Building and Protecting your Reputation |
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Hi John,
A very Happy New year to you. As you can see, it's a new-look ezine, as promised, for 2019. Not only are the images more recent - all taken in the last couple of months since you ask - but this format is very mobile-friendly, so you can see it even more clearly on your phone or tablet.
Nothing else has changed - the same sections, the same type of advice, and the very tiny offer should you wish to make use of some resources to raise your speaking game. Speaking of which, you can grab a copy of my public speaking video course in the Udemy New year sale for less than a tenner.
In other news - well there hasn't been that much really. Maybe the whole world has been on hold. Anyway, I'd appreciate your thoughts on this new design - it is in response to reader requests, and I'm keen to make it exactly what you want.
In the Media Coach Radio Show this week, I chat to former US basketball star Walter Bond about how his career has enabled him to become a leading international speaker.
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The first MediaMaestro of 2019 is an unlikely winner - the high street bakery and take away food chain, Greggs. They have gained a huge amount of great publicity by launching a vegan sausage roll, and making a song and dance about it on social media.
The launch comes after 20,000 people signed a petition by animal welfare organisation Peta last year calling on Greggs to produce a vegan version of its bestselling item. News of the new product emerged via a leaked email to Peta in December but the launch details were confirmed on Wednesday.
They got into a Twitter feud with Piers Morgan (who doesn't), and clearly had planned their clever responses to his expected complaints. They ended up being mentioned in just about every news outlet, which was clearly a triumph. And I can report that having tasted one yesterday for lunch, they are pretty darned good.
The MediaMug, on the other hand is another high street chain with a less appealing offering. Starbucks announced the release of a cereal latte, made from a powder comprised of oat, barley and wheat - which are the three main ingredients in a bowl of Cheerios. To create the drink, Starbucks blend together a shot of espresso with the cereal powder, then pour over some vegan oat milk before topping the whole thing with crispy pieces. The company explained that oat milk is used as the default option for the drink as it "brings out the best flavour". The reaction to this on social media has been quite the opposite of the Greggs vegan sausage roll, with one person posting "Public Service Announcement - do not under any circumstances try the new cereal latte at Starbucks."
I must admit, even in the interests of keeping you informed, I have not attempted to sample one. |
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Speaking Tip - Lest we forget |
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I once worked with a junior government minister who decided that he wanted to speak without notes. That's fine, but he left himself too little time to learn the speech, and forget some important sections. If you find a speech heard to memorise, here are some techniques to consider.
1. Autocue/Teleprompter. Obviously, this is only an option if the venue has the technology installed. Hiring it yourself, plus an operator is not cheap. However, if it is available, it's clearly a way of ensuring you remember all the words. It does require that you prepare and stick to a script, but remember that when you rehearse with the kit, you can still make last-minute changes. Make a sure you practice with the operator so that they learn your pace, and aim to look through the screens, not at them.
2. A4 script. This should be placed on a lectern. If you wander round the stage with it, you risk the danger of the "nervous flutter" noise, or simply looking like an actor in rehearsal. If you are using a verbatim script, try to look down and absorb a phrase before looking up and delivering it. The pauses while you read to yourself will seem quite natural. This technique needs a bit of practice, and has the danger that you may lose your place, so using wide spacing or colour coding on the script will help.
3. Cue cards. Use these for notes rather than the full script, and tag them together in sequence in case you drop them. They will ensure that you remember every section, which you then deliver from memory, though not to an exact script. You can easily move around with these cards in hand, making them a very popular technique.
4. Memorising links. Your speech will have a number of sections, which will often be stories. If you can memorise the links or transitions between the elements, perhaps by assigning each one to a finger, you will be able to deliver a decent-length speech (whatever that means) without notes.
5. Remembering the structure. This is a bit like memorising links, but could use the popular memory technique of a sequence of pictures, a journey, or the rooms in a house where you mentally "place" each section.
6. Winging it from your vast fund of knowledge. Don't. |
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Media Tip - You don't have to be big to be seen |
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It's a common misconception about the media that they are interested only in the big players. Of course, they want to hear from the CEOs of large organisations, but there is also a place for the small company too. To paraphrase E F Schumacher, "Small is interesting". A good story with a human angle, or local interest, will always attract media attention, and is often more memorable for the listener or viewer.
If your story does manage to catch the attention of a journalist, be ready and be confident. I've spoken to reporters on many occasions after they have called potential interviewees, only to hear "I've got nothing to say really" or "We're only a small company, so we're not very newsworthy". Don't ever let me hear of you saying that to a journalist. If they call you, it's because they want you to appear on air, so don't try to talk them out of it.
Here's a tip for getting news coverage when your PR budget is tiny. Look for a large event that is happening in your area, and organise something which is small-scale but has some connection. For example, if a new car is being launched with a glitzy caviar and champagne presentation in a huge showroom in your area, organise the launch of refurbished bikes at the same time in a field, with soft drinks and crisps. You won't get as many journalists to come, but the ones that do will write a great story about you.
As the saying goes "If you think small things don't have an impact, try sleeping with a mosquito in the room" |
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Social Media Tip - Get more engagement |
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Any marketer will tell you that it's not just about publishing information or adverts, it's about getting engagement. Here are three tips to raise your level of engagement on social media.
1) Offer a teaser. Tip lists are very popular online. You're reading one right now, of course. Many people publish "Ten ways to do this" or "Seven ways to be better at that". There's a way to encourage people to read the list, or click on the link to see them. Simply offer a little teasing phrase such as "Check number two, it's absolutely amazing" or "The last one is the most effective I've ever seen". Natural curiosity will make more people look.
2) Stay in the conversation Another often-used technique is to pose a question. That's fine, but you need to keep the debate going when people respond, otherwise it looks as though you're not interested. Even if people disagree with you (perhaps especially if they disagree), having a conversation will engage not only them, but a number of others who will watch the discussion. 3) Post informal videos Many organisations now post formal pieces to camera that are frankly, rather dull and way too long. You can use six-second Vine videos or quick captures on your phone uploaded to YouTube. Even if you're a large, formal organisation, a little informality at times works well. |
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I was chatting to a pal last week and we were discussing our favourite stand-up comedians. I mentioned George Carlin, Bill Hicks, Richard Pryor and Steven Wright. "Who's Steven Wright?" he said. This is who. |
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A speech to make in 2019? |
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I can help. Just click the link |
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