YOUR FACE HELPS TELL THE STORY

A fascinating controversy has arisen in Britain - which says a lot about how humans communicate.   It started with a Muslim woman being told by a judge that she had to remove her face veil so the jury could be better placed to assess her innocence or guilt.   The woman is due to stand trial for allegedly intimidating a witness.   She has refused to remove her niqab and reveal her face in front of any man in court.       Judge Peter Murphy at Blackfriars Crown Court in London has said that he will offer the woman - who can't be named for legal reasons - a screen to shield her from public view while giving evidence.   However he says she has to be seen by the jury, the lawyers and himself so they can make proper judgements while she is giving evidence.   Debates over the face veil normally come down to a person's right to dress how they choose, versus whether covering women's faces for religious reasons diminishes their status in the eyes of others and themselves.   But in this case the key issue is whether humans can interpret someone with total effectiveness without seeing the face behind the words.   The issue has now cascaded into whether there should be a ban on face veils imposed on Muslim women working in the National Health Service.   The British Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt (pictured), says "Certainly if I was a patient myself, I'd want to be able to see the face of the doctor or nurse who was treating me."              The stories underline just how important facial expressions are in the communication process.   When we meet someone new we can make amazingly quick conclusions about them - and much of this is determined by their facial expression.   Your initial judgement can be made in as little as three seconds.   If you're looking at a recovering Australian journalist-turned-professional speaker, it could take even less time!   So getting your look right - and working at getting it right - really matters.

NOW ON YOUTUBE: THE CONFERENCE KEYNOTE TO BOOST YOUR TEAM        The importance of getting your facial expressions in harmony with your message is one of the things covered in a new YouTube video I've made with my colleague in the Professional Speaking Association, Nicci Roscoe. Nicci (pictured below) speaks and writes on making a fabulous impact in your business and your life - and getting the look right can be a vital part of that.     In the video we demonstrate good and bad communications practice in front of audiences - and ask those watching to identify factors which make the difference between the two.   The sessions run under the banner of "Making Your Team Look, Sound and Feel Great".   They can be booked as conference keynotes for large audiences, or as master classes for away days and training programmes.   This YouTube video focuses primarily on media interviews at three separate events - because this was what our particular audiences were primarily interested in.   We can adapt the focus to whatever your audience most requires.   For example we can demonstrate excellent - and appalling - practice and give guidance on:   # Making Powerful Business Introductions   # Doing Career-Enhancing Interviews   # Giving Great Answers To Tough Questions - From Your Business Prospects   # Boosting Confidence and Positive Focus   You can check out the video here:       Click for further information about booking "Making Your Team Look, Sound and Feel Great" at your event.

DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOUR TEAM   Demonstrating good and bad communications practice in front of your people gets them thinking more deeply about how they come across to others. In doing this, "Making Your Team Look, Sound and Feel Great" can prevent problems before they get a chance to start. We've just had the most stunning example of what can go wrong in a team courtesy of the United Kingdom Independence Party. The anti-European Union party has been surging in the polls. But their annual party conference has just been destroyed - in the words of its leader, Nigel Farage (pictured) - because of some ill-thought out remarks and actions by a member of his team.   The miscreant who has overshadowed the party's conference is Godfrey Bloom - who, in an odd situation, is a Member of the European Parliament representing his party in an institution which he and his colleagues don't believe their country should be associated with. Mr Bloom described the female representatives at the conference as "sluts". You might agree this isn't the smartest or most reasonable thing to do - even if UKIP women don't clean behind fridges which is what Mr Bloom thinks they should be doing. Godfrey Bloom then further aggravated the situation with a TV performance which, among other sins, involved hitting a reporter over the head with a document. This was not particularly painful for the reporter - but agonising indeed for the party's supporters. Take a big breath and something soothing before seeing it all unfold:

HOW NOT TO BE THE NEXT GODFREY   If Godfrey Bloom provokes you to think about boosting the communication skills of you and your colleagues, here are some of the ways how Michael Dodd Communications can help:   # "Become An Inspirational CEO In 12 Hours" - Material on the new premium package for business leaders and those aspiring to be is at:   www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/inspirational_CEO.php    # "Protecting And Enhancing Your On-Line Reputation" - Ensuring the right things and the classiest possible material comes up about you when your name is googled:   www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/online_reputation.php    # "Presenting With Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz" - Including how to wow audiences with the right kind of slides: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/presentation_training.php   Hopefully you're in the happy position that there are no potential Godfrey Blooms in your team.   But if there are, they can be sorted.   You don't have to put a face veil on them...though sometimes this might help.   Keep smiling   Michael

