The MediaCoach

Hi John,

Sometimes opportunities drop in your lap. There I was last Friday, working as a volunteer in QEII Olympic Park, showing visitors the driver-less bus, and asking for their opinion when they'd taken a ride on it. Along came one of the volunteer organisers and asked me if I'd like to have a go abseiling off the ArcelorMittal Orbit, the UK's highest sculpture. I jumped (probably the wrong word) at the chance, and half an hour later, I stepped into empty space over three hundred feet in the air, attached only to a thin rope. Obviously, I made it down, and it was one of the best things I've done in a long time. Here's the video.

So I mentioned this experience to a few friends in the speaking profession, and a couple of them said "That's great - we all need to get out of our comfort zone". That's when I disagreed with them. I actually felt very comfortable sliding down that rope. In addition, I don't subscribe to the "comfort zone" theory. I don't believe you have to make yourself uncomfortable at all. You can do amazing things and stay comfortable.

Jill Lublin is a great speaker who talks about kindness. She says "The kinder a company, the higher the profit" hear why in the Media Coach Radio Show. There's also a terrific tune from Dublin's finest, Rob Corcoran.
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Back in the 1990s, I used to do a couple of TV shows on a Sky digital channel called Dot TV. Don't bother looking, it's long gone. We used to record in Wandsworth's Capital Studios. I sometimes used to sneak into the studio next door to watch a program called 15 to 1 being recorded. I got to know the quizmaster and MediaMaster, William G Stewart, who died this week. I have one wonderful story about him, but out of respect, I will save it for another time!

Oops. The MediaMug award goes to Netflix, who have had to remove a cartoon from their streaming service after a viewer spotted an obscene drawing in the background. The cartoon series, Maya the Bee, has been running since 2012 without incident, but it looks as though the animators tried to sneak in a naughty image. Maya the Bee was not available for comment.

DO YOU LOVE YOUR TOPIC?

I hope the answer is yes. If not, learn to love it or find another topic. Your audience will be able to tell instantly if you don't believe in your message. It will be apparent from your voice, your delivery and your overall demeanour. it will also be apparent from your vocabulary. If you say to people "This is absolutely brilliant", and they can see from your eyes and body language that you mean it, they will be much more likely to listen to what you have to say.

Enthusiasm and passion on stage is something that is hard to fake. It shows up especially well in question and answer sessions, where you have time to respond and engage on a topic that you know in depth. That's another key sign of loving your topic. If you are enthused by the subjects you speak about, you will keep up to date and study research around the issues you present. A question and answer session will hold no fears for you, and the only thing to think about is when to stop talking.

I find it surprising that many presenters seem to strip away all the fun from their material, and just present the facts. There's no point in doing that, since the attention of the audience will drift elsewhere. Your job is to make your audience members think and act in a different way, and to get them excited about your topic. if you don't show them how much the subject excites you, why should they bother to listen?

RADIO GAGA

I'm not sure whether Lady Gaga comes across as well on radio as on TV. (OK.maybe I contrived the link to the title of this tip, but that's what radio presenters do). My point is that radio is not television, and different skills apply when you're involved in a radio interview. You still have to deliver a clear, simple message, and you need to stay calm and confident. However, there are a few other considerations that you must be aware of on radio.

Firstly, radio interviews often begin suddenly. In a TV studio, you will have been through makeup, sat in the green room, and had plenty of time to get ready. On radio, especially if you are on the end of a phone, you may get only a few seconds warning before you are live on air, so you need to be ready in advance. Sometimes you may be put through to the feed from the studio before your interview. Don't say anything until spoken to, since you may already be live.

Secondly, you won't have any props, such as your latest book, to show the audience. You can't rely on the interviewer to mention it, so you need to find a subtle way to work it into the conversation yourself. You could answer any question by saying "That's an issue I refer to in my book (insert title here), and it's a question I'm often asked". Remember to answer the question, though.

At the end of the interview, you may not be sure what to do. In a radio studio, you will be led out by a runner. On the phone it's less clear. My advice is to stay on the line for at least a couple of minutes. You will probably receive thanks from the producer, or the presenter if they are able. More importantly, they may check if you are available for a future interview. That's a real prize.

THE WEB FOR KNOWING, A HANDSHAKE FOR CLOSING

There are many, many individuals who, in my opinion, are wasting time, money and effort trying to sell their services online. They include coaches, trainers, consultants and other providers of "soft" services which include a major element of person-to-person contact. We all know the mantra of find, know, like and trust that is part of the sales cycle. It's true, and has been for thousands of years, that we buy from people we trust. But trust, as we also know, is hard to establish online. It stems most strongly, and most easily, from personal recommendation from another person we trust. In the absence of direct recommendation, trust can be enhanced by testimonials, case studies, and reputation.

So here's my take. I'm happy to buy a commodity online - a music download, a flight, a hotel. I'm more wary of buying a more "risky" product, such as a financial service, but I'm prepared to go with a well-known brand, probably one that I know in the physical world (First Direct being a prime exception to that rule). However, would I buy a service such as business coaching or marketing services from a company I had only encountered on the web? Absolutely not.

So here's my advice. We all need websites and a social media presence. But for many of us, that's not enough. We need to get out there and meet people in the real world. We need to speak and offer help and advice in person. It may sound old-fashioned, but that's still how high-value relationships are created. Fair enough, the initial contact may be online, but the deal will normally be closed in person.

In the past 20 years, I've met a lot of people who are trying to sell person-to-person services solely via websites, SEO, email marketing campaigns and the like. A few are successful, but a lot aren't. The most successful people I know have built a network of strong, real-world relationships with people who trust them and recommend them constantly. Golfers say "I drive for flash and putt for cash". I say "The web for knowing, A handshake for closing"

If you have any interest at all in music, you will love this site. Input your favourite artist, and find similar great performers you never knew.

On October 18th, I will be at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Will you be joining me?

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."