SPECIAL BLOG POST FOR TEACHERS

WHAT THEY DIDN'T COVER IN YOUR TEACHER TRAINING The higher you get in the teaching world the more you have to deal with events and perceptions beyond the classroom. Whether it's talking to the media about your latest Ofsted report; enticing parents to choose your school at open days; or inspiring the pupils at prize-giving, a lot is asked of senior teachers, head teachers and "super head teachers" presiding over a collection of schools. The Ofsted Boss - Be Ready To Talk About His Team's Report And a lot is expected of those who aspire to fill these roles. The communication requirements of senior leadership teams in education - through the media and face-to-face - go beyond what you were equipped with in your teacher training. Outside guidance in presentation skills for big occasions, media interview techniques and public relations planning can make the crucial difference. I've been training Ofsted inspectors to talk to you. So it's only reasonable that you get some training to talk to - and about - them! Communications-boosting master classes on these topics can be done on Inset Days - or take place within the normal teaching day. This special education issue of this e-newsletter looks at what can be done to equip you and your fellow teachers to project your message within and outside your school boundaries.

PRESENTING WITH HIGH IMPACT OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM There's are big differences between talking with pupils in the classroom and making a presentation in front of parents, Ofsted inspectors and members of the wider community. Not surprisingly, even for people who have spent much of their careers talking on their feet, it often proves daunting. This is especially the case when it comes to answering tough questions that can be thrown at you during or after your presentation. The good news is that teachers tend to be fast learners - so they can typically put the learning into practice with impressive speed. Together with my colleague in the Professional Speaking Association, Nicci Roscoe - who specialises in making a "fabulous impact" - we've been helping senior teachers, aspiring heads and those already at the top to transfer their skills into presentations that grab, hold and inspire your audience. Our sessions are entitled "Presenting for Teachers - with Confidence and Positivity." We help you plan the right content for each audience you face - and give you a magic structure that works. We work on your delivery style so that you look, sound and feel right on the big occasion. You get to understand and apply the golden formulae for answering tough questions, nasty questions and emotionally charged questions. And we equip you with confidence-enhancing performance techniques that put you in the right frame of mind before you utter your first words. Here's what some participants have been kind enough to say... "Nicci and Michael: I wanted to mail you to say how powerful I found the course you ran. I attend many courses, but rarely do I remember so much of the content, days later. I can now clearly see how to structure any presentation and am so eager to get on and do my next one."  Emily Haywood, Paddock School, Wandsworth "Nicci and Michael's master class was utterly inspiring. I have now taken away so many valuable ideas that I can put into place immediately - and I am now excited about presenting with confidence." Helen Palmer, Deputy Head, St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School. "Nicci Roscoe and Michael Dodd led a master class focused on Presenting With Confidence And Positivity. Over a week later I am still talking about it! The impact on the day was evident in the way the participants had developed their confidence in public speaking. Presentations changed from the ordinary to the extraordinary - engaging, interesting and influential." Barbara Chevis, Senior School Improvement Partner, Education Kingston And one other thing... If we run a presentation-enhancing session on a regular school day it can include a talk for your students. Sessions for pupils include "Coping with Exam Stress", "Give Winning Answers at University Entrance and Job Interviews" and "Becoming An Inspirational Communicator".

EQUIPPING YOUR TEAM FOR MEDIA ENCOUNTERS  Dealing with the media can be very scary when it goes wrong - and very rewarding when it goes right. The starting point in planning to get it right is delving inside the minds of journalists. When you know what reporters need from you in order to do their job then it gets a whole lot easier. Here are the one-day master classes which can be conducted in groups for the top team - or can be conducted one-to-one.  At times there's been need to train selected pupils who can be great media ambassadors for your school.

