The Media Coach 15th March 2013

Hints and tips for media appearances, speaking and social media. This week; Winning in the meetings industry; A new Pope; Mind the gap; Video game news; The decisive moment; As someone once said; Anatomy of a Tweet; An interview with TJ Walker; Music from Jim Boggia

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Speakers: Do you ever do the same speech twice?

A couple of points to ponder:

1) Do you ever do exactly the same speech twice?

2) Do you ever have identical audiences in the same few days?


If the answer to the second question is "yes", then the answer to the first could well be "yes". In any other circumstance, my answer to the first question would be "no". Every audience is different, and times change too. For me, that means I have to change my speech every time. I may use some of the same stories, maybe even the same opening and closing lines, but there will always be something tailored to the listeners and something that acknowledges current events. I may completely change the content of a speech with the same title from one day to the next, depending on who I'm speaking to and what's going on in the world.

The needs of your audience are paramount. They will be the arbiters of your success or failure. Their interests and drivers should be in your mind every time you create a speech. How much customisation do you do?

Photo Credit: Alan Stevens

Speaking, Photography and the Decisive Moment

As well as being a speaker, I also dabble in photography. My father was a professional photographer, and I spent much of my childhood at his elbow in a darkroom, illuminated only by a Wratten OB orange safelight, my fingers stained yellow by the stop bath, inhaling the pungent smell of fixer. The joy of seeing an image slowly appear on photographic paper in the developer is something that digital photography cannot offer. 

I've always admired great photographers, including Eve Arnold, Ansel Adams, Margaret Bourke-White and Richard Avedon. My real hero was the late Henri Cartier-Bresson. I never met him, but a few years ago I was lucky enough to spend time with one of his contemporaries at Magnum photography, Elliott Erwitt. I asked Elliott whether Cartier-Bresson ever gave him advice. He smiled and said "Yes Alan, and I now pass that advice on to you. Learn the skills of your trade, and then seize the moment". That's what great speaking is about too.

Cartier-Bresson is credited with the photographic concept of "the decisive moment". He never cropped his images, and relied simply on spotting the right time to press the shutter so that everything was perfectly in place and perfectly framed. When he published his first book of images, he took the title from the writings of the 17th century Cardinal de Retz: "Il n'y a rien dans ce monde qui n'ait un moment decisif" ("There is nothing in this world that does not have a decisive moment").

I believe that when a speaker appears in front of an audience, a decisive moment occurs. That combination of people, place and time has never happened before, and will never happen again, and it is up to the speaker to make it memorable and significant. That's why no two speeches are ever the same. That's why a speech created with no particular audience in mind will lack impact. It is only by the delivery of a performance tailored to the expected audience, combined with the ability to react to the unique moment, that exceptional speeches are delivered.

Next time you speak, consider how your preparation and on-stage reactions combine to create a decisive moment for your audience.

Photo Credit: Creative Commons

Two reputations shattered - The Pryce of revenge

I don't want to add significantly to the distress already suffered by ex-MP Chris Huhne and his ex-wife Vicky Pryce. Having both been found guilty of offences after she agreed to "take" his speeding points, they are now both behind bars. Their relationship, and their connection with their children has been exposed starkly in well-reported trials at Southwark crown court.

Huhne was snapped by my local speed camera at the bottom of the M11 in 2003. The camera itself has become a cause célèbre for raking in over half a million pounds a year in fines, and being the most "lucrative" in the country, but that's another story. No-one outside the Huhne-Pryce family apparently knew until 2010, when Mr Huhne revealed his affair with his PR adviser, Carina Trimingham. It was revealed in court that Ms Pryce then spoke to reporters about the case, and after initially blaming a constituency aide, revealed that it was her that took the points. A plan was created to try to persuade Mr Huhne to incriminate himself in recorded phone calls, but finally Ms Pryce ended up in court just after her ex-husband.

So what are the lessons here? Honesty comes first, obviously. Not only should it come first, it should come early. If Chris Huhne had simply admitted his speeding transgression, he would have been banned, and it would barely have merited a paragraph on page 27. His political career would have been virtually unscathed. Time and time again public figures have been brought down by an attempt to cover up an embarrassing issue, when immediate admission would have been a route to redemption.

And what of the attempt by Ms Pryce to put her husband in the dock while trying to avoid revealing her role? If revenge was her motive, it has clearly backfired. This highlights another prime rule of reputation management - if you go to the media with a story, be prepared for your own behaviour to be scrutinised. That may not always be fair, but if you have done nothing wrong, you'll be fine.

Of course, the prime rule is not to do anything that may damage your reputation, but we're all fallible. Whatever happens, talk about it early, talk about it yourself, and the storm will blow over much more quickly.

