The Media Coach

Hi John,

The topic of ageism has been in the news this week.

BBC Radio 2 stalwart Ken Bruce resigned after thirty one years to join Greatest Hits Radio.

There were more than a few hints that he was asked to go to bring in a younger presenter who may attract younger listeners.

And this week on social media I saw a comment from a 54-year-old professional speaker who said he'd lost out on a gig because they wanted someone "fresher".

I recall US President Ronald Reagan's response when asked if he was too old to be president. He said "I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience," He won by a landslide.

There's been a lot of comment about the Artificial Intelligence system Chat GPT.

There are fears that it may be the "death of expertise" as it can produce material in any style in seconds. So I thought I'd give it a go. I asked it to produce a piece on effective communication for an email newsletter. Here's the result:

"Effective communication is essential for both personal and professional success. It can help to build trust, foster understanding, and ensure that everyone is on the same page. However, it's not always easy to communicate effectively, especially when we're under stress or dealing with difficult people. We'll explore some tips for improving your communication skills and making sure that your message is received loud and clear.

It's important to understand that effective communication is a two-way street. It's not just about speaking, but also about listening. When you're communicating with someone, make sure to give them your full attention and actively listen to what they have to say. This will help to build trust and understanding between you and them..."

And so on. It's OK, but it sounds like a machine wrote it. Which it did. Don't think I'm out of a job just yet.

If you would benefit from speaker coaching, whether for a one-off event or as a career boost, drop me a line, or visit my website.

Just as I was finalising this ezine, I heard of the passing of one of the finest voices in modern music, David Crosby.

Farewell Croz. Thanks for the music.

As you probably know by now, I'm a big fan of guitar music.

So when I had the oppotunity to interview Paul Smith, from a business that specialises in superb guitars, I jumped at it.

Paul is from JHS, a company that is the UK's number one trade distributor of musical instruments, accessories, amplification, live sound and lighting equipment.

I love that when I spoke to him, he had guitars in the background too, and my guitars are from his company.

Yes, I'm a bit of a fanboy when it comes to JHS and Vintage guitars.

Listen to our chat in the Media Coach Radio Show.

And there's a lovely song from Daphne's Flight

The MediaMug this week is Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt.

He's taken a lot of criticism for a video he posted on social media, where he attempts to explain inflation with the use of coffee cups (I'm not making this up).

In the video, Mr Hunt orders a flat white before explaining what he is doing to tackle rising prices.

However, Fraser Nelson, editor of the Spectator magazine, tweeted: "I wonder if Hunt explains that a Chancellor has no real power over inflation - and that it's expected to halve in France, Germany, US, Canada, Israel & more. None of whose finance ministers are trying to take credit for this global trends."

Whatever the truth of the matter, Mr Hunt appears to be a bit of a Mr Bean.

See for yourself....

The Australian Open tennis championships are under way. What has this got to do with your speaking? Here are a few ideas from tennis that may help your to speak even more effectively.

1) The Baseline Speakers need to aim for what is sometimes called the argumentative baseline. In other words, they need to frame their arguments in terms of things that matter to their audience. For example, a politician delivering a speech about the importance of funding for the arts is unlikely to be well-received by an audience of hard-pressed small business owners. However, here's what Aristotle had to say in his second volume of Rhetoric: "People love to hear stated in general terms what they already believe in some particular connection. e.g. If a man has bad neighbours, he will agree with anyone who tells him 'Nothing is worse than having bad neighbours' The orator therefore has to guess the subjects on which his hearers really hold views already, and what those views are, and then must express, as general truths, those same views on those same subjects"

2) The Topspin You can deliver information in support of your case in such a way that your case is strengthened. This "top spin" technique allows you to control the argument and ensure that it hits the target.

3) The Anticipation It's often said that the best tennis players anticipate where they need to be in order to play their next shot. You need to have an idea of how your audience will react to your words, in order to deliver your next point. That level of anticipation comes with experience.

4) The Surprise Lob If you can surprise your audience with a remarkable fact, stunning insight or invaluable technique, you will come out a winner too.

The late TV presenter Bruce Forsyth used to present a show called "Play your cards right." It wasn't the most intellectual of game shows, being simply a guessing game about whether the next huge playing card to be selected was a higher or lower value than the last.

Knowing how to play your cards is an essential skill for media interviews. There's a literal and figurative reason for this.

In literal terms, it can help a great deal to have your key messages written down on pieces of card and kept in your pocket.

On the way to the studio and while sitting in the green room, you can take the cards out, review them, and remind yourself of your messages. Of course, you should never make use of them live on air, even on radio, since the presenter will not take kindly to you reading out prepared answers. However, the simple act of writing the cards, reading them off-air, and knowing that they are in your pocket, will help you to remember your message.



In figurative terms, you need to know whether to go "higher", by delivering a strong message in strong terms, or "lower", by defusing any anger in the question or another interviewees response by softening your voice and staying calm.

Always play your cards right.

A few months ago, I chanced to meet someone I will call Robby the Robot. That's not his real name, of course, and he's not really a robot.

I made the mistake, after meeting him, of giving him my business card, following him on Twitter, and befriending him on Facebook. Here's what happened next:

1) I received a direct message which read "Hi there, I'm so excited that you followed me! I love your profile! Let's see if we can do business!"

2) A day or two later I received an email which started "Hey Alan, I know you'd like to hear about my new way to make thousands of pounds from home"

3) Then I received a Facebook message inviting me to his club on Internet Marketing that I wasn't vaguely interested in.

4) I looked at his Twitter feed, and noticed that he posted 40 tweets in the space of two minutes, all simply links to news articles about finance.

I'm not friends with Robby the Robot any more. I don't think you should be either.

Our friends Foil, Arms and Hog wondered what it would be like if a newsreader went for another job.

If you're looking for a speaker this year, just get in touch. I now have all inclusive pricing.