The MediaCoach

Hi John,

So all the main party manifestos have been released prior to the general election. Here's a summary: "We're going to spend more on this, and less on that. We may do some of the other, or maybe not. However, we guarantee that we are better than the other lot. Thanks very much. Vote for us." I don't know why they bother to spend so much time writing them, frankly.

Alas, the quality of political rhetoric has been poor, so I haven't felt it worthy of comment. I know I promised to, but I haven't heard a single speech from any politician that will make its way into future books about great orations. Maybe they will follow President Trump's lead and turn to Twitter instead.

So back to matters that matter, and things that we can actually do something about. I've been speaking with Julie Holmes, an international speaker who helps companies to find the perfect prospect, as well as showing them how to get everyone involved in selling, with her 'Whole Company Selling" techniques. She shares some great insights during our chat in the Media Coach Radio Show. There's also a fantastic song from Jesse Furay Lynch.
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Listening to the radio yesterday, I heard a man who was so passionate about his topic, I had to make him MediaMaster of the week. He's the CEO of the Recycling Association, Simon Ellin, and his rants about packaging that is hard to recycle were almost poetic. He said of Pringles containers: "Number One recycling villain. These things are a... nightmare. Impossible to separate the parts." And of black plastic trays: "Supermarkets think black trays make meat look redder so they colour the tray black but that makes it worthless for recycling. Also, if someone leaves the torn film on the tray, we just have to chuck it anyway." Inspiring stuff!

This week's MediaMug is a large company. A very large company. A global company. McDonalds. They released an advert that showed a boy and his mother discussing the boy's father, who had clearly died some time ago. The boy appeared to be nothing like his father until they arrived at a McDonalds restaurant, when he tucked into the same food his father loved. There was a storm on social media about the inappropriate use of bereavement to see fast food, and the advert was rapidly withdrawn. I'd like to know how it ever got made and released in the first place.

KEEP YOUR COOL

Presenting can be stressful. It's not just your performance, it's all the other possible distractions. There may be delays, technical hitches and difficult people to deal with. It's understandable that you might get a bit angry. I'm sure the audience will understand.

Actually they won't. Nor will anyone else. There is no excuse whatsoever for a speaker with a bad attitude. Whatever the provocation, you need to stay calm. I've seen speakers who complain backstage, storm off because they haven't been treated "properly" and even harangue audience members for not paying attention, or asking "silly questions".

Even if things go awry, your job, as a professional presenter, is to "keep calm and carry on". Never blame anyone if the microphone fails. Simply raise your voice, or wait calmly for a replacement. If your slides don't appear, smile and deliver your talk without them. If you are left with only fifteen minutes to present your thirty minute keynote, don't apologise or complain, just get on with it.

If you are seen as a speaker who can remain unflustered through any difficulty, and who always delivers good value, you will win great praise. Conversely, a speaker who is known to be "difficult to work with" will find work harder to come by. So make it easy for people to book you by keeping your cool and doing a great job every time.

BE IN THE NEWS FLOW

The best time to respond to a news story is while it is happening. That's when there is a need for expert analysis, contrary opinions and future predictions. It is possible to plan your media strategy for events like the release of reports, or anniversaries. Much of the time, news just happens, so you need to be aware of what is happening, and able to respond quickly and effectively.

In responding immediately, you sometimes need to ask for favours from those around you. This week, I was immensely grateful to a professional speaker I'm coaching for allowing me to take a trip to Sky News for a couple of hours to comment on the McDonalds "dead father" advert I just mentioned.

If you see a story running, what can you do to make your comments heard? Here are a few ideas:

TAKE IT UP A NOTCH

Great service is about over-delivering. When my wife and I were in New York a few years ago, we were constantly surprised and delighted by the level of service (and I'm not convinced that it's just working for tips, it's an attitude of mind). So it is with social media. If you deliver a higher level of content or interaction than people expect, you will stand out from the crowd.

These days, everyone is on Facebook, and most people seem to be on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. It's no longer good enough to simply be there. You need to over-deliver. For example, if you're a web designer, try posting a blog about the "21 most common website problems - and how to fix them" or if you are a golf coach, upload a video showing how to play a shot from a difficult lie. In other words give people something really valuable, which exceeds their expectations.

As soon as people realise that you are a provider of incredibly useful content, your material will be passed on, and you will find that traffic to your site and blog increases. You don't have to give away everything you know, but the more you provide, the more people will promote your business for you. What could you put online that amazes your customers?

In case you missed it, here are the highlights from Graham Norton's Eurovision commentary. Splendid!

Just get in touch.

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."