It ain't over 'til it's over

Picture the scene. You are called to a TV studio to do a pre-recorded interview. You plan carefully, have a good core message, and perform well, since the reporter doesn't ask any of the "difficult" questions that you feared. The interview finishes, and the interviewer leans over, shakes your hand, and thanks you for your time. You thank them in return, and say how glad you were that they avoided that particularly awkward topic. 

So far so good? Hang on. The interviewer puts a hand to their earpiece and the other hand towards you, gesturing you to sit down again. "I'm sorry" they say "There was a problem with the recording. Do you mind if we do it again?" 

Of course you don't mind, thinking it will be even easier second time around. You smile and wait for the first question, which, to your acute embarrassment, is on the topic you wanted to avoid. 

There was no problem with the first recording. You made the error of assuming that everything was over. It wasn't. Next time, wait until you are well clear of cameras and microphones before you relax.

What was I saying?

It can be a bit traumatic to appear on radio or TV, especially if you are new to it. One of the main concerns of new interviewees, and many experienced ones too, is that they will forget their message. The pressure of a live interview under bright lights can be intense, and it's not possible to refer to notes, even in radio interviews (most radio studios have webcams, and radio journalists really don't like guests with crib sheets)
So here are some tips to help you stay on-message, even in the most pressurised media interrogations:

• Write it yourself, in your language
• Simplify it, and simplify it again
• Use three points or fewer
• Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse - out loud
• Write it down, and keep it in your pocket.
• Read it on the way to the studio and in the green room
• Use real examples
• Keep it up-to-date
• Keep the language very simple - no jargon
• The shorter it is, the more you will remember

It's not what you do on air, it's what you do beforehand that will guarantee success.

Advice for speakers - Something in Common

Your job, as a speaker, is to find common ground with your audience, and then gently lead them to pastures new. As we all know, the best way to do that is by telling stories. There's a temptation, is these days of sound bites and instant news, to try to tell a story as quickly as possible, so as not to bore the audience. However, that doesn't always work. It's the detail in stories that people find engaging. It's the evocation of sights, sounds and even smells that they can imagine, that make their connection with you very strong. 

Although your audience won't have had the same experiences as you (or there would be no point telling the story), they will be able to identify with elements of it. For example, you might start by describing your feelings before an important pitch meeting, and how you suddenly felt like you were back at school, standing outside the exam room waiting for the doors to open. Although your audience may never have pitched for a million-pound contract, they've all sat an exam, and will be able to remember exactly how they felt.

Some speakers introduce these common elements by saying "you know how you feel when.....", but I don't think that's necessary. If you tell the story exactly as it happened to you, describing your feelings and emotions at the time, they will identify with you. You will learn the phrases and analogies that work well, and also discover what will touch different audiences.

Aim to include three or four common experiences in every speech, and you will take your audience on a journey with you.

Who's in charge here?

In the old days, a speaker could arrive on stage, click into their first slide and deliver a 40-minute keynote to a hushed audience, interrupted only by the occasional ripple of laughter, before taking a couple of simple questions before heading backstage to await the happy forms. That was then. Alas, some speakers are still living in that era, unaware that things have changed. 

Audiences these days are more demanding of speakers. I don't believe it's because attention spans have dropped, even though there is much more short-form information around. I believe it's because speakers are now in a battle for attention with other sources of information. Most audience members will check their mobile phones at some point. Many will be using web-connected iPads or other tablets to communicate with people outside. For some, your speech may be background noise.

That doesn't mean that your audience isn't paying attention to your wisdom. It does mean that you have to be more interesting than whatever is happening on their iPhones. If you deliver a piece of information, you need to be aware that it can be checked in seconds, and you may be challenged. If you tell a story, make it so engaging that people have to give it their full attention. If you use slides, make the information so obvious that people can absorb it in a few seconds.

Some speakers bemoan the fact that control has passed from them to their audience. They're missing the point. The audience was always in charge, and the speaker is there to serve. These days, the level of service has to be even higher.

Tips for mobile Facebook

Where do you check Facebook? If you have it on your smartphone, the answer is probably "just about anywhere I have a few seconds to spare". That could be waiting for a train, while grabbing a sandwich, at the gym, in a bar waiting for friends, or even (well, maybe this is not you) in the toilet cubicle. OK, even if you don't check Facebook on the go, a lot of people (or potential customers as we sometimes call them) do. That means you have to take peoples' habits into account when you design your Facebook pages. 

Here are some tips for your Facebook content that fits both the small screen and the short attention time:

• Get to the point quickly
• Stick to one simple message
• If there's a call to action, keep it high on the page
• Keep any graphics small
• Avoid animations - stick to text and icons
• Encourage likes
• Make it easy to share
• Make it fun
• Don't make people go through several screens
• Thank people for clicking/liking

Of course, the above advice doesn't only apply to Facebook. It applies to your website, and any other type of your content that people may access on a phone too.

