| Building and Protecting your Reputation |
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I imagine like you, this week I have been watching images of the 75th anniversary commemoration of the D-Day landings in Northern France - the biggest land and sea invasion in history - which marked the first stage of removing the Nazi hold on mainland Europe.
The stories of the few soldiers who are still with us were remarkable. They faced unimaginable horrors and kept going. We owe them an enormous debt that we cannot ever repay. |
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It makes everything else seem insignificant, but the best legacy is to carry on with our lives, while never forgetting what they went through.
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Dr Josh Packard is a sociologist, professor and researcher at the University of Northern Colorado, who studies the ways in which communities behave with regard to trust. He speaks about how brands and institutions have lost trust, and what they can do to win it back. Hear his fascinating insights in the Media Coach Radio Show.
There's also a great tune from the wonderful Simon Stanley Ward, which I chatted to him about at a gig last week, and which he dedicated to me from the stage. If you listen to the show, you will probably guess why.
Go to the iTunes Archive of the MediaCoach Show
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The MediaMaestro is radio and TV broadcaster John Myers, who died this week at only 60 years of age.
He was born in Carlisle and became a leading figure in the radio industry - setting up stations, advising the government and winning awards. He went on to launch commercial radio station CFM in Carlisle and then Century Radio in North-East England. In 2009 he was enlisted by the government to produce a review of the UK's local radio industry.He later undertook a review of the BBC's music and local radio operations.
He often set up a local station and became the breakfast show host under a different name, in order to save money. He used to tell great stories about receiving complaints as the MD about himself as a presenter. He usually replied that he had given the presenter a good telling off.
Jeremy Vine said on Twitter: "John was one of the friendliest, funniest people in the radio industry. He was a close and loyal friend to me and many of my colleagues. He had a hugely successful career as a broadcaster and radio entrepreneur. You would never leave an encounter with John Myers without a huge smile on your face.He was hugely supportive of the BBC, even though he was a commercial guy through and through. Above all he was kind and thoughtful".
A great man indeed. |
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The MediaMug trophy goes Luigi Rimonti, who set up his GPS to navigate from Newcastle to Rome. He had done the journey from northern England before but still followed the directions which suggested a far shorter route. Alas, he ended up in a German village called Rom.
But instead of arriving in the bustling Italian capital, where he hoped to see the Pope, he pulled into a sleepy village of 67 people about an hour east of Cologne.
When he stopped to puzzle at his surroundings - and the lack of a Colosseum - Mr Rimonti forgot the handbrake and his Jaguar knocked over a "Rom" street sign.
Oops.
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| Speaking Tip - Toughen up your speech |
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A weak speech is simply, well, weak. It doesn't have the power to persuade, or even to inform. Here are a few ways to make your speech tougher, so that it can deliver a strong message.
1) Evidence Supplying facts and figures, especially if they come from a trusted source will always make a speech stronger. It's better to use your evidence to support your argument, rather than to create it. In other words, you state your premise and then deliver the evidence that backs up your assertion. Precise numbers tend to be confusing, so instead of saying "4.1 million people", say "One in ten of the adults in the UK"
2) Quotations Quoting a respected source is like bringing an expert witness on stage with you. Try to match the person quoted to the audience you are addressing, since that will add power. For example, if speaking to a group of female entrepreneurs, quoting Anita Roddick would work well. On the other hand, very few audiences know or care who Baudelaire was, so quotes from that source many not add very much.
3) Parallels If you can find an issue on which your audience already has a strong favourable view, creating a parallel to the topic you're speaking on will draw applause. For instance, you might say to an audience of teachers 'We all agree that teaching requires a high degree of patience, and so does making the right decision on education reform".
4) Insight A well-informed speaker who offers insights into an issue will win the trust of an audience. If you can deliver something that only an expert would know, particularly if you can express it in a simple way, you will strengthen your argument. Some years ago, I remember hearing a simple but insightful phrase from a diplomat arguing against sanctions. He said "Sanctions create Mafias".
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| Media Tip - 5 ways to make a journalist love you |
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OK, steady on. I'm not talking about how to get into a Love Island-type situation with a reporter. I'm offering some advice on how to maintain a professional relationship with a member of the press, so that they will call you when they need a quote or an interview. Here are five ways:
1) Do your research. Just as a journalist will find out information about you, so should you about them. It's easy to check whether they are staff or freelance, where they used to work, what their interests are and what big stories they've worked on. They will be much more likely to remember you if you've taken the trouble to get to know them.
2) Be polite. Yes, this seems blindingly obvious, but in the hurry and flurry of a news story, simple politeness can be overlooked. Always say please and thank you.
3) Be truthful. You may get away with a lie in a live interview, but someone will spot it, and it will come back to bite you. If you don't know that something is true, don't say it.
4) Be reliable. If you say you're going to do something, do it. If you have promised to send more information, send it immediately. Always turn up ahead of time. In short, never let a reporter down.
5) Be easy to work with. Everyone likes to work with people who are fun to work with, and reporters are no exception. Smile, be welcoming, and make the experience a good one. |
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| Social Media Tip - Set your content free |
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There's a lot of discussion about how people can protect their intellectual property online, and how to ensure that only those who pay for it can access it. It's been the bane of the entertainment industry for years. Here's my take on how to protect your intellectual property online. You can't. You shouldn't even try. In fact you should do the reverse, and encourage sharing.
The thing is, people are going to share your content anyway, so you should position yourself to take advantage of it. Your blog posts and videos should have sharing buttons on them for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc. You should encourage people to re-tweet your comments.
Of course, the best way to get your content shared is to make it so engaging that it makes the sharer look good too. In order to benefit from all this sharing, your contact details should be on every piece of content, with a reminder to the sharer to include them. As you will see by looking a little further down, I encourage you to share any or all of the content in this ezine. I ask only that you mention my details.
And does giving all of this away mean that you don't get paid to deliver expertise? No, quite the reverse. People get to know what you do, and seek you out for personal advice.
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