Picture Credit - Creative Commons

10 ways to be a MediaMug

If you're a regular reader of my electronic billet-doux (see the yellow box to the right to subscribe), you will see a weekly award for the most inept media performance of the week. Naturally, I keep a record of what goes wrong, and the criteria that are ignored most often. 

So here are ten things that you should never do when faced with a reporter. 

1. Stay silent. This will just make you look ridiculous on the TV news. Refusing to say anything says a lot.
2. Become aggressive. An easy way to lose sympathy for your case is to shout and wag your finger.
3. Hide. Don't duck behind your desk, especially if the cameras saw you go in to your office.
4. Blame the media. Whenever I see this line taken, I see a reputation in decline.
5. Run away. This also makes great TV. Stand your ground.
6. Profess ignorance. If you know something, say so. You may have a reason you can't speak about it, but never claim to be ignorant if you aren't.
7. Belittle the problem. It may be "not many affected", but for the victims, it's serious.
8. Speculate without the facts. The truth will emerge. If you guessed wrongly, you're in trouble.
9. Make no apology. Saying sorry is not a sign of weakness, or an admission of liability
10. Lie. This will never do, and you will be found out.

Instead, the simple rule is to be honest, helpful and focused.

The Media Coach 8th March 2013

Hints and tips for media appearances, speaking and social media. This week; Justin Bieber turns up late; Professional Speaking; Bonnie Tyler; The Urge; Alvin Lee; Bobby Rogers; Make the room work for you; Ten ways to be a MediaMug; And what do you do on Twitter?; An interview with, and music from, Nugent and Belle.

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Justin Bieber - creating non-Beliebers?

Every news bulletin this morning reported the fact that Justin Bieber arrived on stage at the O2 last night almost two hours after the advertised start time. Apparently he offered no apology, and by all accounts then proceeded to give his fans (those that remained) an excellent show. For those who are genuinely devoted to Mr Bieber (and there are many millions) he will be forgiven his tardiness. For many of his young fans, the experience was a disappointing one, since they had to leave early, or miss the entire concert as they would otherwise have missed the last trains home.

Bands arriving late on stage is something rock fans became used to many years ago. Guns 'N" Roses made a whole career of it, often not coming on stage until after the show was due to end. But their fans are made of sterner stuff, and tend not to have to be up in the morning to get to school. Madonna was booed last year in Philadelphia for appearing two and a half hours late, and later issued a fulsome apology.

Back to Mr Bieber. At the time of writing, the only apology that has appeared in the media is from the venue. There's no mention of the incident on his Twitter feed. I find that surprising. One of the basic rules of reputation management is to apologise as quickly as possible after doing something that upsets many people, especially erstwhile fans.

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UPDATE: Mr Bieber has now tweeted an apology of sorts. He says that he was due to go on stage at 9.30 (not 8.30 as the audience believed) and he hit the stage at 10.10 (not 10.24 according to people who were there). He claims he was therefore 40 minutes late, not two hours. He added "My relationship with the media is not always easy but I'm trying. I'm all about the music and the performance and I respect my fans. I never have any intent to upset or let anyone down. and I'm not okay with things being exaggerated. once again sorry for anyone upset." So that's a little better. He still manages to dispute the facts and take a swipe at "the media". Presumably that's the same media that made him famous. It's also a late apology, suggesting a little external influence.
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I doubt that his late arrival will do very much damage to his career. Anyone who has 34 million Twitter followers, and sells out concerts in a matter of seconds can afford to lose a few fans. However, respect for your audience is important. Many of Mr Bieber's fans last night were teenagers (and younger). Many had travelled long distances, and were escorted by parents who had paid a hundred pounds or more for each ticket. Some of the younger fans fell asleep, and others had to go home before the concert began, or after just a couple of songs. In short, some of the crowd left disappointed, and may well become non-Beliebers in future. That's no way to treat an audience, and no way to maintain a reputation, however good you are.

I'm betting he'll be on stage a lot earlier over the next three nights.

Picture credit : Wikipedia Creative Commons

10 things speakers do that upset event planners

Well, it turned out that my piece on "10 things that event planners do to upset speakers" generated a lot of interest. So it's only fair that I present the other side of the case, based on my experience of organising and MC'ing events for many years. 


So here’s my list - fellow speakers please take note:

1) No communication before the event. It's important to prepare well, and for the event planner to be confident that everything is in place. Even if not asked, the speaker should let the planner know that everything is under control.

2) Arriving late. This is something that can cause great stress, especially if there are no messages from the speaker. Delays can happen, but the important thing is to keep in touch, so that last-minute changes can be made, and the planner can breathe easily.