HANDLING THE MEDIA FOR THE BENEFIT OF YOUR SCHOOL   This master class fosters an understanding of what makes news. When you know this, you can work out what to give journalists - and what to leave out. We work through the pro-active tactics for dealing with the media when you have a positive story that you want to get out - as Bury St Edmunds County Upper School managed when they got the Ofsted "Outstanding" they wanted to convey to the wider world.     And the master class deals with reactive tactics if the media start chasing you after something has gone wrong. We show how you can turn a negative situation into a positive by saying the right things at the right time in the right way. It's learning-by-doing which gives you practice in doing media interviews, the opportunity to review what you've said - and doing them again at a higher level. We measure your progress along the way so you can appreciate the difference between your starting point and where you finish. You can focus on interviews for the written word - for the local newspapers and websites which are hungry for the right kind of education news. And if you are seeking to project to a wider audience, we can look at interviews for the national papers and their websites as well. The master class can also include broadcast interviews for radio and television. If you want to be ready for TV, a camera operator can be provided. This may sound daunting, but there are enormous benefits for your communication skills when you see yourself back as others see you - and make the appropriate adjustments.  Each participant gets individual copies of their interview material to look back over afterwards and further embed the learning.

WRITING EFFECTIVE SCHOOL PRESS RELEASES Press releases are a standard way of getting your message in front of the editors. Most of them are written badly and end up in the "circular file". Great press releases shine out - because they are written in the style a journalist would write them. This master class shows how to write the way journalists do - and maximise your chances of media success. It shows you the kind of newsworthy aspects of your school that the media will be prepared to run with. You learn how to write a press release when your school is becoming the subject of adverse attention - and how to put it in the best possible light. Importantly, this session also shows what makes a great media picture- and how to set up attention-grabbing photo opportunities.

DRAWING UP A PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN FOR YOUR SCHOOL This master class works with key members of your school to foster a strategic approach to establishing or improving relations with your target groups. Typically these targets includes the media, the families of prospective students and the wider local community. We identify the core school values and develop a series of PR aims and objectives in order to project these outside the school. Key members of your education team are identified to deal with aspects of the media - from fielding the first phone call from a journalist to timetabling press releases and planning media photo and interview opportunities. One school which I've worked with on this is the Freeston Academy in Yorkshire. Before it became the thriving academy it is now, Freeston was beset by regular damning local media headlines and a poor image amongst many of the parents and prospective pupils. Its dynamic head teacher, Dr Gill Metcalfe, felt the impression the outside world had of the school was outdated and unfair. And we worked with her governors and senior teachers through the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust to turn things around. Here's what Dr Metcalfe (pictured) says, looking back on the jump she and her team achieved in the way the academy was perceived by parents, pupils and the media.    "We wanted to agree and convey the school's messages in a way that maximises its attractiveness to others.  "We wanted to be clear about what is different and unique about our Academy. "We wanted to be able to get the messages across with confidence and be able to illustrate our headlines with real stories. "Michael Dodd was the catalyst we needed to get the ball rolling, challenge our thinking and cut through the waffle and jargon we often use. "The session was split into sections so that senior leaders, Governors and community ambassadors could take part in different practical tasks where they could explore what their ideal narrative might be. "This meant working through 'uncomfortable' situations and being challenged with tough questions to get our key points across. "The day was thought-provoking, inspiring and exhausting. "We worked together to produce ten simple and 'straight to the point' statements that we all feel are the key messages about the Freeston  Academy.  "Governors formulated conversations around these, and staff came together to write their own stories to illustrate the key points, with specific and accurate information.  "We decided upon strategies for the launch of the Academy, new press releases, targetting the Year 5 market, Open Evening and Awards Evening, all opportunities we intend to seize and utilise so that everyone knows clearly what is so special about our school. "We now realise that as communicators we, ourselves, are an important part of the message and now intend to use our community ambassadors more effectively to promote the positive aspects of the academy. "This training session allowed us to practice communicating our new messages within a safe environment, and also gave us the impetus to take this much further. "Without Michael Dodd to push us on, we would not have planned our next steps. "By implementing the techniques we now know, I am certain we can confidently paint the picture, and communicate what it means to be part of The Freeston Academy." Thank you Gill. Whether it's turning around public perceptions, shining out in media interviews or giving presentations that inspire your audiences, a little outside help can go a long way. For further details on any of the sessions here, email: enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com Taking part in an education sector communications-boosting master class is always confidence-enhancing. Even if, as Gill Metcalfe warns, they can be exhausting. Oh, and they are fun! Keep smiling, Michael