THE DO'S AND DON'TS OF MEDIA INTERVIEWS           These days I spend more time helping others with their media appearances rather than doing so many myself.       But I did a fairly high profile interview over the weekend with BBC News in the aftermath of the Australian elections - and so I thought it may be worth sharing with you.       This why you're getting an earlier-than-expected ezine edition today.       The interview can be viewed on the home page of my website at www.michaeldoddcommunications.com  I Or you can see it directly on YouTube here.          I always recommend those I coach in media interviews to look back forensically over their efforts - in the quest for constant self-improvement.         So in order to practice what I preach, I've done the same for myself.         It's a bit like eating your most un-favorite green vegetable...not pleasant, but good for you.         When I was a full-time political correspondent in Canberra, doing interviews on the latest situation was pretty easy - because you eat, sleep and breathe politics (not much else happens in the Australian capital!). Canberra: home of the Australian Parliament - the old Dodd stomping ground          But having been following Australian politics from a distance for some time now, doing interviews on the subject from 12,000 miles away in London is rather more challenging.               So you'll see that I made a point of trying to add in extra things which I was sure about at different times - in order to seek to lead the interviewer to asking about aspects that I was strongest on.           I think this worked pretty well.           But as ever, there are some improvement points to bare in mind for next time. KEEP LOOKING FOR THOSE IMPROVEMENT POINTS           One of them was my seating position. I recommend to interviewees that they lean a little forward to demonstrate enthusiasm - and I didn't quite practice what I preach here.           I was leaning back a bit far in the chair.           The interviewer, Chris Rogers, sets a better example - so copy him more than me in this aspect.           And if you listen carefully you may spot that at one point I got a slight frog in my throat - so having a glass of water at hand would have been a wise precaution.          Normally water is available on the table in any TV studio, but for some reason it wasn't this time.          I should have insisted on water before the interview started. I will next time!          And maybe because I had a rough throat, there was one point when describing Australian politics I said the word "rough" a couple of times too often.          So there's some refinements for the future, though my colleagues who saw the interview have been very kind.          Do let me know if you spot any additional potential improvement points that you think I've missed.           This will be good for me - like eating broccoli.    And for those who should be prepared to talk to journalists if things go wrong - or if they go amazingly right - there's more on media interview training at: http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/media_training.php Media Training in action It's enormously confidence-enhancing, it can lead to the raising of your organisation's profile with all sorts of financial benefits - and is way more fun than eating green vegetables! DOING IT ON SKYPE                Skype is an amazing phenomenon - allowing us to make free video phone calls around the world with picture quality which can be remarkably good (on good days).              I've increasingly been doing one-to-one communications-boosting training sessions through Skype when face-to-face sessions aren't possible.               It works particular well where I've previously given people some face-to-face training and they need to build further on these skills afterwards - whether it's media interviews, answering tough questions from potential customers, doing impressive business introductions or inspiring presentations.             So I've set Tuesday 1 October as an open day for those wanting to get their communications skills to a higher level through Skype.             I'm offering one-hour sessions on this day for £97 including VAT - between 9am and 6pm.              If you would like to book a slot email  enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com  BECOMING AN INSPIRATIONAL COMMUNICATOR              The next face-to-face opportunity to boost your communications skills and your confidence in an open master class is coming up.         "Becoming An Inspirational Communicator" is a two-day learning-by-doing experience in Central London.         It covers: # Presenting with Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz # Giving Great Answers To Tough Questions # Perfecting Your 60-second Elevator Pitch         A particular benefit of running it over two days is that you get the chance to try things on the first day, absorb the feedback, review your approach overnight and come back on the second day to hit the right spots.         We will work on the content of what you say, the way you structure your communications and the way you look and sound when you deliver them.          Your ability to impress, connect, sell and motivate will soar.         "Becoming An Inspirational Communicator" runs on Thursday 21 November and Friday 22 November.         The investment is £495 per place.         There's an early bird offer of £387 for bookings made before 13 September.          Your investment includes VAT, lunch on both days and refreshments.          Email enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com to secure your place. AUSTRALIA WINS AT CRICKET - A GOB-SMACKING RESULT          As you may be vaguely aware, it's been rather tough for supporters of Australian cricket in recent times with the convincing loss (again) of The Ashes this northern hemisphere summer.           In fact Australia has been through three prime ministers since it last won a test match!            But something truly remarkable has just happened.             Australia has just won a cricket match.             And it was against England no less.             With the help of a century from captain Michael Clarke (pictured below), Australia actually defeated the hosts by 88 runs, no less.            Admittedly it was merely a one-day match, rather than a test.               But after being demoralized earlier in the summer, Australians will clutch at anything.              Can re-taking the Ashes in the next series be a real possibility?              Let me know if I'm getting carried away.              Keep smiling.               Michael

How To Do It - With Kevin Spacey

HOW KEVIN SPACEY DOES IT

   
     The digital age means there are more competing demands for our attention than ever before.

     And in my field of effective communications, this means there's a bigger challenge than ever to capture and hold your audience's attention....as you compete with evermore impressive mobile phones, ipads and even the new Samsung "smart watch" launched this week.

