Picking Up Powerful Women: Your Shock Xmas Greeting

It may surprise you, but being a communications guru does not necessarily make one an expert at picking up women....especially powerful women. But if you have a go at something you've never tried before, you can sometimes surprise yourself. And others... In this Christmas edition, I can shockingly declare that I have in 2013 achieved surprising success at picking up a powerful woman. You'll never guess who it is. It's not Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff - seen here with her predecessor (who Brazilians think I will look like in twenty years time - ever since I did a mock President Lula press conference in Rio de Janiero).   And it's not the muscle-flexing Michelle Obama.     Nor is it the persuasive Angelina Jolie - who, as a special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, I hold up as an example of an inspirational communicator when I talk with United Nations audiences.   All will be revealed later. And there's a video to prove it. But first - as this e-newsletter prides itself on sharing something important about communicating in every issue - let's examine the growing importance of video on the web in getting across your message.

VIDEO ON YOUR WEBSITE - WHY IT'S SOOOOOO IMPORTANT       Have you noticed when browsing the web that you are more likely to spend longer on a site if there are videos to watch? The latest research shows this makes you normal. And this is why - when you're promoting your organisation - using video on your website is such a powerful weapon to deploy. Here's some of the research which has been sent out by the international ezine for professional speakers, Speaker Net News. It reports that businesses that aren't making video an integral part of their marketing strategy are getting left behind because: # Nearly 80% of computer users watch online videos at least once a week. # Video is projected to account for over half of internet traffic by 2015 - nearly four times as much as regular browsing and email The research shows that video boosts engagement dramatically: # Visitors spend twice as much time on pages that have video # Visitors are 85% more likely to purchase a product after watching a video # Videos in emails can double the rate of response And video drives sharing between internet users: # Videos are shared twelve times more than links and text combined # Video is the most-shared brand content on Facebook # Posts with videos draw three times more links than plain-text posts Search engines love video: # Videos in search results have 41% higher click-through rates # YouTube accounts for almost one-third of Google searches And the most extraordinary finding is that video content can make a webpage FIFTY-THREE TIMES more likely to appear on the first page of search engine results. This is why I work with business leaders and others to enhance their ability to speak to the camera - so that they come across at their best in video on the web (with added benefits when they take part in webcasts, skype calls and other internet hook-ups). And it's also why I team up with excellent camera operators and editors - such as York Smith (pictured below) - so that when you master the art of talking naturally, powerfully and persuasively to the camera it can be deployed with maximum effect on your website.   Our sessions are called "Create Your Own Webcasts" which can be conducted one-to-one, in small groups or in larger master classes and workshops for business leaders groups. In these sessions we overhaul or polish your ability to talk naturally and convincingly to the camera - and you come away with material that you can actually use for real on your website. Practicing your so-called "pieces to camera" is also something which can be included in my sessions on "Become That Inspirational Business Leader In A Day". www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/inspirational_CEO.php There's a special offer on this running in January 2014. Email enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com for details.

PICKING UP A POWERFUL WOMAN: YOUR HOW-TO GUIDE So now back to the shocking details about picking up that powerful woman. I can reveal that the target was one of the most powerful woman in my world as a speaker - one of the two female national Presidents of the Professional Speaking Association of the United Kingdom and Ireland, Eilidh Milnes. Eilidh is a fantastically energising motivational speaker known as "Captain Positive". But you need to be careful as her military background means she is a trained killer. So to put the pick-up incident in proper context - just so you don't think powerful women should be picked up at random - the incident you're about to witness took place after Eilidh conducted a fascinating exercise to highlight the importance of collaboration in business. It involved one of the audience participants physically picking up another. So in my role as President of the London Region of the Professional Speaking Association it was my job to thank Eilidh for her splendid talk. Here's what happened.     I obviously still have a lot to learn about this art form. If you really want to know how it's done with aplomb, have a look at the stylish way Richard Gere picks up Debra Winger in the final scene of "An Officer And A Gentleman". Clearly wearing a smart naval officer uniform helps... If you can spot anything else that Richard Gere does better than me, do let me know.

