yourself having to work against the clock. If you do, it may make you think of delivering shorter speeches all the time.

2) Lose the slides. OK, there are times when an image can enhance a presentation. But the best images are the ones that we help the audience create in their minds with our words.

3) Use all your own stories. You will have a much more powerful impact if you tell people how you felt when you were part of the story.

4) Tell them all you know. I've heard some speakers say "don't tell them everything, since you'll have nothing left to sell". I think that's nonsense. What you sell is your expertise in solving their problems, not your knowledge.

5) Slow down. I've never heard a speaker being criticised for speaking too slowly.

6) Be concise. People love advice that is clear and easy to use. Don't offer vague motivational statements, but give people detailed advice.

7) Finish early. Not too early, since people will feel short-changed. If you have 30 minutes, aim to finish in 27 or 28. Your audience will really appreciate it.

Media Tip - 7 tips for great interviews

Whether it's radio or TV, there are ways to make an interview work really well. Here are some of my top tips:

1) Stay calm and confident. Interviewers may appear intimidating, but they are simply professionals doing a job. If you work with them, the outcome will be good for both of you, so stay calm and express your views slowly and confidently.

2) Only say what you know. Speculating about a topic that you don't understand, or offering an explanation for events without any real evidence, are both routes to disaster. It's perfectly acceptable to admit that you don't know the answer to a question, but you will endeavour to find out. That also gives you another opportunity to be interviewed.

3) Keep still. Even if you are in a swivel chair, keep your feet on the floor and keep the chair still. Avoid nodding your head as the interviewer asks a question, since a reaction shot will suggest that you agree with the point they are making.

4) When you have made your point, stop. Interviewees can get themselves into terrible tangles if they try to keep speaking to "fill the dead air". Silence is not your problem, it's the interviewer's, so allow them to deal with it.

5) Leave edit points. Pause between the end of the question and your answer, and between your main points to allow the possibility of sound bites. It will greatly increase the chance of your words being re-broadcast.

6) Plan a memorable phrase. We're not all as witty as Oscar Wilde was (and he used to prepare his ad-libs too). Plan a memorable phrase well in advance, and as just mentioned, pause before and after you deliver it.

7) Leave your details behind. After the interview, make sure that you leave your contact details with the producer, the runner and the receptionist. They may call you back directly, or give your contact details to anyone who calls the station.

Social Media Tip - 7 tips for online video

Having video on your social network is almost essential these days. Here are some tips to make your videos look and sound more professional.

1) De-clutter the background. Remember that any distraction confuses the message. A tidy bookshelf or a plain wall are fine.

2) Get a good microphone. It costs a little extra to get a plug-in or wireless mike for your video camera, but the results are well worth it.

3) Learn your words. Glancing off-camera at your script is very obvious,and looks as though you aren't sure what you are talking about. There's no need to learn word-for-word, but the essence of your message should be easy to remember.

4) Rehearse. People don't want to see your "ums" and "ers", they want to see a simple statement of value.

5) Be conversational. Imagine you are talking to just one person.

6) Use high-quality and landscape mode. Most cameras default to this format anyway, and it's become almost standard on YouTube.

7) Keep it short. Two minutes or less is fine. Make sure that the opening few seconds make an impact, too.

8) Bonus tip - If you make a small mistake, keep going. It's more real.

5-minute fun fling

Fun fling of the year? No contest.... the easy winner of the most clicked-on link this year was the website that exposes mistakes in films - Movie Mistakes.

Making a speech in 2020?

I can help..

Just click this link.

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."