The Media Coach

Hi John,

I'm in Spain right now, in a small seaside town called Calella de Palafrugell. It's a place we've been to many times where we can simply relax and recharge.

I don't do any work while I'm here, and the only technology I have is a Kindle, so obviously this is all written in advance.

Forgive me if anything momentous has happened this week, and you're thinking "Why didn't Alan mention that"?

I'll catch up next week.

We lost a couple of high-profile MPs last week, one being a very high profile ex-PM.

Nadine Dorries and Boris Johnson have decided to spend more time with their families, and good luck to them.

As you know, I don't tend to make political points, so I'll just say that if the producers of Strictly Come Dancing are watching, there's a chance for a real ratings-winner.

You heard it here first!

And one more thing to ponder on. Kelly Jo Dodge, a long-time Parliamentary hairdresser to Boris Johnson received the MBE in his Prime Ministerial resignation list.

Time for a great musical memory.

James Warren is a superb and successful musician. One of his first bands, Stackridge, opened (and closed) the first Glastonbury festival in 1970.

He later formed The Korgis, who reformed and are touring again.



I spoke to James with his fellow band member Al Steele, and we had a terrific conversation about music, touring and the fantastic album they released last year.

Listen again in the Media Coach Radio Show.

Go to the iTunes Archive of the MediaCoach Show

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And there's a great song from The Korgis too.

The MediaMug this week is journalist Philip Wegmann, who covers the White House for independent news site RealClearPolitics.

He was signing off from an interview with host Chris Stigall, who was promoting one of Wegmann's recent articles when he said: 'I love you. Thank you.'

He later took to Twitter to explain he got a text from his mother Elizabeth while the segment was wrapping up and he accidentally said what he was typing out loud.

Note to journalists - don't text and broadcast!

Many presenters do a great technical job on the platform, but far fewer seem to be effective in persuading their audience to a new point of view, or calling them to action. That's often because the presenters fail to understand the needs of their audience, and focus on what expertise they have to offer. You may be the most knowledgeable person in the world on your topic, but if your audience doesn't care about it, you are wasting your time (and what is worse, theirs) by just telling them what you know.

I was speaking to a business owner. She was telling me that she'd just been asked to do a presentation to a large audience overseas. I asked what she'd be talking about in order to delight her audience. "Oh, it'll be just the usual stuff" she replied "It always goes down well". It was evident from the rest of the conversation that she wasn't going to find out anything about the audience at all, other than where they were, and what time she was due to speak.

It may be possible to get away with just delivering what you know. But in my view, that's all it is - just getting away with it. A professional approach is to deliver what your audience needs to hear. The only way to ensure that is to do your research, by asking the organiser, and, if possible, some prospective audience members what they are interested in.



You are on stage to serve your audience, not to lecture them. You need to understand their hopes, dreams and interests. If you have nothing to say to them, don't agree to speak. But if you do, and you deliver what they need, you will be acting like a true professional.

Television time is expensive. Very expensive. A two-minute advert in prime time television can cost hundreds of thousands of pounds (dollars, euros or whatever). If you have the opportunity to be interviewed for a couple of minutes on a prime-time show, remember just what that opportunity is worth. If you had to pay for the privilege, you would make every second count, wouldn't you?

Although the interview is "free", you should still approach it with an awareness of its potential value to you. Of course, that doesn't mean you should treat it like an advert, and promote your products or services. You would never be asked again. However, it does mean that you should plan your message well in advance, choose your words with care, and deliver a well-crafted performance.

Make sure that you understand why you are being interviewed. Of all the people who could have been called, your name was top (OK maybe everyone else was away, but never mind that now). You should provide information which is useful, relevant to the viewers, and demonstrates your knowledge of the topic. As with a speech, if you have nothing useful to say, then pass the opportunity on to someone else.

Be sure that when the interview is over, you can say to yourself "Yes, that was worth it".

It may sound counter-intuitive, but one of the best ways to promote yourself on social media is to promote other people. You become known as a trusted source, especially if you recommend people that you know will do a great job.

You will find that others are not only grateful for your recommendations, but that they will recommend you in return. However, you should not expect to get an immediate "payback". Instead respond to requests such as "Does anyone know an expert in..." by sending the name of the person you know who best fits the brief.

You don't have to wait for a request. if you know someone who delivers great value, just recommend them anyway; "If you're looking for an expert on personal branding, give Lesley Everett a call" or "Do you work with those who exert high-trust leadership? You need to talk to Sean Weafer"

It is a huge mistake to offer yourself as an expert in a number of areas. Concentrate on your own niche, and as you become known for it, the recommendations of others will supply you with plenty of leads. And if you really want to know about professional relationships contact Andy Lopata..

It's summer, but those trips to the pool and the beach don't always end well.

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