HERE'S YOUR CHRISTMAS VIDEO When I said having more video available on the web is vital, I wasn't kidding. So here's your Michael Dodd Communications official Video Christmas Message. This is thanks to one of the other most powerful women in my world - a 13-year-old technical genius who lives in my household. As you will have seen, clearly an appearance on next year's Strictly Come Dancing programme must be a possibility. Seasons greetings. What Michael Dodd Communications can do for you and your team is below. Have a rip-snorting 2014 - and do be careful who you pick up. Michael Michael Dodd Communications runs programmes to transform the skills of your team: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/transform_communication_skills.php I do keynote speeches at conferences to help your people become inspirational communicators: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/transform_communication_skills.php Your on-line reputation can be protected and enhanced: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/online_reputation.php You can be shown how to present with confidence, impact and pizzazz: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/presentation_training.php Your ability to do media interviews can be enhanced - however tough, tricky or infuriating the questions might be: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/presentation_training.php Business leaders groups can have their communications skills uplifted: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/workshops_for_business_leaders_groups.php Your team can be helped to look, sound and feel great: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/Making_Your_Team_Look,_Sound_and_Feel_Great.php And your event can be enlivened with an after dinner speech: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/international_speaking.php

NELSON MANDELA - BY THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE

On that historic day on 11 February 1990 when the world's most famous prisoner was released smiling into the South African sunshine, there was one face missing in the crowd of welcoming admirers. It was mine. As a journalist who loves to be where the action is when history is made, this was a major disappointment. After 27 years of imprisonment, I'm not sure if Nelson Mandela ever got over the shock of my absence on his big day. I certainly haven't.   As a foreign correspondent I had - before the Mandela release - succeeded in getting to some of the right places at the right times when it came to broadcasting the stories of released political prisoners. Before the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, I travelled to Gdansk in northern Poland on a tourist visa to interview ex-prisoner Lech Walesa - leader of the banned Solidarity free trade union and heroic anti-communist freedom fighter in 1988. And I got a tricky-to-get Czechoslovakian visa to make it to Prague the following year to report amongst 300,000 people packed into Wenceslas Square when ex-prisoner and future president Vaclav Havel was free to inspire the masses and lead the Velvet Revolution.   So witnessing the leading anti-apartheid icon savour his moment of triumph became the next thing on the "Covering-Ex-Political-Prisoners-To-Do-List". I was based in the London Bureau of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation at the time when rapid political developments in South Africa meant the release of Nelson Mandela was becoming obviously imminent. We had the services of local freelancers in South Africa at the time, but no Australian staff correspondent. My masters wanted me to go to Cape Town to report on the occasion through Australian eyes - and so did I. So I applied for a visa to be put in my Australian passport at the South African embassy in London. Alas my application was adversely affected by the fact that Australia - in the years leading up to the Mandela release - had taken a hard line against South Africa's apartheid system. It even went as far as refusing to play rugby against the Springboks (a massive sacrifice for Australian sporting fans) as a protest. So when it came to getting my visa application approved by the unreformed pro-apartheid bureaucrats at the London embassy at Trafalgar Square, they weren't inclined to let it happen. And happen it didn't. My claim to be an expert in the art of persuasion hit its limits amidst South African hardline officialdom. So I ended up watching the Mandela release on TV like practically everyone else in  the world. I did on another occasion get to interview that  fabulously good humoured humanitarian and anti-apartheid man of the cloth, Archbishop Desmond Tutu. This was an inspiring experience - but not quite the same as being present outside the Victor Verster jail on that historic afternoon as prisoner 46664 strolled through the gates. I do hope Nelson Mandela - before he passed on to a higher place last week - came to grips with the shocking lack of an Australian Broadcasting Corporation staff correspondent on hand to beam back his live commentary to Sydney. But Mandela was a master of overcoming disappointment and setbacks...so I dare say he's wisely getting on with the next phase of his existence without too many regrets. MANDELA - LEARNING FROM A COMMUNICATIONS MASTER        As great leaders tend to be, Mandela was a master communicator. So there is much we can learn from his approach to getting his message across. Amidst all the Mandela tributes, one example of great communication stood out. It was when talking to the media after his release and - not having seen a crowd in 27 years - he was asked about his first impressions as he walked to freedom. Now he admittedly did have 27 years to plan, prepare and practice most his post-release comments. But answering this in-the-moment question relied on a high degree of spontaneity. Mandela replied that what really struck him was that so many white people had come to join the crowd which gathered to see him. It was not just a good observation. The reply sent a signal that he was - on his pathway from prisoner to president -preparing the ground for inclusively leading white South Africans as well as the others. It was the same kind of reconciling behaviour that he repeated when, as president, he donned the green Springbok rugby jersey at the time South Africa hosted - and won - the Rugby World Cup....even though the jersey had previously been seen by the non-white community as a despised symbol of apartheid.     