Building and Protecting your Reputation |
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Well we did it. We got through another year. May I wish you the happiest and healthiest time in 2022. In this issue, I'm including the best of 2021, according to your feedback.
We're not through it all yet, but I'm looking forward to a fantastic year. As ever this ezine will be arriving in your inbox every week, and as always, I promise there will never be a charge for it, and there will never be any obligation for you to buy anything from me (though from time to time I will make you a very good offer).
As a thank you for being a loyal reader, I'm giving you a free Kindle book - 101 media tips - it's available for the next few days. If you don't have a Kindle, and would like a free PDF version, just drop me a line.
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This is the time of year when we think about what we are going to achieve in the next 12 months. Improving your speaking, especially if you are using it professionally, is often near the top of people's lists. Make this the year
Therefore, I have opened up more places on my annual one-to-one speaker coaching programme. This is a rare opportunity to work with me personally for a year.
Whether you are a professional speaker who wants to get back in the game in 2022, with more gigs and higher fees, or a speaker who wants to raise your game in your business, I'm here to help.
There are several options to choose from to fit your needs and your budget.
I've been boosting the careers of professional speakers for many years. It could be your turn next. Just drop me a line, or check out my website. |
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 | My most popular interview guest of the year was rock and roll veteran Charlie Gracie.
A native of South Philadelphia, he became the first successful recording star of the Rock Era to emerge from that neighbourhood. In 1957, Charlie's Butterfly topped the American and British music charts, selling over 3 million copies.
He became the first solo American artist to bring rock & roll to the English concert stage. Preceded only by Bill Haley and the Comets, Charlie headlined the London Palladium - receiving outstanding receptions from the press and public. Charlie's popularity in the United Kingdom continues to this day where he continues to tour annually.
His superb guitar playing elicited the highest of praise from music legends like George Harrison. The late Beatle once referred to Charlie's guitar technique as "brilliant" in a March 1996 interview with Billboard Magazine. Sir Paul McCartney paid tribute to Charlie by recording an updated version of Fabulous on his album Run Devil Run.
He is a genuine music legend, and it was a pleasure and a privilege to speak with him.
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The most popular song of the year was from award-winning Blues Band, When Rivers Meet. It's Did I Break the Law? |
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MediaMaestro, MediaMug of the Year |
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The MediaMaestrois of course, is the wonderful Jackie Weaver, who was helping to run a meeting of Handforth Parish Council, when she was told "Your have no authority here, Jackie Weaver", and promptly booted out the person who complained.
She told the BBC she has had "nothing but positive support" after remaining calm on the Zoom call which had insults, laughter and members being kicked out.
The video of the December 2020 meeting went viral in February 2021, and Jackie appeared on numerous news programmes around the world. She was a model of calmness and reassurance. Everyone needs a Jackie Weaver.
Among the various tributes that have been paid to Ms Weaver is a song titled "An Ode to Jackie Weaver", with music composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics penned by Don Black. In the song, she is affectionately hailed as "Britain’s answer to the American dream" and "the role model we all strive to be. She doesn't want a medal, just a nice cup of tea".
Well done to her!
See how it all unravelled below.... |
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The MediaMug of the year is strangely appropriate. It's about always checking your background on a Zoom call.
Yvette Amos was being interviewed on BBC Wales.
Viewers spotted what I will delicately refer to as an adult toy on her bookcase. Whether she or someone else placed it there as a joke, or she simply forgot where she left it is unclear.
The image was shared on Twitter by journalist Grant Tucker, who joked: “Perhaps the greatest guest background on the BBC Wales news tonight,” advising that anyone who appears on TV to “always check your shelves before going on air”.
It didn’t take long for his post to blow up and for viewers of the program to comment. I wont re-post the remarks here, but you can make up your own punchlines... |
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Speaking Tip of the Year - Be a chat show host |
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Sometimes a tip can be really simple but strike a chord with hundreds of people. This tip had the biggest response of the year. Here it is:
Everyone who delivers a speech or presentation will be using Zoom, or Microsoft Teams, or some other remote system for some time to come.
I think we will be using this technology for many years. But there will also be a return to rooms with real people in - perhaps fewer than we are used to, but real.
So we are all going to have to learn how to relate to audiences who are with us in the same location, and at many other locations, at the same time. It's like a TV show with a studio audience. And who are the professionals at that? Chat show hosts, like Ellen de Generes, Graham Norton and Stephen Colbert.
So if you want to learn the skills of presenting locally and remotely at the same time, watch a chat show. You can have fun and educate yourself at the same time. |
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Media Tip of the Year - Attenborough magic |
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I was delighted that this media tip was the most popular, since Sir David is a national treasure:
Sir David Attenborough is 95 years old, yet he's still making and presenting marvellous TV documentaries about the natural world. The photography is always stunning, and David's narration is both low-key and informative. It made me think - "What is it that he does that comes across so well on TV?". Here's what I think it is:
1) Simplicity, without condescension It's about using a simple vocabulary, yet explaining something new in a fascinating way. When you're in a TV interview, you're there to inform, not to impress. Communication is more important than demonstrating your vast expertise.
2) A genuine interest in the topic There's no doubt that David is an enthusiast for his subject. He'd hardly have pursued it so long if not. The important thing is to show that enthusiasm without appearing to be obsessive. He hits the mark perfectly. If you aren't enthusiastic about your topic, or at the very least interested in it, viewers will notice.
3) Humility One of the most endearing features about David is that he has retained both his sense of wonder and his humility. He never comes across as superior or all-knowing. He's clearly still learning, and is amazed by what he finds. It's a very important characteristic to remember, especially when being interviewed about a crisis. Always remain humble.
4) Planning None of the spectacular scenes in his documentaries just appear. They are filmed after long days of careful planning and patience. It's the same with interviews. You must plan, and you must be patient for your opportunity to make your point.
And if you haven't ever watched one of David Attenborough's programmes recently, I urge you to seek one out. |
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Social Media Tip of the Year - Smart messaging |
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I had a lot of messages, all of them smart, about this tip:
I don't know how many social media messages you receive every day, but I'm sure it's more than you want. (By the way, thanks for reading this one). The trouble is, a message is often an "interrupt" form of communication, like a phone call, rather than "when I'm ready", like a letter. The sheer volume of interruptions makes it difficult to concentrate on other tasks for any length of time.
One of the best tips I ever received about messages was to turn off alerts. That little "ping" or pop-up that tells you a new message has arrived. I found that I couldn't ignore it - after all, it might be important! But now that I only check messages when I feel like it (a few times a day), I get more done, stay more relaxed, and funnily enough, my business seems to run just as well as ever.
Here are a few more tips I find useful:
- Never reply to a message when annoyed
- Only have one topic in each message
- Replying in brief quickly is much better then replying at length a few days later
- Never put any sensitive information in a message
OK, I don't always apply my own rules. But when I do, it works really well. |
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Speaker coaching - a reminder |
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A reminder about my speaker coaching programme for 2022 - find out more at the link or reply to this email
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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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