The Media Coach 3rd January 2014

Happy New Year; An invitation; A reporter faints; A man can’t type; Time to drop the Sex Pistols; You versus a journalist; And which one is you?; An interview with Rita Rudner; Music from Geoff Gibbons

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Speakers - time to drop the Sex Pistols.

You remember those news images when the Berlin wall came down? It's unlikely that anyone under 40 in your audience will. That was 24 years ago. And those naughty Sex Pistols? then you're talking to over-50s - the punk rock era was 36 years ago.

I don't know about you, but at this time of year I pause to review the reference points in my speeches. The stories, the characters and the historical incidents all age at the same rate that we do, though the average age of our audiences remains the same.

Of course, many stories - often personal ones - are timeless, since they relate to emotional rather than temporal issues. However, leaving a speech unchanged, year after year, may mean that your connection with your audience wanes.

Why not take a few hours to consider what stories and references you can replace or update? Your audiences will notice and appreciate it. 

Photo credit: Creative Commons licence

The Media Coach 27th December 2013

Special end-of-year edition with MediaMaster an MediaMug of the Year, plus exactly the right music from Out of the Rain.

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Do speakers tell the truth on stage? Really?

Can you really back up what you say on stage? Is your speech really web-proof? Now that most members of your audience have smart phones and tablets, you'd better be able to justify your assertions. They will check.

There is no getting away with quoting the 1953 Harvard Goals Study (it never happened) or the "7% of communication is words" (untrue, and disowned by the original researcher, Albert Mehrabian).

Of course, not everything on the Internet (or in Wikipedia) is true, but it's easy to verify if things ever took place. So whenever you start a sentence with "Studies have shown that..." or "It's well-known that...", you'd better be sure of your ground. If your statements can't be verified, your credibility is gone.

So my advice is to be your own fact-checker. Look up everything you claim in your speeches, and be prepared to deal with the consequences of your audience doing the same. It used to be said that you could fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but not all the people all the time. These days, you can't fool any of the people any of the time.

Picture Credit: Creative Commons license

The Media Coach 20th December 2013

Happy Christmas; Your nominations please; Peter O’Toole; British Airways; It’s not just a speech; Why?, Why?, Why?; RSVP every time; An interview with Bob Mills; Music from Out of the Rain

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Is keynote speaking heading for the elephants' graveyard? #mpi #eventprofs

Is the traditional keynoter an endangered species? While in Vancouver at the Global Speakers Summit, I spoke to a number of bureau heads and bookers about what they are looking for in speakers. There was considerable agreement on three trends:


 

1) Length of speeches. Everyone I spoke to said that the format of 15-20 minutes speaking, followed by 45 minutes Q&A was increasing in popularity. Some said that's all they look for. They want speakers who can engage an audience with their depth of knowledge and expertise, not with a prepared delivery.

2) Level of engagement. Everyone, yes, everyone, wants speakers to engage with the audience before, during and after the event. They want webinars, tweetchats, social media engagement, Google hangouts - all part of the deal. Just turning up on the day, speaking and leaving won't cut it any more.

3) Interaction.  Forget the "turn off your phones" stuff. We need to be interacting with our audiences during our speeches, using apps like Pigeonhole Live, Poll Everywhere and the Twitter back-channel.

I've already incorporated these trends into what I offer, and I will keep watching the market to see how to keep adapting. My view is that if the traditional keynote is all you offer, you'd better check the route to the elephant graveyard. What say you?

Image Credit: Creative Commons Licence

The Media Coach 13th December 2013

The Global Speakers Summit; Two awards; I expect you to dine; Cory Keenan; Print me a pizza; The role of the MC; Three keys of core messages; Tell me what you really like; An interview with Heather Waring; Music from Geoff Gibbons.

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The Media Coach 6th December 2013

Off to Vancouver; A proud Clydesider; Tom Daley speaks out; Boris Johnson on IQ; To what do you refer?; Come out with your hands up; Is your business really social?; An interview with Adam Shaw; Music from Kate McRae

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The Media Coach 29th November 2013

Reality shows keep going; Is Wales really sexy?; A Professional passes on; A daft burglar; Play from the baseline; Life’s a pitch; Digging deep in Twitter; An interview with Carl Leighton-Pope; Music from Lisbee Stainton

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Speakers - do you watch the soaps and read the tabloids? You should!

Do you know who's been in tears about their looks in "I'm a Celebrity.." ? What did you think of "Day of the Doctor"? What's your view on Jonathan Trott's return to the UK? Do you agree with Russell Brand's call for a revolution?

These are the sorts of questions that your audience members will be discussing. It's popular culture, and my view is that speakers should know what's going on in these conversations. I'm often surprised when I hear speakers say on stage "I don't watch television - it's all rubbish" or "Sport is boring". That may be your personal view, but it doesn't help to make a connection. I prefer Borgen to Corrie and I'd rather read The Guardian than The Sun, but I still know the storylines in the soaps and the headlines on the tabloids.

I'm not suggesting you should spend hours each day watching Holly and Phillip or browsing the Mail Online's sidebar of shame. But you should at least know who or what they are. For me, connection is about referencing things we have in common, whether we're on stage, answering questions, or chatting before and after the gig.

We're communicators after all. Shouldn't we be aware of what popular communication is about? What's your take?

The Media Coach 22nd November 2013

The Gettysburg Address; The first ever Klout-a-Thon; Lost in IKEA; A tea party with a lion; The intellectual outlaw; Text yourself on air; Twitter up your event; An interview with Lesley Everett; Music from Lisbee Stainton

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The Media Coach 15th November 2013

The Exceptional Speaker; An online course for brilliant speaking; Harold Percival; A UKIP wreatht; Pendats Unite!; Bait your Hook; Don't throw fuel on the fire; An interview with Sean Weafer; Music from Cory Fox-Fardell

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Al's five-point guide to getting paid speaking gigs

There's lots of understandable chatter in the speaking world about how to get paid gigs. I have a few suggestions, based on my own experience. You may find them helpful.

 

Al's five-point guide to getting booked:

1) Be very, very good at what you do. That's a given, but many bookings come on the back of a great delivery. Your speaking is your best marketing.

2) Maintain a constant presence. You need to be front of mind for anyone who might book you or refer you. That means being visible. (If you don't know how to do that, call Dave Avrin)

3) Tell others what you do. Yes, blindingly obvious, but if it's hidden in a cryptic title or vague jargon, no-one will understand it. Clarity please.

4) Ask for more business. Your best chance of a booking is from a client you already work with. They love you already. Just ask them what else you can do to help.

5) Eat well. Have breakfast, lunch and dinner with colleagues and prospects (thanks to Matt Crabtree for this tip). Good food fosters good relationships.

The Media Coach 8th November 2013

Reality shows hare climaxing; How to deliver a brilliant speech; A champion jockey; The Mayor of Toronto; A speech is a two-way thing; Let’s hold a press conference; Hanging out on Google +; An interview with Jim Lawless; Music from Lisbee Stainton

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