It was great symbolism, great statesmanship and great communication combined. As an inspiring communicator, Nelson Mandela left us with many other enduring moments we can learn from. One was his 1964 speech from the dock at his trial where he was convicted of sabotage. When he declared that he was "prepared to die" for the principles of a free and democratic society he did it with total conviction - and it certainly had an effect! Here's my other top three Mandela quotes: "It always seems impossible until it is done." "If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner." "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." MANDELA - HOW WE CAN BE LIKE HIM OK, so not everyone who reads this ezine is likely to be locked up for 27 years and have the opportunity to come out speaking peace, love and forgiveness. But in searching for the communications hero inside yourself, Mandela has set a magnificent example. One of the key things about communicating as a leader is that whatever your message is, you are a key part of it. So look for ways to link an element of your life with your message. Note how Mandela does this in the following quote: "It is never my custom to use words lightly. If twenty-seven years in prison have done anything to us, it was to use the silence of solitude to make us understand how precious words are and how real speech is in its impact on the way people live and die." So whatever your situation in life, when you are communicating something important, look back and seek to highlight something you've done - or which your organisation has done - which is in alignment with what you are advocating or offering. In my case it's this. I spent a large chunk of my life as political reporter in Australia - where the journalists are regarded as being especially tough by international standards (sometimes to a fault!). I was specifically trained as a devil's advocate interviewer to put politicians, business leaders and other public figures under pressure. The process was described by one Australian political leader as "blowtorch-on-the-belly" questioning. So I draw on this as a professional speaker and media trainer to say that in my interview response master classes I can subject you to the toughest possible questions for your own good - and then show you how best to answer them. You can look back at something important in your past and link it to what you are seeking to communicate for the future. It's a way of ensuring that your communications efforts are more credible, more memorable and more inspiring than they would otherwise be - as Mandela has shown.  THE POWER OF SELF-DEPRICATION Another thing which Mandela did so well was deliver a powerful message with humility. Self-deprecation, if done in the right way, can strengthen rather than weaken your standing. Take this Mandela quote: "I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying." Just suppose he started to believe the propaganda that he was a saint. He could easily have been seen as insufferable. So by expressing modesty he put himself in a far stronger position to convey impressive messages which hit their target and often, eventually, got their desired outcome. We can aim to do this too.  "MANDELA, JOBS, BRANSON" - FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT "Nelson Mandela, Steve Jobs, Richard Branson - Lifting Gold Nuggets From The Communication Masters". This is my new offering for 45-minute keynotes at conferences, master classes for away days and half-day workshops for business leaders groups.    It looks at what makes great communicators - highlighting examples of their technique from speeches, interviews and other interactions. The conference keynote version inspires your people to follow the example of the communications masters and incorporate their techniques into their every day interactions with prospects, customers, financiers and staff. The master class and workshop formats allow participants to put into practice the techniques of Mandela, Jobs and Branson - in their presentations, pitches, interviews and challenging one-to-one conversations. All versions involve "audience shifting" - moving your people to a place where they are more confident, more empowered and more inspiring in their interactions with others - for the benefit of your image, your teamwork and your sales. To explore how the sessions can be customised to achieve the results you desire, email enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com  or phone 44 (0) 7944 952835. THE MANDELA NEWS - HEARING IT FIRST Even though there was every reason to expect Nelson Mandela's death was going to happen about now, it still came as something of a shock. But I knew about his future death a long, long time before it happened. As a paper boy on the northern beaches of Sydney I read about his expected imminent death back in the 1970s. This was a time when Mandela news was incredibly tightly controlled by the South African regime - sometimes giving rise to more speculation than fact. As an aspiring journalist, one of the plus points of the paper boy's job was to be able to get a free read of the papers in quiet moments. I remember reading in one of the Sunday papers at the time that Nelson Mandela was set to die because of lung problems. So the story was kind of true...it was just rather too early. Sure enough, forty-odd years later alas Mr Mandela did die. But he certainly succeeded in packing a lot of living and a lot of action into those extra years of life. It's amazing what a great leader and great communicator can achieve in forty years! So it's amazing what you can potentially do too. LAST WORDS (ALMOST) The menu for how Michael Dodd Communications can boost your team's ability to get your message across is listed below. Meanwhile, if you're an English reader, don't take two successive Ashes test defeats too seriously. If Nelson Mandela can come out of 27 years in jail with his sense of humour in tact then so too can you. Keep smiling, Michael BOOSTING YOUR COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS:  THE MENU CONFERENCE KEYNOTES: Becoming Inspirational Business Communicators www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/Inspirational_Business_Communicators.php  Mastering The Media - With Balls www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/international_speaking.php Have I Got News For Your Company - Preparing For Media Emergencies www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/international_speaking.php MASTER CLASSES FOR BUSINESS LEADERS GROUPS AND AWAY DAYS: Giving Great Answers To Tough Questions Perfecting Your Elevator Pitch Presenting With Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz Position Your Business For Free Media Publicity Create Your Own Webcasts Your Message In Sixty Seconds www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/workshops_for_business_leaders_groups.php  MEDIA MASTER CLASSES - TO ENHANCE YOUR INTERVIEW RESPONSE SKILLS: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/media_training.php RIPSNORTING CUSTOMISED AFTER DINNER SPEECHES: Tales and Tips from Six Continents www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/international_speaking.php Australian-Style Sledging And Heckling For Beginners Email enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com to set up a conversation on how this can bring your event alive. PROGRAMMES TO TRANSFORM THE COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS OF YOUR TEAM: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/transform_communication_skills.php  EXCLUSIVE ONE-TO-ONE COMMUNICATIONS COACHING: Become That Inspirational Business Leader In A Day www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/inspirational_CEO.php  There is a special offer on this running to 16 January 2014. Email enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com to find out how it applies to you. MAKE YOUR TEAM LOOK SOUND AND FEEL GREAT: Making_Your_Team_Look,_Sound_and_Feel_Great SKYPE OR TELEPHONE SESSIONS TO GET YOU READY: Sessions - typically an hour, but entirely flexible - to get you ready for specific communications challenges...pitches, presentations, interviews and tough professional conversations. Email enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com for details - and, where possible, send a range of dates and timeslots that will work for you. SUPERCHARGING YOUR COMPANY NEWSLETTER: Creating, Overhauling or Polishing Your Newsletter - to target the results you want. To discuss the possibilities telephone 44 (0) 7944 952835

