The MediaCoach

Hi John,

There are no April Fool jokes here. Well, probably not. A lot of what is happening in the media is so unusual that you simply couldn't make it up. Of course, this week's MediaMaster will come as no surprise, as you will no doubt have heard of the sad death of comedy genius Ronnie Corbett. More on him in a moment.

You can't keep Donald Trump out of the news. Although he's often been regarded as a divisive figure in US politics, this week he achieved something no other politician has done recently. He united the Republicans and Democrats. Unfortunately for him, they were united in condemning Mr Trump's views on abortion, when he said in an interview that women who have abortions should suffer "some form of punishment" if abortions were made illegal. Within hours, he'd reversed his stance, saying in a statement that the doctors should be punished, not the women. That's one of the fastest u-turns in politics, and perhaps not what one would want to hear from a man who could be in charge of the nuclear button - "Oh hang on, maybe I shouldn't have pressed it..."

One of the most expert speakers in the UK is Phillip Khan-Panni. He was also one of the founders if the Professional Speaking Association, and was kind enough to have a chat with me about how business presentations can go wrong. This is gold dust. Hear it in the Media Coach Radio Show. There's also a great song from recent birthday boy (I'm not saying how old, Mick), the wonderful Mick Terry.
Go to the iTunes Archive of the MediaCoach Show
Follow me on Twitter

As I mentioned, Ronnie Corbett has died. He was not only a brilliant comedian, he was a huge influence on many others who followed. His understated and deadpan style was quintessentially British, and his work with Ronnie Barker produced some of the greatest comedy seen on British TV. Here's one of his gags: "We've just heard that in the English Channel, a ship carrying red paint has collided with a ship carrying purple paint. It is believed that both crews have been marooned." Superb stuff. Michael Palin paid him this wonderful tribute: "He could play intimate comedy in clubs and hold big theatre audiences in the palm of his hand. He was the complete professional. I never saw Ronnie falter or fluff. He had a gentle voice burnished with a soft Scots accent. He laughed easily and made others laugh easily. He'll be hugely missed by everyone who has ever had the privilege of working with him and by those many millions more whose lives he's brightened over the years." Here's my one of my favourite Ronnie Corbett moments, with his comedy pal Ronnie Barker, in a piece of superb writing and timing.

For the MediaMug this week, I've picked Mr Martin McNally of Dundee. He had enjoyed a night out at the bingo with girlfriend Nicole and, when they returned home, helped himself to a few more drinks. He was slightly worse for wear when he asked Nicole for a mutual friend's number - and she gave him his own number by mistake. However, he didn't spot the mistake, and kept phoning it, only to get a series of "missed call" messages. He began to text the number, becoming increasingly abusive as similar messages appeared on his phone. In the morning he realised his mistake and told friends, who reported it to the local paper. Mr McNally said later "I'm taking it in good humour though it does show I can be an idiot. Though in my defence I've never done anything like this before - or at least not that I remember."

OWN THE STAGE

Speakers come alive on stage. At least, the good ones do. They really know how to use their presence on stage to inform, amuse and motivate. Those skills don't arrive by accident, and even seasoned performers are continually looking for ways to improve.

When you walk out on stage to deliver a speech, the stage should feel familiar and comfortable, because you will have been there before. I don't mean on stage before, I mean on that stage before. Aim to arrive at the venue very early to walk the stage, do a sound check, and "block out" your speech, practicing the moves you will make and getting a feel for the size of the platform. If there are handovers between speakers, or with an introducer, get together to choreograph them, especially if technology is involved. Avoid the nightmare of having a technician on stage trying to swap computers and getting slides to display properly.

During your speech, come out from behind the lectern and use at least some parts of the stage (assuming you have a microphone with you, of course). The aim is to make a connection with every part of your audience, which may require delivering sections of your speech from different parts of the platform. Return to the centre often (like a good squash player).

At the end of your speech, stay on stage until the (thunderous) applause has subsided. It's important to be respectful to your audience, and allow them to thank you for a job well done.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR VIEWERS?

A question that you should never be asked in media interviews is "What does this mean for our viewers (or listeners)?" Why not? Because you will already have dealt with the issue in the answer to an initial question. The most important thing that people want to hear is how they might be affected by what they see and hear. It's an attention-grabber, which is why you should mention it as quickly as possible.

You've probably heard the abbreviation "WIIFM" (What's in it for me). Though it's a bit of a cliche used by presentation trainers, the essence of it is true. However, I think the issue goes a bit wider than what's "in" it for your audience. They will also be interested in matters that don't have a direct impact on them, but might affect their friends, or even people they don't know but sympathise with.

It's all about putting yourself in their shoes. One of the best ways to do this is to rehearse your message with someone who knows little about it. This is the time to "phone a friend". Pick someone that you know reasonably well, but who does not know a great deal about your services or products. Ask them if you can deliver a few messages to them in a phone call, and to imagine they are listening to you on the radio. If you pick the right friend, they will give you valuable feedback that your colleagues won't.

Your final answer should always be about what it means to the viewers. That's a message that will stick.

SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION - THE SIGNS AND CURE

"It's not an addiction, I can stop anytime I want. I just need to check Facebook before I - er - just in case. Someone may have posted something I need to respond to. I'd better check my Twitter feed too, and take a quick look at my channel views on YouTube. Hang on, I may have some LinkedIn connection requests. I'd better just keep an eye on my Instagram too. Oh and my Klout score, and maybe my blog comments. I'll be with you in two seconds"

Ever heard anything like that? Ever said anything like that? It's social media addiction. It's not helping your business to allow social media to dominate your time. A few years ago, I was given a fantastic piece of advice. it was to turn off the alert I received whenever an email pinged in. Up until that point, I would stop whatever I was doing to check the incoming message. It was hugely disruptive. Now I check email three times a day, and I get much more work done.

I find the same discipline works for social media. There's no need to be checking tweets every five minutes. Blog comments can be responded to once a day. It's about finding a way to fit social media into your working day, not fitting your work around social media.

There are exceptions, of course. If I'm two-screening while watching Question Time, I'm using social media in real time. If I'm in a Twitter chat, I give it most of my attention. That's my choice, and it's not my norm. It's much better to control social media than to allow it to control you.

Of course. More Ronnie Corbett. You can't have too much.

MEDIA INTERVIEW LOOMING?

You'll be brilliant after a day's coaching.

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."