     So it's always nice to find someone who has the talent to fight back against the machines and grab audience attention.

     Hats off to American-actor-cum-British-theatre-manager, Kevin Spacey.
      

The Multi-Oscar Winning Kevin Spacey

     Mr Spacey - who works as the Artistic Director of London's Old Vic Theatre, along with his ongoing acting pursuits - has become the first thespian to deliver the prestigious keynote address at the Edinburgh International Television Festival.

     On the basis of his performance, I would say bring on more actors to do it.

GROWING DEMAND FOR PRESENTING SKILLS      In recent times the number of master classes and one-to-one sessions I run to boost presentation skills has actually overtaken the number of media interview skills lessons.      This is because only a select group of people in an organisation is likely to appear before journalists, but anyone who wants to get on needs to be able to connect face-to-face with a live audience.      So as I work at boosting the presentation skills of business leaders and others, I've found myself on the constant look-out for examples where someone has made a highly effective presentation...without slides, without clinging to notes and without having their performance diminished by nerves.      Enter Kevin Spacey.      Now I know that actors who are practiced at learning lines and delivering them with aplomb have advantages over we mere mortals.      But Mr Spacey has provided an excellent example for us all on how a strong message, a crisply-worded and properly structured script and a superb delivery style can scintillate and persuade your audience.      You don't need too much background to get into what Kevin Spacey had to say in Edinburgh.      In hailing a new golden age of television - delivered through the computer screen - he urged television bosses to be more courageous and take more chances when it comes to giving viewers what they want.      He criticises the obsession by American TV networks for insisting on the creation of expensive pilot programmes before committing to a full series.      Mr Spacey maintains that this forces writers to establish characters and concoct arbitrary cliff-hangers in order to prove that their concept will work in just 45-minutes on screen.      He argues that in reality a much longer period of time can be required to set-up complex characters and storylines.      So he was full of praise for the internet video-streaming service Netflix which was prepared to back the American version of the BBC political thriller "House of Cards" without the need for a pilot.      Incidentally the star of the US-version turns out to be none other than Kevin Spacey himself....but this doesn't diminish the power and coherence of his case. Kevin Spacey starring in House of Cards          You can check out edited highlights of Mr Spacey's speech here:

HOW YOU CAN BE MORE LIKE KEVIN       I particularly like Kevin Spacey's dynamic-yet-conversational style which enables him to connect with his audience in the room and on-line with a complete sense of ease.             And I love the long pause fifteen seconds in which he uses to make a point about how surprised his team was that Netflix would prove to be so enlightened.          Note how he keeps his hands apart with palms open much of the time - which demonstrates mastery and an openness with nothing-to-hide.      It's also worth studying his use of numbers.      Too many numbers can over-clutter a speech and diminish its effect, but Kevin Spacey deploys his numbers with the right animation and emphasis to profoundly underpin his case.      And his key message is encapsulated with simple phrasing which is easy for him to say and easy for us to absorb:      "We have learned the lesson that the music industry didn't learn: give people what they want, when they want it, in the form they want it in, at a reasonable price, and they'll more likely pay for it rather than steal it."        This is a classic case of putting the principle "Keep It Simple Stupid" into action in a masterly way.        In my sessions on "Presenting with Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz", my aim is to make you more like Kevin Spacey...even if you're not an actor, even if you're not American, and even if you're not a man.       More details of "Presenting with Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz" are at:       http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/presentation_training.php

HOW YOU CAN BE LESS LIKE ANTHONY            But not all Americans are as effective at communicating as Kevin Spacey.        Take for instance the controversial New York mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner who is seeking the Democratic Party nomination.         Mr Weiner has been having a challenging time with the media after admitting to what Americans call "sexting" - sending sexually explicit material to people by mobile phone.         This is not a good idea if you want to reach and remain in high office.         Mr Weiner should know this, as it was a sexting scandal - inevitably dubbed "Weinergate" - which led to his resignation as a congressman two years ago.   Anthony Weiner - would-be New York Mayor        And during his attempt to return to politics as a mayoral candidate for New York City, Mr Weiner has admitted being involved in further sexting to three women.       But would-be Mayor Weiner is nothing but versatile when it comes to courting trouble.       Yesterday, while out campaigning, he walked into a Jewish bakery in New York to take issue with a critic and became embroiled in a volatile shouting match.        You can check out the clash at:        Afterwards Mr Weiner said on Twitter that he had "stood up to a heckler...that's what mayors have to do sometimes."       Getting involved in clashes like this is generally considered bad media practice.       It's the kind of situation where you cannot win.       But in particular, if you're going to do it, don't start the conversation with your mouth full of food.        There's further information about media interviewing guidance and master classes at:           www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/media_training.php         Oh and just for the record, I have not media coached Anthony Weiner.         And unless you have money you don't need, don't bet on him becoming the next New York mayor.         Keep smiling,         Michael