LEARNING FROM RYAN AIR COCK-UPS

There's a lot we can learn about making a great impression on the public from the mouthy, fast-talking and often obnoxious boss of Ryan Air, Michael O'Leary.   Much of it - though not all of it - is about what NOT to do.   Mr O'Leary has been outraging large sections of the public for years - by advocating highly contentious things like charging for using Ryan Air toilets on planes and having a standing zone where passengers don't have a seat.   And while many businesses at least pretend that their clients are always right, the Ryan Air Chief Executive is happy to say "the customer is nearly always wrong".   (My clients are of course always right - except where they are paying me to correct their bad communications practices.)   But despite his massive ego combined with a certain lack of sensitivity, Michael O'Leary himself has now realised that his role as company spokesperson has become counter-productive. As a result he says he's stepping back from doing media interviews. This is bad news for those who like big splashes of colour - and often colourful language - in their business news. But it could be good news for Ryan Air shareholders as Mr O'Leary has admitted that his belligerent style was becoming a liability. "I'm getting in the way of the brand stuff," he confessed as Ryan Air prepares a more carefully speaking replacement to go before the cameras. This followed a profit warning and Ryan Air being rated the worst of the one-hundred biggest brands serving the British market by the consumer magazine "Which?" If you want to be reminded of just how adept Michael O'Leary has been at irritating and shocking his customers and potential customers, check out this interview on America's Late Show. However Mr O'Leary deserves some praise from a media impact perspective in that you should never allow yourself to come across as dull or boring. He's a master at grabbing attention and headlines. But there are limits to how far a wise company spokesperson should go when it adversely affects customer relations and company image. Expressing individuality by being yourself on the media can be a great thing. But if it's done at the expense of tarnishing your company reputation then it's time to let someone else to talk to the cameras. In my media interview master classes we allow you every opportunity for you and your colleagues to see yourselves back - so that you can judge yourself from your customers' perspective and ensure that you are coming across portraying the company image which you want.

