| Building and Protecting your Reputation |
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The dust has now settled on the Commonwealth Games, and I've been reflecting on my experience as a volunteer.
There were over fourteen thousand volunteers helping to support the Games, and the reaction of both the public and the competitors was very positive.
If you're interested in volunteering (it's often hard work and an early start, but it's also great fun), then there are lots of opportunities.
Maybe see you at the Paris Olympics and Paralympics in 2024?
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Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary says the era of the ten euro airfare is over, due to rising costs of fuel and airline operations.
Hang on a minute.
Was there ever an era of the ten euro airfare? As I recall, it may have started at ten euro, but when you add on the cost of hand baggage, carry-on baggage, speedy boarding (to get on in time to find locker space), seat selection, snacks and insurance, it was the age of the eighty euro airfare all along.
Fascinating Aida had a take on it... |
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| Ross Kimbarovsky is my guest in the Web Radio Show this week.
Following a 13 year career as a successful trial attorney, Ross founded (in 2007) and leads Crowdspring.
Ross mentors entrepreneurs through TechStars and Founder Institute, is a member of the Executive Advisory Board for TechWeek, and was honored as one of Techweek100′s top technology leaders and business visionaries.
He's an amazing man. Listen to our fascinating chat in this week'sMedia Coach Radio Show. |
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| MediaMaestro, MediaMug of the Week |
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The MediaMaestro is actress June Spencer, who is finally retiring from her role as Peggy Woolley in the long-running radio soap The Archers after more than 70 years.
She has just turned 103 years old, and her last performance was broadcast at the end of last month. She featured in the very first episode of the show in 1951.
She said “In 1950, I helped to plant an acorn. It took root and in January 1951 it was planted out and called The Archers. Over the years it has thrived and become a splendid great tree with many branches. But now this old branch, known as Peggy, has become weak and unsafe so I decided it was high time she ‘boughed’ out, so I have duly lopped her.”
The Duchess of Cornwall, a longstanding listener to the radio soap, made a cameo appearance as herself in the 60th-anniversary episode of the show. She hailed Peggy as “a true national treasure”.
And so she is!
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The MediaMug is TV presenter Richard Madeley, who becomes more like Alan Partridge with each passing year.
At the end of an interview with Chloe Kelly, one of the Euro-winning England's football team, he referred to her as "Coco" because that's what he calls his daughter Chloe.
Chloe Kelly just looked at him in bemusement, and managed to avoid the response she was probably thinking of.
He's no stranger to weird utterances, Here are are a few more examples, all sadly true:
(to a female co-presenter) "Haven't you lost some weight?" "I smelled Dolly Parton before I saw her" "I can't remember the last time I wore underpants" "I carry salt in my bag in case I get served under-salted soup"
You really couldn't make it up. |
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| Speaking Tip of the week - Gladstone's Rules |
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Professional speaking is not new. I sometimes refer to it as the "second oldest profession in the world". William Ewart Gladstone, former Liberal Prime Minister of Britain, developed six rules for speaking over a hundred years ago.
simple words short sentences distinct diction testing your arguments beforehand knowledge of subject watching your audience
Nothing much changes, eh? The first three rules are pretty obvious. They are all about making yourself understood. However, the fourth rule, about testing your arguments in advance, may be a surprise. The point here is that you need to be able to convince people that your point of view is valid, even if they don't agree with you. Running through your speech with a colleague will help to determine if it all makes sense.
The fifth rule, "knowing your stuff" also seems obvious, though it's surprising how many speakers try to present material that they don't fully understand. That's the danger of delivering material prepared by someone else - you need to be an expert in the same topic.
Lastly, "watching your audience". That's going to be tough if you're watching your notes. You need to get your head up and look into their eyes. It's only when you connect with your audience that you know whether your message is getting across. That's what it's about. Oh - one more thing. Queen Victoria once said of Gladstone "He always addresses me as if I were a public meeting". Perhaps he couldn't switch off. |
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| Media Tip of the week - Straight and Narrow |
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When you are in a radio or TV interview, especially if you are not used to it, you can easily be side-tracked by a reporter who picks up on a chance comment, to take the discussion in a direction you did not expect or anticipate. That's when you can get into trouble, as you feel the control slipping away, and you can't find a way back to the topic you want to discuss, Before you know it, the interview is over and you are left feeling frustrated and annoyed.
It needn't be like that. Media interviews tend to be less than three minutes, so you only have to maintain your focus and concentration for a short period of time. You know by now that you need to arrive with a core message. Whatever questions are thrown at you, that is the message you have to deliver. You can do it.
Keep your answers short and to the point. Don't speculate in areas that you don't fully understand. If you are confused by a question, simply repeat your message with a phrase such as "I don't think that's really the issue here, so if I may repeat what I said earlier".
Keep the interview on a narrow focus, around your core message. Deliver straight answers to every question, and don't be diverted.
Straight and narrow is the way to go.
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| Social Media Tip of the week - How are you doing on Social Media? |
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Most people have a vague idea how effective their social media activity is. Some people have no idea at all. But a few people have a very clear idea, and use social media to great effect. If you'd like to be in the third category, here are a few tips.
1) Where do you post? This is simply about making a list of all your social media accounts. Remember to include any where your posts are automated.
2) How active are you? Using the list you just created, note the approximate frequency of posting. Look at each account over the last month and count the posts, recording whether the posts are regular (such as a weekly blog) or event-driven.
3) How engaged are you? For each post, count the responses and the number of times you have responded to a comment. You'll have an overall figure of comments made, and a ratio of responses by readers to comments from you.
4) What's the outcome? This is the most difficult to determine. Sometimes, business will come directly from a social media post, but more often it will be difficult to link social media activity with customers/clients. Make the best estimate you can.
5) Evaluate your activity If responses are few, it may be better to avoid that social network and focus your attention where there is real engagement. If you are getting a lot of responses but not commenting, it's time to up your game. And if you are clearly getting business - that's the place to be! |
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| 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." https://em-ui.constantcontact.com/em-ui/em/page/em-ui/email# |
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