The Media Coach 7th March 2022
Alan Stevens
Building your reputation, honing your speeches, supporting you in delivering world-class events.
Speaking Tip of the week - Be respectful
It almost goes without saying that you should respect your audience. Alas, some speakers disregard the wishes or interests of those who have come to see them, and deliver the same old stuff. If you see blank looks on the faces of people you speak to, it's your fault for not doing your research properly.
Listen to their questions, respond to their points, and amend your delivery if necessary. If your content is not working, or not being understood, you need to change your approach. You're an expert in your topic, so that won't be a problem. If you are short of time, know what can be safely left out. If you have extra time, know what could be effectively added. In short, be adaptable.
You should also respect your audience's time, too.
You should never go on beyond your scheduled finishing time unless the vast majority demand it, and the organiser allows it. If you keep people longer than they expected, it is the only thing they will remember and talk about, regardless of the quality of your speech.
After your speech, take time to speak to people who have questions, and accept their congratulations gracefully.
Respect your audience, and you will gain their respect in return
Media Tip of the week - What is News?
Nothing like a big question now and again, eh? I was asked this recently, and I offered a few possible definitions,
One very old definition is "News defies expectations".
Evelyn Waugh had a similar take, saying "News is what a chap who doesn't care much about anything wants to read".
Joseph Pulitzer (yes, that Joseph Pulitzer) put it most elegantly; "News should be put before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it and, above all, accurately so they will be guided by its light."
However you define news, it's always about stories. The mistake that many people make is that they want to get their business, products and services into the news, assuming that they will naturally be of interest. That's why many press releases never get picked up. They simply don't contain any news.
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If you understand what news is about, you will understand what is newsworthy. That understanding can save a lot of frustration, not to mention a lot of money wasted on ineffective PR. If you always look for the story, you will find far more opportunities for publicity than a new CEO or a move of head offices (yawn).
What is it about your story that defies expectations? What's your news?
Social Media Tip of the week - The Great Pretenders
In my opinion, there are several types of pretender on social networks. Here's how I describe them:
1) The pretend expert These are the people who publish reviews of new products and services, sometimes before launch. They haven't seen or tried the new stuff themselves, but have simply read all the reports from people who have, and pulled together a summary which makes them look as though they are "in the know".
2) The pretend writer These are real crooks, in my opinion. They reproduce articles and blog posts written by others, with no accreditation, leading people to believe they wrote them. Sometimes they even claim the writing credit. Sad indeed.
3) The pretend journalist This is a type I'm seeing more often. they pick up online news alerts or listen to broadcast sources, and then announce the "news" to their friends and followers. They overlook the fact that if people are interested in a story, they will have the same alerts set up. If there was an attempt to comment on the news, I could see the point of it, but simply sending out "news" seems utterly pointless. News sites do it better and faster.
4) The pretend friend of celebs They continually "chat" to celebrities on Twitter and Facebook as though they are pals. 99% of it is one-way traffic. Occasionally, they will receive a response, which they will talk about for weeks.
What do all these fakes have in common? I suspect it's a desire for status - to be seen as an important member of their online community. It's all wasted effort.
Instead, it's important to focus on:
Fondatrice de l'école du yoga du rire et du HAHA Sisterhood. Master de yoga du rire, conférencière (bilingue)
2 年Such a great message. The great pretenders… I have a theory about them. I call it ??the ?? beer glass??. You see a frosted glass that looks perfect. Beer foam and all and it looks sooo good. Then you try to drink it and it’s just foam with a litttttle bit of beer down the glass… some people are so good at pretending. But they are far from being satisfying!!!