| Building and Protecting your Reputation |
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Phew, what a scorcher! Man fries egg on pavement...
Sorry, I went a bit tabloid there. I was thinking back to the long hot summers of my youth, when the weather was the main headline in the summer. Now, of course, we have much more to worry about. Hang on, I'm drifting off again...
Anyway, it's hot where I am right now. Not hot in a global sense, but in a British sense. In short, it's a mini-heatwave.
We love a heatwave. As Leon Tallis says in Ian McEwan;’s Atonement, “I love England in a heat-wave. It’s a different country. All the rules change.”
How true that is. |
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I'd like to ask you a favour. Heather Waring runs a business called "One Million Women Walking" and she has created a survey about women's walking habits during lockdown.
She is looking at how they may have changed and what has resulted. This will inform her strategy moving forward to make the biggest impact on our health and well-being, our healthcare services, and by default, the economy.
If you are a woman who walks, or you know one, or you can share the survey with some, please click on or share this link. Many thanks.
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My interview guest is a former British, Commonwealth, European and world Boxing champion, he's also a world leading inspirational and motivational speaker and personal performance coach.
He's an author, the title of his new book is "Man Up, The World Champion Way" and during the lockdown he's created a brand new coaching program called "How to change yourself and your life in 12 weeks"
He's Billy Schwer, and you can hear what he said in The Media Coach Radio Show.
And if you visit his website, https://billyschwer.com/, you can download the first two chapters of his book for free. |
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The MediaMaestro is Eurostar, which has set up a scheme for furloughed employees to become online French teachers to help out in schools during lockdown.
Rail staff not currently working, including train drivers, have volunteered to help pupils learning at home online.Only a limited number of Eurostar's services to France and Belgium are running - and about 30 staff have been helping with French lessons.
They are helping classes run online by teachers in three secondary schools based near the Eurostar terminus in St Pancras and its depot in east London.
The French-speaking staff, including train crew, customer services, control room and finance staff, have been unable to do their regular day jobs during the lockdown - and are volunteering with online language classes.
David Dogue, a French teacher at Sir George Monoux sixth form college in Walthamstow, says it is a very useful chance for his A-level pupils to talk to native French speakers. "The opportunity to speak with someone from outside the school helps boost their confidence, while they're dealing with the challenges of having to study from home," he said.
Parfait! |
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The MediaMug is Leeds United Football Club, and it's nothing to do with the fact that they are playing my team Fulham, this weekend at the top of the Championship.
It's because of a story I was alerted to by Jeremy Nicholas.
Leeds United have removed a cardboard cutout of Osama bin Laden from the stands at Elland Road after eagle-eyed fans noticed the image of the former al-Qaeda leader. In a bid to boost stadium atmosphere, Leeds have allowed supporters to pay £25 for themselves to appear – in the form of cutouts – in the stands. As a result, an image of a 'life-size' Bin Laden started to circulate on social media after one Twitter user spotted the cutout of the former al-Qaeda leader.
As a number of fans pointed out, this was an outrageous thing for Leeds United to allow, as the former terrorist leader was actually an Arsenal fan.
The Yorkshire Evening Post says that Leeds United have said that 'checks are in place to ensure there are no more offensive images' in the stadium ahead of Saturday's game against Fulham.
I will be watching.
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| Speaking Tip - Last-minute changes |
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You should prepare your speech well in advance, so that you feel confident when you stride on stage. However, making a few topical last-minute additions to your speech can make a big impact. Keep an eye on the news for a day or two before your speech, particularly anything relevant to the audience you will be addressing. Make a note of any headline or phrase that might be useful.
The best time to drop in a topical reference is at the start of your speech. However, if it's a slow news day, or you can't find anything remotely connected to your topic, just go straight into your prepared introduction. Trying to force in a reference, just to appear up-to-date, is worse than not including it at all.
If you decide to include something timely, keep it brief. One or two sentences is sufficient. A simple set-up and punchline will do, but if you aren't used to delivering funny lines, just deliver a topical reference with a smile. Referring back to a previous speaker is always a good idea too. You can do this in the main body of your speech, provided it is relevant.
However. don't feel that you have to make a comment on a current issue, especially if it is a topic that may cause a strong reaction. At the moment, unless your speech is about diversity and inclusion, it's probably better not to try to squeeze in a reference to the Black Lives Matter campaign, not least because it may divert you from your main point.
It's not just about the content of your speech, either. Don't forget to check with the organiser whether there are any last-minute changes to venue, timing or audience. The ability to make last-minute adaptations, without a problem, is the sign of a true professional.
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| Media Tip - Going live on Zoom |
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More and more media interviews are now being conducted via Zoom. Although the quality is nowhere near as good as studio broadcasts, it's good enough to get the message across. It's also very good for getting an immediate response from experts in less time than it would take to get them in front of a camera crew.
Here are ten tips for going live on Zoom:
Get a good-quality external microphone to plug into your computer, or failing that, some high-quality headphones with microphone attached. Go somewhere with a reliable internet signal, or better still, use a wired connection. Ensure that there will be no interruptions during your interview. Think about what you are wearing. You need to look professional. Consider your background. No distractions or clutter. No green screen either. Turn off your phone, and all notification noises on your computer. Learn your key points. Don't have them written down just off-screen, since it will be obvious when you look at them. Look at the camera, not the screen. Have a sensible Zoom name. Not "Dave's spare iPhone" Relax. It's only a couple of minutes.
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| Social Media Tip - All in or all out? |
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I've heard both sides of the argument: "Social media is a waste of time, with no business benefit" and "Unless you're on social media and engaging with your customers constantly, your business won't last much longer". It's no surprise that I regard both views as too extreme.
I am very clear about one thing. Social media on its own is not enough. You need to use it as part of your business strategy, not as your entire strategy. Here are three traps to avoid:
1) I need to check my messages and notifications. Well yes, but only up to a point. If you leave yourself logged in to Facebook, and click on a new notification every time one appears, you will never get anything done. Make the effort to log out, turn off notification sounds, and put your smartphone face down.
2) I may miss some breaking news. That's also true, but you'll also miss what happens while you are asleep, in the bath (tell me you don't have your phone in the bathroom with you), or spending time with family and friends. Whether you hear news the second it breaks, or a few hours later doesn't really matter.
3) People want to hear from me. Again, yes, sometimes people do want to hear about your time at a great concert, or what you think of a TV show. However, there's literally a time and a place for keeping your pals updated on the minutiae of your life. They can cope without your news, possibly for days at a time. Ration your updates to extraordinary moments.
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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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