Building and Protecting your Reputation |
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It's a time of year when many of us choose to buy and wear a poppy in remembrance of the sacrifice made by those who fell in wars and conflicts. This is not about glorifying war. It's a dreadful thing. But it is important to remember.
My grandmother's two brothers both went to war and never came home. Neither of them saw their 20th birthdays. Jack died at The Somme on September 23rd 1916. Arthur drowned on April 7th 1917 when his ship, HMS Jason, struck a mine just off the Hebrides.
Life is tough right now, and many people are losing their lives to a virus. However, I will take a while to remember Jack and Arthur, and the service they gave. |
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Sometimes you have to wait for the result you want to hear. That's how it's been for me for some time now. Sometimes you have to be really patient, but I've found that very difficult. Sometimes you're on the point of giving up hope, and then the result appears.
So it was this week, when the outcome I've been longing for finally came to pass. As you know, I don't take a political stance in this missive. It's about technique, not party politics. On this occasion, I'm still not taking a political position.
Instead, in my mind, the position I'm taking is just by the halfway line at Craven Cottage, home of my beloved Fulham Football Club. They finally won a Premier league game this week, a couple of months after being promoted, with a cracking goal from Ole Aina. I celebrated with a dance round the kitchen and a cold beer. Life's not so bad.
Oh yes, as I said last week, by the time you hear from me again, we will definitely know the next US President. Or maybe not. Don't hold your breath. Looks like I was right. |
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I have just two places left on my annual speaker coaching programme for 2021.
The coaching and mentoring is delivered via Zoom (until we can actually meet). The monthly sessions can be split into two sessions a couple of weeks apart if desired. There is work to do in between sessions, and the programme includes reasonable ad-hoc calls for advice and guidance at no extra cost.
The programme provides customised coaching around all aspects of a speaking business, including fees, getting bookings, working with bureaus, creating websites and show-reels, marketing strategies and of course creating killer keynote speeches. And of course there's an emphasis on remote speaking.
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 | Rebecca Hill is a former “Big 4” global Director with an extensive background working for major global professional and financial service organisations.
She now runs Wise Sherpa, giving superb business advice to clients all around the world.
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The MediaMaestro is fast food chain Burger King, who came up with a remarkable advertising campaign this week.
They put out an advert advising their customers to order from rival chains, including McDonald's, Pizza Hut and Greggs.
Why would they? The reason they gave was an excellent one - to keep people in employment across the industry and keep the industry afloat while only takeaways and deliveries are allowed.
Well done to them. |
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The MediaMug is beleaguered retailer Marks and Spencer, who just announced their first loss in ninety-four years, mainly due to reduced clothing sales.
However, the food department is in trouble too. They have introduced a new product on Twitter where its name left people divided.
A yum-yum doughnut hybrid, this sweet treat is called Santa's Yumnut.
Marks & Spencer tweeted a picture of the dish with the caption: "Who wants a bite of Santa’s Yumnut™?
Comedian David Baddiel said: "I know that's meant to be Santa's standard belt, but given the really quite misjudged name, I'd say it looks more like Santa's chastity belt."
Oops. |
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Speaking Tip - Are you who you say you are? |
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Authenticity. It's a word used by a lot of people in the speaking world, but it seems to have a variety of interpretations. I think it's about being clear and honest, and behaving in the same way that you speak about. For example, I believe that one sign of authenticity is using your own stories. Another is being honest about your qualifications and experience. It's also to do with having experience in the field of expertise you talk about. Most importantly, it's about never making a claim to be something that you are not:
Being authentic on screen or stage is very important. You are creating a bond of trust with your audience and taking them on a journey with you. They need to believe that you are a trustworthy guide who will offer them insights and techniques to help them in future. You can demonstrate your authenticity in many ways. Here are a few ideas.:
- Conduct your own research and present the results as summaries and case studies
- Show pictures and videos that you have taken to illustrate your message
- Relate your experiences both recently and some years ago, and show how the same point still applies
- Discuss collaborations with fellow experts
- Use your experience to solve problems posed by audience members as questions
- Consider a masterclass-style presentation, working with one or two audience members as a demonstration
- Refer to the work of other experts, and indicate how and why you agree or differ
- Agree to a Q&A session at least as long as your speech
Finally, make sure that you "walk the talk" off-stage and off-screen as well as on. If your topic is time management, make sure you are never late or in a hurry. If you talk about teamwork, work with a team. If you are a communication expert, keep your messages simple. It's all about authenticity.
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Media Tip - Actually, I have an even better story |
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Journalists (and I speak as a former one) love a good story. If you are approached by a reporter about something which may not be to your advantage, you may well be able to persuade them to run a different story which makes you look much better.
Here's how it works. Firstly, you need to have a great story in reserve - human interest, local angle, great quotes and pictures. When you are asked questions about the original story, explain that you can't co-operate for a number of reasons, which could include lack of knowledge, confidentiality, or availability of spokespeople.
However, you can offer another story with full access to people involved and as much help as they need.
Journalists are not stupid. They will see what you are doing. But with a deadline to meet, and a space to fill, they may well opt for the quick win, provided it is newsworthy - preferably even more than the story they approached you with. That's the key to making it work. Over to you.
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Social Media Tip - Giving it all away |
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Naturally, I named this tip as a homage to Roger Daltry, who's debut solo release was "Giving it all away", written by Leo Sayer. That's confused the teenagers.
But my point really is about giving things away, including, but not limited to:
- Your best advice
- Your time (up to a point - which for me is 15 minutes)
- Your videos of your entire speeches
- Your business model
- Your slides
- Your knowledge
"Hang on" I hear you say. "If I give away all my best stuff on social media, why would anyone buy anything from me?"
It's counter-intuitive, but it works. The more you give away, the more you will attract business. You're reading an example of that.
As I first said in 2011 (and according to Google, I'm the only person who says it): "Give away your knowledge, sell your expertise" |
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An online speech to make? 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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