| 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". 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. 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: 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 |
No comments:
Post a Comment