| Building and Protecting your Reputation |
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I was looking forward to a great couple of days last weekend. The plan was to meet up with a couple of pals at Twickenham to watch the Barbarians play Samoa, and then head off for a curry.
On Sunday I was planning a day volunteering in QEII Olympic Park with some good friends before heading home and cooking a lovely meal.
It didn't quite work out that way. On Saturday morning, our two year old washing machine was dead and we faced the prospect of trying to get it fixed or buying a new one. On Saturday afternoon, we arrived at Twickenham Stadium to hear the news that the match had been called off due to a COVID outbreak. On Sunday I had a fierce sore throat (no, not COVID, I've tested every day) and decided not to go and work in park to avoid passing on the infection.
Am I complaining? Absolutely not. We managed to change the time of the curry and had a great meal. On Sunday, I managed to fix the washing machine myself. And I had a long string of get well messages (I have done now) from my fellow volunteers.
It turned out to be a great weekend after all. Always look on the bright side, eh? |
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Two more places have opened up on my annual speaker coaching programme.
If you are a professional speaker who wants to get back in the game in 2022, with more gigs and higher fees, I'd be happy to help
I've been boosting the careers of professional speakers for many years. It could be your turn next. Just drop me a line, or check out my website. |
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| My interview guest this week is Ebony Buckle.
She is a London-based singer/songwriter, originally from her tropical seaside home of Townsville, Australia. Writing and performing with her husband, musician Nick Burns, who also produces her music, Ebony uses captivating stories to hold a mirror up to herself and the world.
We had a lovely conversation about life, space whales and disco lasers, as you can hear in the Media Coach Radio Show |
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| There's also a wonderful track from her debut album. |
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The MediaMaestro this week is Elle, which has become the first major fashion publisher to pledge an end to the promotion of animal fur in its editorial and advertising content.
A senior executive said it was in support of animal welfare, and a reflection of changing tastes.
The magazine's 45 global editions have signed a charter written with animal rights group Humane Society and industry reform group Creatives4Change.
Thirteen editions have already implemented the charter. A further 20 will join them at the start of 2022, and the remainder in 2023.
"Fur appears to be outdated and not fashionable anymore, and especially for the Gen Z, who is the golden target of fashion and luxury industry," said Valeria Bessolo LLopiz, Elle's international director, speaking at a conference in Oxfordshire.
"Gen Z wants fashion to be responsible, ethical and innovative, and that's what's happening," she added. |
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The MediaMug isCouncillor Adin Lang of Freemantle, Western Australia.
He wants to effectively ban cats from being outdoors unless they are on a lead.
Members of the council voted to approve his proposals on the basis it would protect wildlife and remove the risk of cats being hit by cars.
"In the 1970s dogs would roam our streets and I expect roaming cats will also become a thing of the past," he told Perth Now.
Speaking to Western Australia Today, he added: "This is about protecting our wildlife and it's also about helping to keep people's cats safe from cat fights or getting hit by cars."
Clearly he has never tried to put a cat on a lead, or heard the expression "herding cats". On hearing the news, a local feline simply looked disdainful.
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| Speaking Tip - Simply does it |
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The best speeches are often remembered by a single phrase. For example "I have a dream" or "They shall not pass" or "Yes we can". There are a number of things that make a speech "great", but one of the most important is simplicity. Look back at each of those phrases - just three or four words, each of one syllable. Yet they conjure up ideas and imagery which move people to action or remind them of the message of the speech.
An exercise that I often go through with clients is to find the simplest way of expressing their core message. We try to reduce it to just three or four simple words. If these words are repeated throughout a speech (a rhetorical technique known as anaphora), then they can be used later on by listeners to recall the message of the entire speech.
Sometimes, clients say to me "but my message is complex - it just can't be simplified". My response is always the same "Then how do you expect people to understand it?". Making a message simple is not patronising, or dumbing-down. It is allowing your idea to be understood by the largest possible number of people.
OK, maybe some messages can't be delivered in four simple words. Perhaps it may take five or six. But if you can't find a way to make your message really simple, then you are short-changing your audience.
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| Media Tip - What does a reporter really want? |
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If you ask most people what reporters do, they will often answer "try to make people look stupid", or some variant of that statement. Even if it were true, it would be a very short-sighted policy, since guests would only want to appear once. As I've mentioned before, reporters are very keen to build lists of reliable guests who they can call at a moment's notice.
For example, at 8.40am one day last month, my phone rang. It was a BBC local radio station. "We're doing a piece about how social media has treated Marcus Rashford" said a voice "It's in 20 minutes. Can you be our expert guest?" I agreed, and asked if they wanted to know my views now "No need" said the researcher "You're a regular and we know you're always good". I want you to receive calls like that (if you don't already).
So here's a list of some things that reporters want from a guest like you.
A story that you've been part of Human interest Strong opinions Brevity Humour (not jokes) Originality to be first with the news
The closer they are to a deadline, the more chance you have of being featured, since a level of desperation may be setting in. That's when you can bargain a little, such as asking for your website to be part of the introduction, or seeking a longer spot as a guest on another show. Don't be too demanding, and keep the relationship a friendly one. You'll find that the calls will happen more frequently, and everyone will benefit.
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| Social Media Tip - Stand-up social media |
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I'm not a professional stand-up comedian. However, I do occasionally do stand-up comedy gigs, and managed to get through one unscathed at the Edinburgh fringe festival a few years ago. What's that got to do with social media? Well, in one of those analogies that works up to a point, I've been thinking about the similarities.
You get an immediate response When you're on-stage, the feedback is quick and emotional. That's a characteristic of social networks too. The "buzz" that follows a comment or a video appears very quickly, and if you're not around to respond, the criticism may become harsher. It's like dealing with a heckler. If you do it well, you will win more respect.
You make a direct connection. Comedy hits people smack in the middle of their emotions. So do many comments on social networks, or that's how it appears from the nature of some responses. That's part of the art of conducting a dialogue on social networks, and why comments sometimes become personal.
You know when things are going well or badly. It doesn't take more than a few seconds for a comedian to know how the act is going. You don't need a scoring system that tells you whether thirty four point three per cent of the audience is laughing. It makes me wonder about the apparent precise nature of social media scoring systems.
You can lose your audience quickly. If you get it wrong on stage or online, the audience disappears, very fast. You rarely get a second chance. So take care with your material.
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| 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." |
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