The Media Coach

Hi John,

A reminder that I'm still looking for a few more guests for my radio show. I've had a number of brilliant responses, but could still fit in a couple more. Let me know if you're interested in being interviewed.

We've just spent a wonderful weekend with our close friends Ruth and Tony in Norfolk, and headed up to the north coast to walk across the salt marshes and sand dunes with their dogs.

There's nothing like a walk in the sea air to stimulate your appetite, so big thanks to the dog-friendly George and Dragon pub in Cley-next-the-sea for dog biscuits, amber ale and whitebait. The dogs only got the biscuits.

Heather and I are in Paris right now on a delayed birthday and actual wedding anniversary celebration.

Given the air traffic disruption, we're glad that we chose to travel by Eurostar.

We're visiting a couple of very fine restaurants, including Le Train Bleu, the ornate former buffet at the Gare de Lyon.

If you want to know how we rated it, check Tripadvisor next week.

Rebecca Hill is a former “Big 4” global Director with an extensive background working for major global professional and financial service organisations.

She now runs Wise Sherpa, giving superb business advice to clients all around the world.

Hear our chat in the in the radio show.

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And there's a superb song from When Rivers Meet

The MediaMug of the week is a TV show called the Idol, starring Lily-Rose Depp and Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye.

I mentioned it a few weeks ago when I was working at a concert in the London Stadium by The Weeknd. I referred to it as one of the worst shows ever on TV.

The cast was forced to defend the show at a pre-release press conference where creator Sam Levinson told reporters The Idol would be the biggest show of the summer.

That prediction turned out to be a little optimistic. When it finally landed, the response to the show was almost universally bad.

It was called "the worst programme ever made", "toe-curlingly naff", and criticised for alleged misogyny and shallow characters.

An announcement has been made that there will be no second series. The least surprising media news this year.

Some speakers, and they are few in number, deliver the same speech for many years, and simply "change the audience". That's fine, and if it works for you, skip on to the media tip.

Still here? Thought so. Most of us, including me, have to keep our speeches fresh by changing them from time to time. How often? It depends. If you are a futurist, or talk about new technology, you will have to change your script every few months. If your topic is more enduring, then you may be able to use the same speech for a couple of years. This time of year is a great time for a review

Give serious thought to the stories you are telling. Some speakers never update their stories, and as a result, are speaking about events, companies or people that many members of their audience have never heard of. You should be constantly looking for new stories to make your key points. Don't change them all at once, but include a new story from time to time, and see how it fits in and helps your speech develop.



Lastly, don't feel that you have to change everything. Here's a simple rule; keep the good stuff and replace the rest.

It's often easier to get on TV and radio at holiday times, since regular guests may be away. If you receive the media call, make the most of your opportunity by delivering your message.

Sometimes my clients ask "How many times should I try to deliver my core message in a media interview?". My response is "As often as possible". The interviewer will tell you if you're overdoing it. Until and unless that happens, keep repeating yourself at every opportunity. Far from sounding repetitive and boring, what you are really doing is making your position absolutely clear to anyone who is listening, which is the point of being there.

That doesn't mean you have to use exactly the same words each time. You are allowed to vary the wording, or the example that you give, but you must keep the message the same throughout. If you are lucky, you will get a fairly open question at the start of the interview, and at the end, something like "is there anything else you would like to tell us?" You bet. You know what to say



To make sure that you can stay "on message", you need to plan and rehearse.

Write your message down and put it in your pocket. Email it to yourself. Write it in big letters and stick it on your bathroom mirror. Repeat it to yourself in the few minutes before you go on air. Make sure it's in the first sentence you utter, and the last. Really go for it.

One of the most valuable things you can do with social media is to listen. You can learn a great deal just by finding out what is being said, and watching the conversations. Sometimes you may be tempted to get involved, especially if your brand or product is being discussed. Once upon a time (and even now), companies pay large amounts of money to watch "focus groups" discuss their products in small rooms with snacks and drinks. It costs a great deal, and there usually aren't any crisps left to take home. But social media lets you do "focus groups" for free.

Here are four things to listen out for on social media sites:



Sometimes standing on the sidelines and watching is more useful than being in the game.

John Krasinski is a terrific actor. However, in the US Office, he turned out to be a terrible giggler too...

A reminder to look no further. Just get in touch. 07986 852621

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."