The MediaCoach

Hi John,

This year I have decided to only visit places that begin with "M". So having returned from Mallorca, I am now in Macedonia. (Later this year I will be in Mamerica and McCanada). It's a repeat visit for me to this beautiful part of the Balkans to be the MC of a conference called Codefest. It's both a technology conference and a 24-hour coding marathon for teams of young entrepreneurs. Last year I was blown away by the talent on display and I am sure this year will be no different. When I hear people complaining about young people being lazy and unambitious, I want to bring them to an event like this.

As you will know, I spend some of my time using my 40 years of experience to coach professional speakers to improve their speaking businesses. I work with speakers for a year (or two) from Jan to Dec to help them meet their business targets. My list is currently full, and I already have a waiting list for 2019. However, one of my clients began working with me in June last year, so in July, I will have one space available for July 2018 to June 2019. If you would like to have a chat about working with me, just reply to this email and we'll talk.

Mark Lee has been a friend for many years, and when he mentioned to me about being an interview guest, I assumed that he had been, at least a couple of times. I was wrong, so I have now rectified my embarrassing oversight. Hear our chat in a great interview in the Media Coach Radio Show. and there's also a superb tune from Mick Wilson.
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The MediaMaestro is Auguttes auction house in Paris. They have found a novel way to drum up interest in the sale of a dinosaur skeleton found in Wyoming. Scientists didn't know about this species before, so the winning bidder gets to choose what it will be called. The carnivorous therapod was found in 2013, and scientists thought it was a species of allosaur they already knew about.Whoever buys it is likely to be someone who wants to carry out scientific study on it, but they also get naming rights. My bet is Dino McDinoface.

The MediaMug relates to the forthcoming Royal Wedding. There's no shortage of commemorative tat to help celebrate the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. One popular item is a commemorative plate. However, this week's MediaMugs, ModernChintz, have paired Meghan with Ed Sheeran. In fact, the makers say the plate was made deliberately as a joke, but if so, it has backfired on the company as they have been criticised all over social media by people who thought it was a genuine error. A kind of Meta-MediaMug, if you will. Or really a MediaPlate.

FOUR THINGS EXCEPTIONAL SPEAKERS DO

What makes a speaker exceptional? Opinions vary, but they obviously do things better than the vast majority of orators, or do some things that the rest of us don't do at all. Here's my take on four things that make a difference.

1) Be first in and last out The very best speakers know that connecting with the audience before a speech will make a big difference, and so will staying on until everyone goes home. Getting to know everyone behind the scenes, especially the audio-visual team, will also pay dividends.

2) Tell relevant stories Doing exactly the same speech, every time, to every audience may make you a good speaker, but it won't make you exceptional. That needs more thought and customisation. The best stories involve the listeners, and are often about apparently mundane things that everyone has experienced. It's the speaker's unique take on them that makes them magic.

3) Never stop learning No-one knows it all. Everyone needs feedback. The world's top speakers all have speech coaches. They all review their speeches in audio and video. They all ask for feedback from colleagues. They all watch other great speakers. They all read books and articles on speaking. They never stop learning.

4) Go with the flow Using the energy of the crowd, and reacting to it, is something that exceptional speakers do with consummate skill. It may mean departing from a prepared text, using a question or intervention to make a point, or simply staying silent for a few seconds. It comes with practice, and takes confidence, but it's something that really makes a difference.

TARGETS AND BRIDGES

How do you know that your media appearance has been a success? You may come out of the studio thinking "that went really well", but when you hear the recording, change your mind completely. Time passes so quickly when you're on air that you may talk enthusiastically, but fail to get your key messages out before the interview ends.

When I work with CEOs and company spokespeople, I help them to set targets for each interview. This may be to mention their website at least three times, or to use a specific phrase as many times as possible. If you don't set targets, how can you judge success?

You can use a technique called bridging to get to your target points. Here are some bridging phrases -

Make up your own bridges, set your targets, and raise your media game.

THREE SOCIAL MEDIA CONCERNS

I've been chatting to plenty of people about social media over the years. It is almost twenty-two years since I was in charge of launching an early online social network (Which? Online), and the same questions keep cropping up. Here are three that I hear most often, and my responses to them.

1) I don't have time. You don't have to do everything at once. You can focus on one social network at a time. Sending a tweet takes only a minute. If you become a slave to social media, then it's time to cut back. As little as 15 minutes a day will pay dividends, provided you keep posting regularly.

2) No-one is following me. Don't panic. Build your connections gradually. If you post interesting comments, the followers will come. Join conversations and comment on other people's ideas (don't be too negative). Forward or re-tweet comments that you think are useful.

3) People may say bad things about me. That happens offline too. If you see a negative comment on your blog or Facebook page, decide whether it is worth responding. If it is a legitimate complaint, thank them for raising it and take action. Don't get into a fight you can't win, though. It's better to leave it alone, and let others come to your defence.

Some people work really hard for their money. Like this Swedish busker. This one is for you, Geoff Ramm.

Don't worry, I can help.

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."