The MediaCoach

Hi John,

I know, I said I wouldn't say too much about Christmas, but I couldn't resist a bit of a theme with the tips this week. There you go. This weekend, several big shows conclude - The Apprentice, Strictly Come Dancing and Sports Personality of the year. If I was a betting man, I'd have a triple accumulator on Alana, Danny Mac and Andy Murray. But I'm not, and even if all three do win, the combined odds are only six to one. I'll keep my money in my wallet.

Just a word about Santa - in a brilliant PR move to promote her lecture at the Science of Christmas festival in Exeter, Dr Katy Sheen has invoked Einstein's special theory of relativity. According to Dr Sheen, Santa and his reindeer would have to travel at about 10 million kilometres per hour to deliver presents to every child expected to celebrate Christmas in 31 hours, taking into account different time zones. And according to Einstein, objects travelling at high speed become compressed in size. This means Father Christmas would shrink, allowing him to fit his bulging belly and his huge sack of presents down chimneys. Ho Ho Ho.

Richard McCann is a speaker who works even harder than Santa. In the last ten years he's delivered over 2,000 speeches. Hear from him in the Media Coach Radio Show. There's also a stunning song from The Lost Hollow Band.
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MediaMaster Adrian Anthony "AA" Gill, the writer and restaurant critic, died this week, and left a legacy of wit and wisdom. Talking about Starbucks's business model, he said: "Asking Americans to make coffee is like asking them to draw a map of the world". His professional life was seemingly devoted to courting controversy. In 2010, the Sunday Times disclosed he had been the subject of 62 complaints to the Press Complaints Commission in the previous five years, none of them upheld. He criticised England's heritage industry in a TV review: "Beautifully shot, impeccably paced, it was a clear, unrelenting look at the National Trust, its friends and enemies, and it makes you want to burn your passport and beg the Luftwaffe to have another go." He was a genius with words, if more than a little provocative. I will miss his insights.

The daily newspaper Mangalam, in Kerala state in southern India scoops the MediaMug award for an article in its medical section, explaining how women can ensure that they give birth to boys rather than girls. They advise potential mothers-to-be not to skip breakfast and to have sex only on certain days of the week, when the male sperm is "stronger". They also said men can strengthen their sperm by avoiding acidic foods. Of course, it's all nonsense, but it highlights the cultural preference for boys in some communities.

STAGE PRESENTS

I'm obliged to my good friend, Jason Butler, for the pun in the title. I was MC at a stand-up comedy gig when he picked up two beautifully-wrapped parcels, walked up to the microphone and announced "This is what you need - stage presents!"

You're not a robot. At least, I assume not. When you present, you will be using gestures, facial expressions, eye contact and general body language to help convey your message.. The whole package is sometimes referred to as stage presence, sometimes platform mechanics. Whatever you call it, it is essential as support to the most important thing - your words (don't let anyone tell you that words are only seven per cent of communication - that statistic is absolute nonsense).

Even if you stand behind a lectern, your hands, face and eye movements convey a message. Take eye contact for example. It can be absent (if you look at your notes the whole time), false (if you gaze over the heads of the audience to a point high on the back wall), skewed (if you look more often to one part of the audience or to one side) or genuine (when you catch the eye of different listeners, in all parts of the audience).

You are allowed to smile on stage. I know, it may come as a shock, but trust me on this one. You don't even have to say "I'm happy to be here". Your smile says it all. Smile as you begin your speech, and as a signal that not every point is serious. Don't act like a grinning idiot, but show that you are relaxed and happy. Of course, none of the above applies to certain politicians, whose smile creates nothing other than a sense of menace.

Oh yes, a couple more things. One hand in a pocket now and again is OK, but all the time indicates disinterest. And don't keep walking in front of the screen (or don't use slides at all)

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS A GUEST

If you asked a TV or radio producer what they want for Christmas, the response will very likely be "A guest to talk to".

Over the Christmas and New Year period, the media still operates, but guests are hard to find. It is often the easiest time to get on air, and because the audiences tend to be large, it can be a very good time too. How to get on air? Call them and tell them how much you enjoyed an earlier item. Ask to speak to the editor or producer. Chances are, they will ask you if you are available to chat.

If you receive a call from a journalist, asking if you might be available for an on-air interview over the festive period, say "yes" - even if it means missing a couple of hours dozing on the sofa in front of a repeat of that comedy show that you never really liked anyway. You'll be glad you did. It could be the start of a new career.

Have a happy media Christmas.

BE A SOCIAL MEDIA SANTA

No, you don't need to wear the red suit and the beard. The characteristic to cultivate is giving gifts. That's what will make you a go-to person in your topic.

Next time you use Twitter or Facebook, think how you can give a gift, such as:

Make someone happy this Christmas with a social media gift.

I've shared this before, and it was filmed almost exactly 20 years ago, but I'm sure it will still raise a smile. Sometimes children take the instruction "sing loud" very literally in the Nativity Play.

You'd be OK if you'd had just a day's media coaching.

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."