The MediaCoach

Hi John,

So they're off. The World Cup in Russia is under way and the hopes of England once more rest with eleven men (plus the subs of course). Over the next few weeks, the nation will be gripped/bored/frustrated/disappointed (delete as required). So I've done a football-themed ezine today. Don't worry, it's not all about football. It's often about cheesy connections to football phrases. Anyway, whatever you are hoping for over the next few weeks, I hope you receive it.

I've just recorded an online video course on how to deliver the perfect pitch (yes I know, a crude football link). For you, dear reader, there is a 90% discount, from £99.99 to only £9.99. If you wish to send the link to your close chums, that's fine. I trust you. Here it is.

I've trawled through my audio archives to find a World Cup related interview and found a wee gem. It's Gary Bailey, former Manchester United goalkeeper, speaking before the World Cup in Cape Town in 2010. He talks about Sir Alex Ferguson and the impact of a World Cup on his country. Hear our interview in the Media Coach Web Radio Show. There is also a great song from Simon Stanley Ward that may sum up the mood of English fans soon - "Please excuse me while I feel sorry for myself"
Go to the iTunes Archive of the MediaCoach Show
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The MediaMaestro is Russia. No, not the whole country, but the part that organised the World Cup opening ceremony. It was all over in ten minutes. A song or two from Robbie Williams, a bit of dancing, a welcome from Vladimir Putin, the opening words from Gianni Infantino and a couple of anthems. Great job. If only all sporting opening ceremonies could be so - er - brief. it was the perfect length for making a pot of tea. A benchmark by which all sporting opening ceremonies should be judged.

The MediaMug award goes to Birmingham City FC. They are renaming their St Andrew's ground the 'St Andrew's Trillion Trophy Stadium' as part of a sponsorship deal with the club's China-based owners. The what? Trillion Trophy Asia, the Chinese holding company that owns the Championship club, has agreed a three-year deal. They have also renamed their training ground the "Trillion Trophy Training Centre" as part of the deal. I'm not a Blues fan, but I suspect they aren't fully behind the new name.

OH REF! COME ON, THAT WAS A PENALTY!

Disputes are all to common on the football field. Arguing with the referee is a constant feature of games. Players present their case, often rather poorly. In business, presentations are often given as a precursor to a discussion. The aim is to provide information, prior to making a decision. If you find yourself presenting to a meeting in these circumstances, you may well end up chairing the discussion. If conflicts arise (as they almost certainly will), here are some tips to help you reach an agreeable conclusion.

In short, work at it, and talk about the issues, not the personalities involved. Alternatively, there's the advice given by Theodore Roosevelt. In a letter to Henry L. Sprague, on January 26th 1900, he wrote: "Speak softly and carry a big stick" But that's a red card on the pitch.

DO YOUR RESEARCH

No World Cup team ever takes to the field without a huge amount of briefing about their opponents. They know the key players, the likely moves and the best ways to nullify them. It's the same with interviews. Even though the person who interviews you on radio or TV may not know much about you, it will pay dividends if you find out as much as you can about them, and the way the interview will be conducted. Don't bombard the station with questions, but have a check-list of information that you would like, and ask questions via email or a single phone call. Here are some of the things it would be helpful to know in advance.

OK, that sounds like a long list, because it is. If you only get answers to half of those questions, you are pretty well prepared. Remember to ask for more information when you arrive, or before you are put on hold if it's a telephone interview. And you know the drill by now - get your core message in early.

DON'T CHANGE A WINNING TEAM

All football managers (well almost all) know that if you have a winning formula, you don't change it. How odd then that some people feel the need to change their websites or social media appearance on a regular basis. I've talked before about the dangers of website redesign (orphan pages, links into your site that no longer work etc), but I still see sites that change every few months. It's like the staircases in Harry Potter.

Whenever you visit Amazon, you expect to find the same site. They do change a few things, but only very slightly, after lots of testing, and even then, are prepared to revert to the old design if things don't work.

If your design works, leave it alone. If you want to add a new feature, try it out on a few users first. Change makes people nervous, so think hard before your next redesign. (Oh yes - I look forward to the response to this advice from web designers - happens every time).

Sometimes players fake a foul or "take a dive". Let's hope none of them ever take up acting.

You know who to call for 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."