A new Spielberg?

Last week, a journalist pal in Northern Ireland alerted me to a YouTune video made by a student in Lisburn. I didn't get round to watching it. Last night, I was listening to the Stephen Nolan show on R5 when the topic came up again, and the young film-maker, Matt Good, was interviewed.

I took a look at the video. Considering it was made in a 90-minute shoot, on a zero budget, it puts many professional film-makers to shame. I'm hoping to feature Matt in my web radio show on Friday. Take a look at his remarkable video and see what you think.

Pitching a feature

The power of feature article is immense. It may run to several pages in a magazine, or a double-page spread in a newspaper, nearly always accompanied by pictures. It's the sort of publicity that you can't buy, as it comes with the implicit editorial endorsement of wherever it appears. If you believe you have material for a feature about your business, review the possible journals where it might appear. It doesn't have to be a national paper or magazine. It's possible that the best place may be a low-circulation trade journal which is read by your ideal potential customer. These local or special-interest publications are also easier to persuade to take a story. 


Always remember that an editor can spot a thinly-veiled publicity pitch. Your story must have human interest or local interest, and preferably both. There should also be some obvious photo opportunities. It's often a good idea to contact the deputy editor, since they may have more time to speak to you, and if they have any ambition, they want the Editor's job, so are always looking to place impressive copy.
Here's what to do:

1. Read the journal to get a feel for the sort of features they publish
2. Create a one-line hook which includes an interesting angle
3. Contact the deputy editor by phone initially
4. Ask if you can send backup material by email
5. Be prepared for rejection. Try again a few months later
6. If they say they will consider the story, follow up politely
7. Note the name of everyone you speak to
8. Thank everyone for their consideration of your pitch
9. Take their advice if they suggest another publication
10. Don't give up. As long as you have a good story, someone will publish it

Ed Milli Brand. The tiny brand of a party leader

Ed Milliband is all over the airwaves this morning. I followed him onto BBC Radio Sheffield where I spoke about his performance and brand. Having watched his speeches and media interviews as party leader, and met him briefly, my view is that he's a nice enough chap, but far from statesmanlike.

Leaders of the Opposition have a basic problem, which is that they receive a salary from the state in order to - er - oppose. It's part of our democratic system that we have a loyal opposition who act as a counterbalancing force to the government. That inevitably means that the opposition leader spends a lot of time saying what they don't like, and little time saying what they stand for.

Ed Milliband has a further problem in that he's opposing a government of two parties, which together have both the majority of seats and popular votes. A recent YouGov poll gave Mr Milliband a rating even lower than Nick Clegg (yes, even lower than Nick Clegg), at a time when the government is pursuing an austerity agenda.

However, I think that the real problem is that few of us really knwo what Mr Milliband is about, or what he stands for. His background in financial matters should make him an informed and interesting advocate of - er - whatever he believes, but there's scant evidence of it. In short, his personal brand is so small it's hard to spot. If there was a scale of branding, his score would be just one millibrand.

SEOh No....

There's a lot written and said about Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). I know a number of companies who pay substantial monthly fees to raise their position in the search engines (OK, the search engine). But is it money well spent? I think it's arguable.

It seems to me, and it's certainly my experience, that customers arrive on a site after hearing about it from someone else, not from a Google search. It may be word of mouth, a link in an email or article, or a chat on a social network. Recommendation is a powerful driver of traffic.

I think it also depends on the nature of your business. Speakers, for example, charge thousands of pounds for a single speech. It's unlikely that anyone will contract a speaker they've found through a web search. People want recommendations and referrals, or will go to a broker (a speaker bureau).

In addition, a high rank in a search engine can be achieved without employing SEO companies at all. Regular blogging, coupled with frequent use of sites like YouTube and Blogger will all boost your ranking (whether or not you think it's important).

There are some very good SEO companies around, who will explain exactly what they can do, and advise you whether you need it or not. It may be a good investment. But if someone promises they can put you on the front page of Google for any search term you specify, turn around and run away.

Radio Days - And your point is?

I sometimes meet people who tell me excitedly "I was on the radio last week!" I congratulate them warmly, and ask them why. The answer is often "because someone asked me". That's fine too. I then ask "What did you achieve?". That often produces a frown and a puzzled look. "Er - publicity?" may be the answer, delivered as a question rather than a statement. 


Don't get me wrong. It's great to be on radio or TV, or be quoted in a newspaper or on a website. But it's worth taking a little time before your interview to think what you want to achieve. If you don't have an aim in mind, your interview will lack focus, and as a result, will achieve little benefit for your business. Of course, you can't use a media opportunity to sell your products or services. A reporter will see through that immediately.

