The MediaCoach

Hi John,

I wish you the Happiest of Christmases. I'll be with my family on a visit to in-laws in Ireland, away from email, wifi, and any connection with business. I hope you have a relaxing break too. By the way a few weeks ago I tried to predict the winners of the autumn reality shows - X Factor, Strictly and I'm a Celebrity. I picked two winners and a second place. Alas, I didn't have the confidence to place a bet. Ah well. There's always the National Lottery.

Last week, I spoke in Vancouver (in person), in Moscow (virtually), coached a speaker in London (in person) and coached speakers in The Netherlands and Germany (virtually). These days, it is possible to be an international speaker and coach without leaving home, though travelling is great fun too.

Next week, I will be revealing the MediaMaestro and MediaMug of the year. They may have featured already, or may have made a late run for the line. If you have any suggestions, drop me a line!

In Vancouver I met up with speaker and singer Nathen Aswell. It was a fascinating interview. Hear our chat in the Media Coach Web Radio Show. There is also a lovely song from The Lost Hollow Band.
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The MediaMaestro award goes to Mark Rober, a former Nasa engineer who spent six months building a glitter bomb trap to trick thieves after some parcels were stolen from his doorstep. The package was left on Mr Rober's porch with a label saying it had been sent by "Kevin McCallister" - the boy played by Macaulay Culkin in the 1990 movie Home Alone. It was stolen on several occasions and re-set to explode and capture the footage every time. On every occasion, the thieves abandoned the package once it had been triggered and they or their property had been doused in glitter.. Utterly brilliant. And glittery too!

The MediaMug Award winner is Jeremy Corbyn. Not for his "stupid woman" comment in the House of Commons, which as daft in itself, but for the ridiculous aftermath. Yes, lip-reading experts all over the country have analysed his mouth and come to the conclusion that he probably said it. The easiest thing to do is to apologise and move on. Instead, we have a prolonged charade which is utterly pointless. I am reminded of the words of Lanny Davis, former advisor to President Bill Clinton. He said that to prevent a crisis escalating, "Tell it early, Tell it all, Tell it yourself".

THEY'VE COME TO HEAR FROM YOU

Anyone can tell a story, but only you can tell your story. So why do so many speakers tell stories that involve other people, or may even be made up? The answer, I suppose, is that they have heard the stories themselves, and were very impressed by the point they made, so decide to pass them on to their audiences. The trouble is, the audiences may have heard them before too. In that case, the impact may be completely lost, as they already know the punch line.

There are hundreds of stories you could tell that deliver strong messages. Things happen all the time. The trick is to observe and record them, which is why you should always carry a notebook and pen, or if you prefer, a phone with a voice recorder. However, the batteries never give out in a notebook. I write down things every day, and then review the notes every few days. If something might be useful for a speech, I transfer it to my story file, which I refer to whenever I have a speech to make.

It's also much easier to recall your own stories, and in the words of Lou Heckler "Don't tell and re-tell stories on stage, live and re-live stories". If you can re-create the sights, sounds, smells and feelings that you noticed at the time, your stories will be much more powerful than those you've heard or read that involve someone else.

And one more thing. Try not to include too many quotes in your speech. That's like telling mini-stories from other people. One or two is fine, but remember that the audience has come to hear from you, not from dead philosophers.

I WANT NEWS AND I WANT IT NOW!

The news media seem to have an insatiable appetite for speculation, comment and analysis. Before a report is due out, its possible contents are discussed by experts. On its release, there is an on-the-scene report from outside a building where the announcement was made. After the event, another panel of experts gathers around the studio desk to dissect, discuss and digest the results. That's the way it works.

So how do you react if you are caught up in this news maelstrom? One thing is certain. You won't have a great deal of time to prepare yourself, particularly if it isn't a report, but a breaking news story. Here are a few tips if you find yourself in front of a camera as the first expert to comment:

In summary, keep it brief, honest and sincere. That's it.

TEN WAYS TO GIVE A LITTLE LOVE

It's the season of love and goodwill. Rather than promoting your products and services on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, why not try giving a little love to build online relationships? Here are ten ways

Of course, the more love you give online, the more you will receive.

On TV news shows, it doesn't always go according to plan at Christmas.

I can help.

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."