Hi John,

A very Happy Easter to you.

I wish you a relaxed and happy time. I'm going to be spend some family time, not to mention a round of golf after a three year break. Wish me luck!

On Monday, I saw Armando Iannucci in conversation with Helen Lewis. He was talking about "Comedy in Dark Times" (that's now). It was a fascinating evening as he spoke about some of his shows (The Thick of it, Veep), but also about how it's getting harder to parody politicians since they are often parodies of themselves. Nonetheless, there was plenty of comedy on show, so if you ever get the chance to hear him speak, grab it.

I'm making the last call for authors to join my focus group to discuss my new offering - The Author's Talkthrough.

Having interviewed author BryonyThomas through her book Watertight Marketing, I've had a number of people asking if I would do the same for them.

In order to make sure I deliver exactly what people need, I'm discussing the structure of the offer with a group of authors. I have three confirmed already, but could do with a couple more.

Let me know if you are interested in being part of the focus group. You know where to find me. Thanks.

My guest in the radio show this week is a stalwart of the UK music scene, Marty Wilde.

He had his first hits back in the 1950s and is still making great music.

He's also a songwriter, having written hits for Status Quo (Ice in the Sun) and many others. With his son Ricky, he also wrote a huge hit, Kids in America, for his daughter Kim, and went on to write many more songs for her.

It was a pleasure and honour to speak with him.

Hear our chat in the in the radio show.

Go to the MediaCoach Show

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And there's great song from Marty Wilde too.

The MediaMug of the week is Laurence Fox, actor and politician.

He called a group of people together near Number 10 Downing Street to protest about the new England football shirt, designed by Nike, which includes a small cross of St George in purple and mauve.

Mr Fox is outraged by this and has called for a boycott of Nike.

Unfortunately, he clearly forgot who he was boycotting when he was getting ready that morning, donning a pair of Nike trainers. Oops.

This tip is not about the News Bunny on the short-lived TV channel Live TV. Nor is it about theChas and Dave ditty "Rabbit", though there is a connection. This is about too much "bunny" (or talking, as they say outside London).

How could a speaker talk too much? Quite easily. Sometimes, it's better to say nothing. Here are some times when a little silence is golden:

• When you show a slide with a quote on it (don't read it out)
• When you have delivered a great line, and the audience is absorbing it
• When you have given the audience a task, and said "you have two minutes"
• When a line gets a great laugh (pick up again just before the laugh dies)
• While audio is playing
• While a question is being asked (allow them to finish)

The trouble is, we speakers love to speak. It's keeping quiet that's difficult. But knowing when to be silent is just as much a part of the speakers' art as knowing what to say.     

The way to answer questions on TV or radio is smoothly and calmly, without appearing nervous at all. To achieve a smooth and flawless delivery takes practice and preparation, of course. It will pay dividends to ask one of your colleagues to help you rehearse, by asking the most likely questions and giving you feedback on your answers. If you can video the rehearsal, so much the better.

Remember to rehearse not only the most likely questions, but also the most difficult ones. In practice, you are likely to be asked only the most obvious questions, but if you have already prepared for the worst, your answers will sound much more confident. Be aware of timing too. Allow yourself plenty of time for that last-minute bathroom trip (don't forget to check your appearance in the mirror), and wear clothes that look good, but are comfortable.



There's a difference between "smooth" and "slippery", but it can be a fine line. Your task is to exude quiet confidence, and to keep calm even if you feel annoyed inside. If you are in a debate with another guest, stay as calm and unruffled as possible. Smooth and easy does it.

When writing copy for your social media posts, your prime concern, as you know, is to make it understandable by your readers.

But there is another reason why you should use simple words in your posts. Many users find posts by using a search engine such as Google (usually Google, to be honest).

To give yourself a better chance of being found, you need to use words that your visitors would naturally input to a search box when they are looking for the service you offer.

Alas, many people fall into the trap of writing flowery, overblown prose that may look cute, and may even please the owner, but will not help your search positioning. Check your posts now and give it some thought.

Winston Churchill said that "short words are best and the old words when short are best of all." Good advice.

Easter eggs are not just made of chocolate. The term is also a generic name for secret features in software, films and TV shows. Luckily, there's a site that reveals them

A reminder to look no further. Just get in touch. 07986 852621

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."