What you can, and should, do is to write down your objective before the event. Keep is simple, such as mentioning your website twice, or delivering your core message three times. Tell someone else what your objective is, and after the interview, sit down with them and assess your performance.

There needs to be a reason for you to speak to a journalist. That reason should have some benefit. Otherwise, what's the point?

Four resolutions for speakers

I don't know about you, but I don't really make New Year resolutions. They only seem to last a few weeks, or even days. However, I do a few things at the start of each year with regard to my speaking that seem to work and pay dividends, so let me share them with you now. You may find them helpful too.


1) Note what worked well last year. You will know what worked in your speeches from the audience reaction, both during and afterwards. I hope you made notes. if not, sit down and recall what those elements were. They may have been stories, case studies, or simply a line or move on stage. If it works, keep doing it.


2) Review the content of speeches. I change at least a third of the content of my speeches every year. Stories go out of date, new ones appear, and the attitudes of audiences change too. Using the opposite of the above (what didn't work last year), you should note those moments of confusion and glazed eyes in your audience. That content has to be changed or dumped.


3) Look at new research. You need to stay current in your topic. That means reading research, talking to colleagues and making sure you know what is happening globally. Google alerts make it easy to do. If you're not using them already, you should be.


4) Look at new markets. I'm looking east this year (from where I'm sitting that is). That means visiting countries like China to meet people and do more research. There are also new industries to consider. Look at where your expertise would be most valued and most in demand, and then go there.

Small is beautiful

Many years ago, I read a book that made a great impression on me. It was by the economist E F Schumacher, and was called "Small is Beautiful". He set out a number of principles, including one called "appropriate technology". This phrase came back into my mind recently when I was "researching" (a phrase that sounds so much better than randomly noodling about on the web).

There's a common belief in social networks that "bigger is better", All of the networks make announcements when they reach milestone numbers like a million or ten million. But are bigger networks better for the people in them? Is a Twitter following of ten thousand people better than a thousand? As with all these things, it depends on what you want. If you're in the business of promoting something to huge numbers, in the knowledge that a small percentage of purchasers will make you rich, then big networks are great. If you like making loads of connections, and believe that randomness leads to serendipitous business, then connect away.

However, if you're in the relationship business, where you need to build a trusted connection over time, then a small, focused network may be a much better option. In my opinion, that's where the focus will be going for most users of social media this year. I believe people will be gathering in small private groups on Facebook and Linkedin, and cutting the number of people they follow on Twitter. Niche networks, perhaps with only a few hundred people in, will be seen as very valuable. For many of us, small really is beautiful.

Are you a TMI speaker?

Here's a speaking characteristic I suspect you don't want to demonstrate. TMI. Too Much Information. It might appear to be a good problem to have, especially if you are being paid to deliver your knowledge. However, it is not at all helpful to your audience to overwhelm them with facts and figures that they have little time to absorb, let alone use. I see the TMI phenomenon often at events all around the world. Some speakers fear that they are not getting enough information across, so pack their speeches with detailed evidence to back up their messages (yes, they deliver a whole bunch of different messages too). 

The symptoms of TMI can be observed in the audience, by watching people getting increasingly frustrated, and saying to each other "Did you get that?" There are several possible causes. Firstly, the speaker may be rushing through their material in order to finish on time. That's never going to work, since the audience will feel cheated. Secondly, there may be way too much information on the slides, accompanied by the speaker saying "You probably can't see the detail on this slide, so I will talk you through it". (Oh dear).

In most cases, however, it's simply a case of trying to deliver too many messages in one speech. Here's my rule of thumb; one speech, one message. That's it. It's simple, clear and prevents any confusion. The thing is, a week or two later, people in your audience will remember just the one thing that made the greatest impression on them.

So the cure for TMI is obvious and simple. Focus on one message only, and provide plenty of time for your audience to understand it.

Please don't ask me for a testimonial...

...unless I've seen the quality of your work.

If I know you, and I know how good you are, I will happily give you a testimonial. You won't even have to ask, since I always write testimonials for people I work with (or see working with clients) that impress me.

Alas, I receive requests on a regular basis from people I've never met, or hardly know. Sometimes they have written a testimonial for me (often on LinkedIn), and ask for one in return. It's tough for me, since I don't wish to appear ungrateful, but I often reply explaining why I can't reciprocate. I often delete their testimonial for me too, since it's not based on any real evidence.

I believe that the practice of recommending and doing "testimonial deals" between individuals who barely have a relationship is devaluing testimonials in general. I'm not impressed by the number of testimonials on a profile. I rely on personal recommendations.

What's your view?