A convenience store called Singhsbury's has changed its name after being threatened with legal action... to Morrisinghs. Sainsbury's had accused MediaMaster Jel Singh Nagra of copyright infringement in 2012, with the retail giant threatening to take him to court. Although his signs were speedily taken down, locals in the West Allotment area of North Tyneside continued to refer to the shop as "Singhsbury's" nonetheless.With his new Morrisinghs sign proudly in place, Mr Nagra told Sky News: "We recently did a shop refit and I thought now is the time to do it. I had the name in my head for quite a while. "There has been some negative feedback on social media, but it is a bit of fun and banter. We're British. This is us. We've always had this sense of humour".

As I mentioned, I'm in the USA, and it was independence Day this week. Passing over the fact that it's not really a day for me to celebrate, it was interesting to see the storm created on Twitter when the National Public Radio Association tweeted the Declaration of Independence. The storm increased when the tweets reached the portion of the Declaration that outlined, in unsparing detail, all the ways Britain's George III had wronged the then-Colonies. "He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers," read one line of the document. "A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people," read another. Some MediaMugs - presumably still in the dark about NPR's Fourth of July exercise - assumed those lines were references to President Trump and the current administration. NPR was besieged with complaints. Most people later realised their error and deleted their tweets, but some were still tweeting their anger for the next 24 hours. Oops.

MY FRIEND MIC

Most speeches are delivered via microphones. They are nothing to fear, but simply a device to amplify your voice. Alas, many speakers are afraid of the mic, and don't know how to use it. Here's a guide to using different types of mic.

1) Podium mic If you have a choice, avoid this type. It fixes you to the spot, usually behind a lectern, and prevents you from looking to the side, or behind you at a screen, since your voice will disappear. If you have to use one, stand tall and let the technician adjust the sound. Never lean into the mic, and never, ever tap it and say 'Is this on?"

2) Handheld mic This may seem a restriction, since one of your hands is occupied, but that can be an advantage, especially for a nervous speaker. You do need to practice holding it at the right distance from your mouth, so you need to rehearse. At the rehearsal, make sure you know where the on and off switch is since it may be handed to you in the "off" position.

3) Lapel mic Also known as lavalier mics, these can be very useful if you want to wander around, and incredibly good if you use props. There is still the danger of losing the sound if you turn your head, so some practice is required. If you wear a lapel mic for a long time, have the batteries checked every so often - they won't last for a full day.

4) Over the ear mic Sometimes known as the "Madonna" mic, these are increasingly common. They are superb for dancers, since the mic is always close to your mouth. Some speakers carry their own modified over-ear mics so they become used to wearing them. They can be a little uncomfortable with prolonged use, so try them out for a while before you wear them for a speech.

Whatever type of mic you choose, practice with it first. Never use a mic for the first time in front of a live audience.

KNOW YOUR NUGGETS

Whenever you are interviewed on radio or TV, try to introduce something into the dialogue that will make the interviewer pause for thought. These "nuggets", or "killer facts" have to be rehearsed, and delivered in context, and can prove to be very powerful tools.

For example, if you are discussing the growth of your business, don't say "We have increased our customer base by 13% in Q1". It may be true, even impressive, but it doesn't sound very interesting. If instead, you were to say "In the first three months of this year, we experienced record growth, adding customers at more than double the rate of any of our competitors", it becomes far more memorable.

Use analogies that make sense to the listener or viewer, and ensure that you have several nuggets in your pocket. I advise clients to keep an up-to-date company fact sheet with them at all times, including the crucial nuggets, which can be reviewed before any media interview. All company spokespeople should have this document, both in hard copy and electronic form. It will prove invaluable, since you will be able to deliver the killer phrase from memory.

Record the "nuggets" in your organisation, and use them whenever you can.

E M FORSTER HAS A LOT TO ANSWER FOR

The British writer Edward Morgan Forster (known as "E M Forster to most) coined a phrase in the epigraph to his superb novel, Howard's End. The oft-quoted phrase was "Only connect".

Alas, many people in in social networks appear to have taken him literally. Every day, I receive around half a dozen connection requests from people I don't know and have never met. They may be on Facebook, Skype, LinkedIn or Instagram. I don't have a problem with that if there is a genuine common interest, and they have contacted me to explain it. However, that is rarely the case, and it leaves me puzzled as to whether to accept.

Of course, it may be that I have met my potential connection, and simply forgotten. It may be that they are a friend of a friend. it may be that they heard me speak or read one of my books. Unfortunately, if they don't make the basis of the connection request obvious, and I don't recognise them, I just don't connect.

I'm aware that some people accept every request, on the basis that a bigger network is a better network. There are LIONs on LinkedIn, for example (Linked In Open Networkers) who always say "yes". But not me. I prefer to know something about a person before a virtual handshake. Actually, I suspect that E M Forster may have been equally circumspect, though we will never know. His books are a wonderful read regardless.

My old chums at Improv Everywhere are brilliant at creating urban stunts. Like this one.

The next Exceptional Speaker Masterclass will be on October 18th at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Only eight places are left.

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."