3) Ignoring the rehearsal and sound check. If time has been set aside for a sound check and technical rehearsal, the speaker should be there. It's especially important if audio or video are being used. The technicians will be there, and their time should be respected too. Handing in your presentation just before you speak is not acceptable. 

4) Using inappropriate language. Swearing or making tasteless remarks are unprofessional. The audience should be respected at all times.

5) Selling from the stage. This may be acceptable if agreed in advance, perhaps as a favour for a low fee or no fee. In any other circumstance, it's a no-no.

6) Not delivering what was agreed. It should be clear in advance what the speaker should be doing to meet the objectives of the organiser. Failing to deliver that is unforgivable. 

7) Poor visuals. One of the most common complaints I hear from planners and audiences is that a speaker's slides were awful. If you use slides, learn how to create effective visuals. It's not that hard.

8) Over-running. Going over the allocated time causes problems for everyone, including other speakers, who may have to cut their speeches short. The schdule of the event may be thrown into disarray too. There's no excuse for bad timekeeping. 

9) Leaving immediately after the speech. It's important to show respect to people who may wish to chat to speakers after their presentation. Ideally, a speaker should be there for the whole day at least. Not only is it polite, it will lead to more bookings.

10) Billing for every little thing. I'm told that some speakers claim expenses for phone calls to the planner, and cups of coffee at the airport. It's just a cost of doing business, and not worth the bad feeling it creates.

I'm sure that many speakers never do any of the above. But if you meet one who does, have a little word in their ear. Thanks.



Picture credit: Alan Stevens

The Media Coach 1st March 2103

Hints and tips for media appearances, speaking and social media. This week; St David; Our Oscar speech winner; Jennifer Lawrence; Haven’t you run before?; Talk with your audience, not at them; Plan your answers; Listen all the time; An interview with Vinny Verelli; Music from Jim Boggia

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George Orwell's five principles of communication.

Sixty-seven years ago, Eric Arthur Blair, under his pen name, George Orwell, wrote an essay called "Politics and the English language", in which he set out five principles of clear communication. His essay was aimed at writers, but the principles apply equally well to spoken communication, and speakers would do well to consider them when constructing and delivering speeches.

1. Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print. Although these phrases are in common use - "It's not rocket science", "Out of the box thinking" etc, etc., they have lost their impact. Try to be original to make the listener sit up and think, or don't use metaphors at all.

2. Never use a long word where a short one will do. This is set in the brain of all newspaper sub-editors. It's just as easy (in fact easier) to state a message in simple words as in complex language.

3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out. People use "filler words" in speech all the time - "Actually", "To be perfectly honest". These words and phrases have no meaning, and no place in your communication.

4. Never use the passive where you can use the active. For example; Active: The dog bit the man. Passive: The man was bitten by the dog.The word "by" often indicates that a sentence is passive. Active communication is more direct and easier to understand.

5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent. I see this rule broken most often. English is such a rich language, there is no need to resort to another.

However, George also added a sixth catch-all principle:

Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

I agree, and think that the bonus principle is most important of all. As the song goes "If you can't say anything real nice, It's better not to talk at all, is my advice". That doesn't mean you have to be nicey-nicey all the time, but name-calling and abuse is a poor approach.

Now, having set out the rules, I'm sure I'll break a few of them from time to time. So will you (and so did George). But as guidance for good communication, I'm signed up to them.

Picture credit: Creative Commons

Crucial advice for Oscar nominees #Oscars

Dear Nominee,

Here's some advice now you're on the Oscar shortlist for an award. It won't take long to read, and it is very simple to apply. It will avoid you embarrassing yourself, the audience, and us, and make the evening much more memorable for everyone. Thank you.

Our parents taught us to always say thank you. It's the right thing to do. If you win an award, here are some things to think about when you deliver your speech of thanks.

1. Stay on time. If you have no guidelines, two minutes is enough.
2. Stay relevant. Talk about the award, not your life story.
3. Thank people who have helped you. It needn't be a long list, simply mention the three or four most significant, and add "and many others I don't have time to mention"
4. Be humble. Winning an award is an honour, not an expectation.
5. Avoid jokes. You're not there to do stand-up comedy.
6. Avoid notes. You can easily speak for two minutes without prompts.
7. Be sincere. And no, you can't fake that.
8. Say how you feel. Being a little teary is OK. Blubbing constantly isn't.
9. Be gracious. Praise the others on the short-list
10. Remember to thank your hosts. First and last.

Lastly, smile as you return to your seat. You are entitled to! 

