Building and Protecting your Reputation |
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Round my way, life is slowly returning to - well if not normal, something vaguely like it.
I've just been back to the gym for the first time, where I discovered that all of the settings on the fitness machines had been changed, so that I was finding it difficult and painful to do my normal routine. Maybe they'll fix it before I go back.
Next week, I'm heading back to my London Club (yes I know, but it's a good place to meet clients) and I will also be back in QEII Olympic Park as a volunteer to join the crew in pink.
I can't wait.
Alas, it looks as though conferences and conventions, which are the places where I and many other speakers tread the stage and earn our crust are not going to resume for a very long time. So it's Plan B for the foreseeable future.
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Dr Josh Packard is a sociologist, professor and researcher at the University of Northern Colorado, who studies the ways in which communities behave with regard to trust. He speaks about how brands and institutions have lost trust, and what they can do to win it back. Hear his fascinating insights in The Media Coach Radio Show.
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The MediaMaestro is Fulham manager Scott Parker. I must admit to some bias here, since Fulham is my team, and they just won the play-off final to win a place in the Premier League.
However, in the post-match interview, I thought that Scott Parker was remarkably honest, open and emotional about his family, his team and his colleagues. It was not the normal football manager's post-match complaint or celebration.
OK, football managers get very well paid, and they can also receive considerable fame too. But they are human, have friends and families, and have the same feelings as the rest of us.
It was refreshing, authentic and good to watch. And of course, we are going up, we are going up....
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The MediaMug is Elon Musk, who despite having a huge fortune, a smart brain and top advisors, has put forward a theory about aliens visiting the earth to build the pyramids.
"Aliens built the pyramids obv," Musk tweeted.
He then tweeted again: "The Great Pyramid was the tallest structure made by humans for 3,800 years. Three thousand, eight hundred years."
His initial tweet was liked by more than 500,000 people.
Scientists are still unsure how the Egyptian pyramids were constructed before modern technology, given that the millions of stones used would be hard to move without cranes. This has helped to fuel the unproven conspiracy theory that aliens had a hand in their construction. But experts say there is plenty of evidence the pyramids were built by human hands, even if it is not clear how.
Egypt's minister of international co-operation, Rania al Mashat, has invited Musk to visit the tombs of the pyramid builders to see for himself.
"I follow your work with a lot of admiration. I invite you and Space X to explore the writings about how the pyramids were built and also to check out the tombs of the pyramid builders," she said.
"Mr Musk, we are waiting for you." |
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Speaking Tip - The Intro and the Outro |
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Some speakers leave their introductions to chance. They assume that the introducer will know who they are, what they do, and how to give them a good build-up. Alas, this is often a false assumption. You need to craft your own intro, and make sure that it is in the right hands. However, the outro - the words that are said after the end of your speech - is also very important. Back to that in a moment.
The intro should focus on what you are about to provide to the audience. It should be brief, relevant and enticing. There's no need to detail your awards, your clients or your long list of publications, since the audience has probably seen that already in the event publicity. Send a copy of your intro in advance, but also have a written copy to hand over when you rehearse. Make sure that the introducer is happy to read it, and ask them to run through it a couple of times while you are with them. The last thing said (and the only time it is said in the intro) should be your name.
Now, the outro. This is often overlooked, but is equally important. You want to leave the audience with the best possible impression of you, and highlight any follow-up. Though I tweak my outro for each event, here's a typical example:
"Thank you Alan, that's been a great help for those of us building and protecting our reputations - which is all of us. Alan will be around for the rest of the event and is happy to answer any questions you may have. If you'd like to receive his free weekly tips email, you can sign up at mediacoach.co.uk or simply hand him your business card. Thanks again, Alan"
Take control of your intro and outro so that you can focus on the bit in between - your speech. |
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Media Tip - You're only live twice |
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Pre-recorded interviews, or pre-recs, are often used on both TV and radio for later broadcast. They are usually recorded "as live", so that they can be slotted seamlessly into a show and will appear to be part of the live output. These days, presenters often make it clear that they were "speaking earlier" to someone, to prevent any accusations of misleading their audience, but the same rules apply when you are being interviewed.
Such encounters can be disconcerting. It may be that the interview is recorded on one day, and broadcast more than 24 hours later. It may be recorded at lunchtime for playback in the middle of the night. You should always ask when it is due to be broadcast, and then imagine that you are "live" at that time. Let me explain what I mean. You may be asked to record an interview at 4pm on Tuesday, for broadcast at 7am on Wednesday. The interview may start with a cheery "Good Morning" from the presenter. You need to respond as though it really is Wednesday morning, since when it is broadcast, the listeners will often have no idea that it is a recording, and will imagine that you are in the studio. It is only a slight subterfuge, but you need to play along with it. It may be easier for you to avoid all references to day or time, and simply say "Hello".
You need to forget the fact that the interview is being recorded, and treat it as live. It can happen that the interviewer, or the camera operator, suddenly stops the recording. This can be particularly irritating if you are in full flow, delivering a perfect response, and the sound technician says "I'm stopping, I can hear a plane coming". Given the choice, always arrange to be filmed away from a flight path or busy railway line.
In all types of pre-recorded interviews, you need to be at your best at all times. You have no control over which sections will be broadcast, so you need to be sure that every answer is on the money. After all, you're only live twice. |
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Social Media Tip - No more Happy Talk |
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Writing for an online audience is not like writing for a magazine. People prefer fewer words. You need to get rid of the "Happy Talk" from your pages. So, what is this "Happy Talk"?
Here's an example. "Hello, and welcome to our Facebook page. Thanks for visiting. On here, you will find details of all our products and services. We hope you find something of interest. In order to find your way around, use the links, or use the search box below. If you wish to get in touch with us, simply click the 'email us' link, and your email client will open automatically, allowing you to send us a message. Thanks again for visiting. Have fun, and have a good day!"
I didn't make that up. I found it, and many other pieces of copy quite like it, on a page I visited a few weeks ago. It is entirely composed of what has been called (by me, if no-one else coined the term) "Content-free copy", or "Happy Talk" if you prefer. Every word can be removed from the page, without any negative impact on the user experience. Get rid of Happy Talk in your posts, please. Thank you. |
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Running an online event ? |
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An online event to plan? 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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