The MediaCoach

Hi John,

Almost one hundred years ago, the guns fell silent and World War One ended, now commemorated as the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month", Along with millions of others, I will be taking part in a ceremony this Sunday to honour those who fell in all conflicts. I will be in QEII Olympic Park, at a very moving installation called "Shrouds of the Somme", where over 72,000 figures have been placed to honour those who died in that single battle. They include my great uncle, Jack Godwin, a machine gunner who died there on the 23rd September 1916 . I shall remember him, and all of those who never returned.

This missive was nearly very different. My trusty MacBook Pro decided that some keys were no longer required, and it would retire keys DFGHJK and L. So I tried to create this from words without any of those letters in. It proved to be an impossible task, so I relied on a Bluetooth keyboard with an occasional connection to my ailing Mac. By the time you read this, I should be on my way to pick up a new MacBook Air. Hope it works!

I had planned to comment on the US midterms, but that's been done in great detail, so instead I will mention a brand new podcast from my friend Eamonn O'Brien. It's called the The Corporate Storytellers' Club Take a listen! I will be interviewing Eamonn in my web radio show soon

My friend Lee Warren has just published a new book - The Busy Person's Guide to Great Presenting. I spoke to him about it in the Media Coach Web Radio Show. There is also a brilliant song from Jim Boggia that is very appropriate for this weekend.
Go to the iTunes Archive of the MediaCoach Show
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The MediaMaestro award is handed to another friend of mine (yes, I know, I have quite a few). Julie Creffield is a motivational speaker, life coach and marathon runner who inspires women all over the world. She completed the New York Marathon last weekend, and both before and after (and even during) the race, she was all over social media and traditional media. It was a marvellous way to showcase her business and her approach to life. I hope to be able to buy her an adult beverage soon.

The MediaMug of the week was suggested by a number of readers, including sharp-eyed Mark Lee. The interview in question has now been seen by millions of people, and led to the downfall of this week's award-winner. Jeff Fairburn, CEO of Persimmon Homes walked out of a BBC interview after being asked a question about his £75 million bonus. His failure to answer, and his deference to an off-screen PR person was the prompt for his company to say the issue was having a "negative impact" on the firm's reputation and on "Jeff's ability to continue in his role". So it's goodnight from him.

DON'T BE SORRY

I've often heard speakers apologise to their audience for something not within their control, such as the acoustics, the timing or technical problems with a projector. While it is good to acknowledge that something has gone awry, there is no need for a lavish apology. The audience has come to hear you speak, not to give a list of excuses. Even if the apology is about something you can control, such as lack of preparation, an apology will not help much either.

It's all about setting the expectations of your audience. If you focus on the negative aspects of your speech, that's what the audience will remember. Furthermore, if you haven't prepared as fully as you might have done, and you say so, you risk actually turning the audience against you, since you clearly didn't respect them enough to do a professional job.

Beware of apologetic phrases like "Many of you may have heard this before, but bear with me for those who haven't" or "I couldn't find a good example to explain this, so I'm afraid you will have to take my word for it." Again, it shows a lack of respect. If you believe that a story is already known by most of the audience, don't use it. If you can't find supporting evidence, don't make the statement.

Always check your speeches for apologies and remove them. Don't be sorry, be positive and helpful.

MAKING YOUR OWN VIDEOS

It's easier than ever to produce video these days. However, the quality is very variable. How can you make yours stand out? Here are ten tips that may help, whether you use a camera or your phone.

THE SOCIAL MEDIA MARATHON

I mentioned the great achievement of Julia Creffield in the New York Marathon. I'm also a runner. These days it's half marathons, but the principles for success also hold good for social media. Here's what I mean:

1) Set a target Without a target, activity is literally aimless. You need to know why you are training, or why you are on social media. That doesn't mean a certain number of followers, since that's often an unhelpful statistic. It does mean that you have reason and purpose for what you are doing.
2) Stay focused You need to avoid heading down the wrong route. It's very easy to get distracted. When training for a race, it's tempting to say "I'll take a few days off". However, if you only dip in from time to time, you will miss the regular contact and visibility.
3) Pace yourself Most first-time runners set off too quickly, and pay for it later. Some people have a very active few weeks on social media, and then their activity drops to almost nothing. Slow and steady is the way to do it.
4) Go the distance Don't give up. It takes a long time to complete a marathon, and a long time to gain a reputation on social media. Many fall by the wayside. If you keep going, you will be the one to reap the rewards.

What is the word of the year? Collins dictionary has the answer. It's isn't flossing, or plogging, or var, though they were all runners-up. Find out at the link:

Only a two places left on my professional speaker coaching programme.

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."