The MediaCoach

Hi John,

Another week, another tragedy in London. The story of the tower block fire this week just gets even more heartbreaking. At times, the news reports have been very hard to watch and my heart goes out to all those affected.

On a more positive note, I spent Thursday morning at my local infant school here in East London, where I have chaired the governing body for 15 years. Along with some other governors, we were visiting to meet with the teachers and children and emphasise our support and involvement. We watched 4, 5 and 6 years olds in philosophy lessons. They knew how to respectfully agree and disagree, how to listen to other views, and put forward their own. They empathised with each other, supported each other and never interrupted. It was impressive to watch. Our school is very diverse. The children are from many ethnic backgrounds, from all religions and none, and with over 40 different languages spoken at home. I hope this is happening throughout our school system. We will only fight intolerance by helping people to understand each other and respect each other. The world should be like this. It starts with all of us.

Over the next couple of weeks, a number of my professional speaking colleagues including my great friend Paul du Toit will be taking part in a free online event called the International Speakers Summit. Why not listen in?

One of the UK's greatest writers of hit songs is Russ Ballard. He wrote classics such as "God Gave Rock And Roll to you","You win again", "Since you've been gone" and many more in a 40 year plus career. I spoke to him this week, and you can hear our chat in the Media Coach Radio Show. There's also his version of a hit he wrote for Rainbow, with whom he is playing at the O2 this weekend - "Since you've been gone".
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This week's MediaMaster is a real-life pinball wizard. Robert Gagno plays pinball at his local arcade near Vancouver in British Columbia and has such control he can make each metal ball last up to an hour. He regularly smashes machine records, typing R E G - Robert Emilio Gagno - in the roll of honour. He's autistic, and claims that his condition has helped to make him a brilliant player. "I find I can focus on one thing for a long time and I have a strong visual memory. So I only have to play a machine once to remember it," he says. "I'm also able to notice a lot of things happening at the same time and quickly calculate where the ball is going to go." He's now ranked the number one player in Canada, and is in the top ten in the world. They ain't seen nothing like him in any amusement hall.

This week's MediaMug is a minor league baseball team in Florida, which has given out something unusual during a game as part of a unique Father's Day promotion. The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp have added a second promotion to the usual Thirsty Thursday celebration. The team is calling it the "You Might Be a Father" promotion, which comes with a free pregnancy test. (I'm not making this up). "So you'll know if you need to return for Sunday's Father's Day game," the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp's website said. "It will be an evening filled with suspense, intrigue and manila envelopes." Good grief.

WHICH MEANS THAT...

When you're speaking, and particularly when you are pitching for business, there's a phrase that is handy to keep in mind. The phrase is: "Which means that.." Why is it so important?

When you're enthusiastic and knowledgeable, it's easy to assume that everyone else is equally upbeat. That can cause you to go into great detail about the features and specifications of whatever it is you're describing,

For example, you could be pitching a new software system to a prospective client, with the phrase "It takes regular checkpoints, regardless of whether you do so manually, negating the impact of any system failure" The blank look on the face of your prospect means that you should add: "Which means that you never have to worry about losing your work, since it is saved automatically, even if things go wrong with your computer"

In other words, you need to talk about benefits in terms that mean something to your audience. It's what all good marketers know instinctively, and what all good speakers should be aware of too. All of your listeners are interested to learn how they can benefit from your words and ideas. That's what you need to focus on, which means that you have to understand them inside out, which means that you have to prepare thoroughly.

Which means that - Oh, you know what I mean.

DOORSTEPPED!

One of the most frightening media experiences is being doorstepped. That's when a film crew or radio reporter ambushes you and asks you questions that you aren't prepared for. It can happen early in the morning as you leave home, in the car park as you arrive at work, or even walking along the street. These interviews often make great television, since the interviewee may try to run away, put their hand over the lens, or simply refuse to speak. All of these actions make them look as though they have something to hide.

So how can you deal with this sudden media intrusion? Obviously, one way is to know what it feels like by having had the experience before, if only as a training session. (That's what we do, of course). Here are a few more key rules to keep your reputation from harm:

MIND YOUR MANNERS

Good manners cost nothing (but they are worth a lot, as my grandfather used to say). That saying is well worth remembering when you use social media. Everything you say is recorded somewhere, and may appear later on to embarrass you, or even lose you business. There are no points for being rude, swearing or linking to offensive images.

That doesn't mean that you have to agree with everyone all the time. That would make the world a really dull place, in my opinion. If you want to disagree with something you have read, then disagree with the viewpoint, not the person directly. Be respectful of other opinions, even if you don't share them, and always give reasons and evidence to back up your stance.

Always thank people for their comments, and try to reply as often as you can. If you are really annoyed by a comment, take a few minutes before responding, or create a draft response, but delay sending it, You may find that your attitude changes, even in a few minutes. Being controversial is something that will attract followers. Being offensive will drive them away.

How would you promote a region of a country that few people know about? How about making a personalised video for every traveller? That's what this site does. Very clever.

The next Exceptional Speaker Masterclass will be on October 18th at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Only ten places will be available.

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."