The MediaCoach

Hi John,

Millions of words have been written and spoken about the tragedy in Manchester on Monday. Those of us who have taken our children to similar concerts over the years will know the joy on their faces as they emerged from the hall, either with us or to meet us. It's impossible to imagine how an individual can have decided that it was the best time and place to blow themselves up. But of course, that's the problem. We can't comprehend the actions, and we can only deal with the consequences.

I've been fortunate to have been interviewed by a couple of people I admire a great deal. Minter Dial is an old friend based in France, and he invited me onto his show to chat about a range of issues You can hear the interview here. My friend Warwick Merry is the current president of Professional Speakers Australia, and he also asked me for a chat. I had a fine time. Here's his ITunes feed including my interview.

One of the highlights of my year is to visit the National Speakers Association convention in the USA. This year, one of the keynote speakers is former basketball star Walter Bond. I met him in London last year and found out why he's such an in-demand speaker. Hear our chat in the Media Coach Radio Show. There's also a superb song from the 1957 tail-fin fiasco.
Go to the iTunes Archive of the MediaCoach Show
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The MediaMaster of the week is a man who could do "suave" better than anyone else. He was "The Saint" before he became James Bond. Sir Roger Moore, who was the most self-effacing of actors, passed away this week. There are hundreds of stories about him, many of which are true. One of my favourites was told by U2 frontman Bono, who explained that Sir Roger managed to get him into a celebrity party hosted by Jay Z and Beyoncé despite being too under-dressed for the high-profile occasion. As soon as he arrived on the rooftop in Monte Carlo behind Sir Roger, the whole party fell silent and Jay Z said - "it's James Bond!". Bono was a friend of James, so everything was cool. What a fine man Sir Roger Moore was.

This week's MediaMug trophy is handed to film makers who remade a film that they should not have remade (yes, like The Italian Job). This time the remake was Dirty Dancing. Abigail Breslin and Colt Prattes play Baby Houseman and Johnny Castle, the dancing lovers played by Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze in the original. The critics have not been kind. According to Variety, the reprise is a "sappy, passionless, schlocky remake... without even the iota of imagination necessary to expand upon the 1987 film". "Between the bad lip-syncing, the inexplicable addition of musical numbers and the pale imitation of classic moments from the original film, it just doesn't work," was the verdict of IndieWire's critic. The film airs in the UK on Channel 5 on June 4th. You won't have the time of your life.

AS CHURCHILL PUT IT

Many quotes on the Internet are attributed to Winston Churchill. Some of them he actually said. But he also had great technique. Here are four things that he used so well that you can try out in your speeches.

1) Rhythm and Repetition Like many great orators, Churchill loved to deliver repetitive phrases that gave his speeches an almost musical rhythm. Here's an extract from his "Fight them on the beaches" speech. "A miracle of deliverance, achieved by valour, by perseverance, by perfect discipline, by faultless service, by resource, by skill, by unconquerable fidelity, is manifest to us all." The repetition of "by" and the wonderful language used makes the words sing.

2) Analogy Churchill was an expert at delivering a ringing phrase that became what we'd now call a meme. For example "an Iron Curtain" or "the Few". You may not be able to deliver phrases that are so widely used, but consider what analogies you can invoke to make an idea more memorable

3) Cut, and cut again The length of your speech is not a measure of its impact. Churchill used to pare down his speeches to the bare minimum by taking out every word and phrase that didn't support the main message. It meant that his speeches were often only a few minutes long, but they were immensely powerful.

4) Try out phrases beforehand Churchill was well known for asking friends what they thought about elements he was considering using in a speech. He would test phrases over and over again, and use them only if people reacted well. Never be afraid to try out parts of your speech on people you trust - and take their advice!

ATTENBOROUGH MAGIC

David Attenborough is 91 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, I urge you to seek one out.

VIRGIN TWEETS NOT TWITTER VIRGINS

I'm a great fan of Virgin Trains. Comfy seats, good WiFi, happy staff. They also know how to respond on social media. Here's are two exchanges I had with them when I travelled to and from Birmingham last week:

@mediacoach @VirginTrains Thanks for the relaxed journey to Birmingham and the great bacon roll!
@VirginTrain Replying to @mediacoach You are welcome, Alan 😀 Have a great day! ^HP

@mediacoach The water system in the @VirginTrains lounge at Birmingham International plays the opening sound from Hawkwind's Silver Machine.
@VirginTrains Replying to @mediacoach We're big fans ^CB

OK, on the face of it, two trivial exchanges, one about a bacon roll, and the other about the noise of a cistern and a 1970s rock classic. Not exactly earth-shattering. But here are the points:

They know how to connect with customers. The Virgin Twitter team are not Twitter virgins.

Once again, the finest news anchors show us they don't always get it right.

I can help.

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."