Picture Credit: Creative Commons

The Media Coach 22nd February 2013

Hints and tips for media appearances, speaking and social media. This week; The Baftas; The Oscars; A competition; Kevin Ayers; James Corden; Thank you very much!; We’ve won an award; Social Media Awards 2012; An interview with Thom Singer; Music from Katie Sutherland.

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Once more unto the Britzzzzzz.... #BritAwards2013

The O2 was filled last night with the great and good of the music industry, handing each other small spotty statuettes designed by Damien Hirst. That was about the most edgy aspect of the Brit Awards, which used to be the enfant terrible of awards ceremonies, but now out-dulls the annual conference of forensic accountants (which is quite a knees-up by all accounts). The staging was spectacular, especially in the opening crescendo from Muse, but the whole event put me in mind of the old theatrical saw "the audience left humming the scenery".

James Corden is a gifted comic actor and a talented writer. His performance as "Smiffy" at the BBC Sports Personality Awards was a masterclass in comedy. Alas, his MC performance at The Brits was somewhere between a rabbit in the headlights and a geography teacher at parents' evening. Maybe it was his tonsilitis, a lack of rehearsal, or over-reliance on the autocue. His timing on the gag lines removed much of the humour (and there wasn't much). The script may well have been one left over from a Eurovision Song Contest, with most of the jokes carefully removed. Where are Sam Fox and Mick Fleetwood when you need them?

The musical performances were all designed as mini-spectaculars, and everyone (except Muse and Emeli Sande) looked miffed that they weren't opening or closing the show. The huge stage extension into the arena seemed to be a challenge to most, with a mad race out and back during the middle eight. Some of them even made it back before the chorus.

As for the award winners, that's a matter of personal taste and judgement. Having seen The Rolling Stones in the very same arena a few months ago, I'm more than a little surprised that Coldplay edged them out of the "best live act" award. The lifetime achievement award was scrapped - presumably careers are too short these days, and replaced by the "Global Success Award', to ensure that One Direction turned up to collect it. 

It was hard to argue with the destination of most of the awards, but where were moments like Oasis taunting Blur, or Chumbawumba dousing John Prescott, or Vic Reeves playing microphone wrestling with Sharon Osbourne? These days, we just have to listen to the bland, as the record company executives nod sagely. The Brits are no longer a rebellious teenager, and have grown up to become a train spotter in a nylon anorak (actually that's a bit unfair to train-spotters).

For me, as a professional speaker and media bloke, the acceptance speeches were even more dire than usual. Does it not occur to people on a short-list of five that they might win, and therefore should have prepared a few appropriate words? Obviously not. Most winners shuffled about looking nervous and embarrassed, said "er - thanks" and wandered off. Quite remarkable when you think that they earn their corn on stage in front of huge audiences. 

As Danny Baker, the Pepys of our times, pointed out from his vantage point in the middle of the sorry debacle (I may be paraphrasing slightly) "If this was the day the music died, The Brits will be taken in for questioning".

Picture Credit : Alan Stevens

10 things that event planners do to upset speakers

I hope this is not a career-damaging article. It's not intended to be. It has been compiled following a challenge from two fellow members of MPI (Meeting Professionals International). Since I have a foot in the camps of both professional speakers and professional meeting planners, I hope both groups will forgive me. The idea is to make the relationship more harmonious, honestly.


So here’s my list:

1) No confirmation of the event. A booking has been made months ahead, it’s in pencil in the speaker’s diary, but there is no further communication until a week before the gig.

2) Sudden re-organisation of the agenda. An opening keynote becomes a closing keynote, or a workshop becomes a breakfast seminar. The last person to know may be the speaker.

3) No time for rehearsal. A professional speaker will always want to run a sound check and room check well before their speech.

4) No-fee events, with no obvious benefit to the speaker. There may be promises of “great networking opportunities”, but when the tea and biscuits cost more than a top-quality speaker, something is wrong.
 
5) Filming the speaker without permission (or a release form which gives away the speaker’s copyright). This should never happen, and should be negotiated in advance.
 
6) Telling the speaker as they begin “Can you cut your speech by 20 minutes” or “can you keep going until coffee – the next speaker hasn’t arrived”
 
7) Demanding copies of slides three months in advance. Many speakers don’t use slides. Some event planners don’t understand that
 
8) No briefing for the speakers, or no contact with the end client. This is all too common, and can lead to a mismatch between speaker and audience. Building a relationship between speaker and client is crucial.
 
9) No speaker liaison person and no response to enquiries from speakers.
 
10) Late cancellations and subsequent debates about cancellation fees.

Other than that, everything is fine! Of course, the above happen only rarely – but I hope they never happen to you.

And yes, there'll be a piece shortly on what speakers do to upset event planners.