THE O'LEARY TRIBUTE - WELL SORT OF...       So before he disappears from our radar, it's time to go back over some of the highlights - or lowlights - of Michael O'Leary's entertaining but outrageous career as a spokesperson. In doing so we should give credit to the magazine Management Today. It has highlighted some of the more gobsmacking O'Leary quotes. But what I particularly like about their portrayal is that they contrast each O'Leary quote with what a typical and more mundane company spokesperson would say. Here's a selection: Typical Spokesperson: "Plane incidents are pretty rare these days and even then, our pilots are well-trained to deal with emergency situations and can resolve any problems which arise." O'Leary: "Seatbelts don't matter - because if you crash in a plane you're all dead anyway." Typical Spokesperson: "Flying is the first part of your holiday and it should be as enjoyable and luxurious as your hotel." O'Leary: "The problem with aviation is that for 50 years it's been populated by people who think it's this wondrous sexual experience; that it's like James Bond and wonderful and we'll all be flying first class when really it's just a bloody bus with wings." Typical Spokesperson: "I'm afraid, in this instance, you're not entitled to a refund." O'Leary: "We don't want to hear your sob stories. What part of 'no refund' don't you understand?"    Typical Spokesperson: "We always try to encourage responsible use of alcohol on board." O'Leary: "If drink sales are falling off, we get the pilots to engineer a bit of turbulence. That usually spikes sales." Typical Spokesperson: "We firmly believe the customer is always right." O'Leary: "People say the customer is always right, but you know what - they're not. Sometimes they are wrong and they need to be told so." Typical Spokesperson: "We find our value-for-money fares resonate particularly well in the German market." O'Leary: "Germans will crawl bullock-naked over broken glass to get low fares." Typical Spokesman: "Our flights make the perfect break from the daily grind - a time when people can really switch and relax." O'Leary: "Anyone who thinks Ryan Air flights are some sort of bastion of sanctity where you can contemplate your navel is wrong. We already bombard you with as many in-flight announcements and trolleys as we can. Anyone who looks like sleeping, we wake them up to sell them things."

INVEST A DAY TO BE A STAR - SPECIAL OFFER FOR READERS So are you up for having a more bedazzling and more profitable impact by enhancing your communications powers - without the negatives that Michael O'Leary has engendered? And are you prepared to invest a high-challenge, high-reward day to uplift your ability to connect more persuasively with your prospects, clients, staff, financiers and the public? There's currently a special offer on my exclusive one-to-one communications package: "Become That Inspirational Business Leader In A Day." This tailor-made transformational programme allows you to concentrate on whatever you need to do most: # Project yourself as an inspiring leader to audiences of all sizes - with confidence, impact and pizzazz # Supercharge your business conversation skills so that you're fully connecting with those around you - and giving great answers to the toughest questions that make their way to the top # Discover the secrets of getting free media publicity when things are going right - and allow yourself to communicate smoothly and effectively if things ever go wrong.    Your individual programme is designed to provide what you need to propel you towards your highest possible level. It's an investment and a challenge that pays dividends straight away. Here's what business leaders say: "It was truly amazing to observe how people could improve their performance, after just a short session with Michael." Luiz Paulo Ferrao, Owner, Vistage Brazil "I initially met Michael when he was presenting at our monthly Academy for Chief Executives meeting. Following this I asked him to coach me privately on improving my presentation skills. After just one day there was a huge shift in my confidence and abilities as a public speaker. Michael's observations advice and feedback were invaluable and inspirational." Paul Brooks - Joint Managing Director, Shop Fitters Direct. There are more details about "Become That Inspirational Business Leader In A Day" at: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/inspirational_CEO.php The special offer lasts until 16 January 2014. I'm seeking to build up testimonials under the new title, so the one-day package is available at a heavily discounted rate until then. Because of transport costs, the special offer varies a little depending on where you're located. To find out what special offer is available where you are, email your location to enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com or text 44 7944 952835

BEING INSPIRATIONAL - AND (HOPEFULLY) BEING FUNNY   As a professional speaker who addresses conferences, I seek to do what the first managing director of the BBC, Lord Reith, said his new organisation aimed to do: To inform, to educate, to entertain. I also see my role at your conference as being an "audience shifter" -  persuading those listening that they can become more inspirational in their communications and to show them how to do it. More details at: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/Inspirational_Business_Communicators.php On a good day the audiences laugh at some of my lines (yes really!). So I like to think that business speakers can - and should - amuse our audiences too. One of my speaking colleagues in America does this particularly well. He's Mark Sanborn who speaks on serious business topics - but who is pretty good at getting laughs along the way.    I especially like his story about making zoos more profitable - by selling what those animals produce the most of... The gory details are spelt out here: As Mark says, if a business can add value to animal excrement, you can add value to anything. I hope you find that inspiring. And I hope it encourages you to invite professional businesss speakers to your next conference who are prepared to make your audience both learn - and laugh. Keep smiling, Michael