HUMAN BITER CAN BOOST YOUR PRESENTATIONS

A new gold standard has been set when it comes to defining what makes news. Thanks to the World Cup anti-hero, Luis Suarez, the old adage of "Man Bites Dog" has suddenly become outdated. Traditionally in journalism classes we have taught that when a dog bites a man it probably isn't big news - because the situation is all too common...as postmen will attest. If someone famous owns the dog, or if the attack is particularly ferocious, then the news value goes up. But really big news is the unusual. Hence the rule that if a man bites a dog then it is indeed news. Now, as the striker from Uraguay has shown, "Man Bites Man" is worth even more in media terms. The Suarez taste for Italian has won a well-deserved four month ban and damning international headlines.  The biter, right, and the bitee, left. (You can be forgiven for not believing the Suarez excuse that he lost his balance and accidentally fell on the Italian defender.) My latest mission in life is to extend the rules of journalism to help fight the curse of dull presentations. I spend the biggest chunk of my time in master classes these days seeking to enliven dull presentations - often with presenters who have sparkling personalities when away from the lectern!!! This has overtaken the number of people I help through boosting their media interview performances. The reason is that there are more under-performing presenters than there are people scared of interviewers (especially now that the human rotweiler Jeremy Paxman has retired from the BBC Newsnight programme). So here's how to learn from the Suarez Factor in your next speech...

APPLY THE RULES OF JOURNALISM TO YOUR NEXT TALK   The problem with so many presentations is that they tell us too much about the bleeding obvious. Your audience doesn't want to hear what it already knows. Audience members want something new, exciting and unusual. This is what makes a big media story. And this is what will make your next presentation shine out. It's particularly important to say something with bite at the very beginning. I once did some television and radio reports on the Australian comedians who come over Britain to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe and London comedy clubs. Australian Comedian...Felicity Ward   They told me they had ten seconds to get the audience to like them. So they had to come up with something really powerful right at the start. You do too. So my campaign to save the universe from boring starts to boring presentations begins with your first ten seconds. If you find yourself saying: "As you all know..." then stop yourself. If you find yourself saying "It's a well-known fact that.." then stop yourself. If you find yourself saying "You've no doubt heard the old joke about..." then stop yourself. The best way to lose attention is to say something obvious at the beginning. This gives your audience permission to switch off. If you want to learn more about switching on your audience, details of my sessions on "Presenting with Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz" are at: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/presentation_training.php

STANDING WITH CONFIDENCE IN YOUR NEXT TALK Once you've learned to apply the rules of journalism to your presentations, you can move onto football. How you stand in front of the audience also plays a big part in their perception of you. The World Cup has provided an opportunity to remind us how football defenders stand when there's a free kick close to the goal posts. It's the same way nervous public speakers often stand. Like this...    Football defenders adopt this position to protect themselves from getting hurt somewhere painful. When speakers stand like this it looks as if they fear the audience is about to attack them. The way to look confident in front of your audience is to stand with your hands up and open. Your open hands signal you have nothing to hide - or to fear. When you get used to it, standing up and open helps you feel more confident too. Together with my professional speaking colleague, Nicci Roscoe, we can demonstrate the rules good body language on stage at your next conference. Your team will stand the right way in their presentations forever after - and project the confident image that you want! Details of "Make Your Team Look Sound And Feel Great" are at: http://michaeldoddcommunications.com/Making_Your_Team_Look,_Sound_and_Feel_Great.php

MAKING THE RIGHT IMPRESSION ON YOUR CUSTOMERS  The rules of good presentations can also be adapted to those less formal but all-important  business conversations. In my one-to-one sessions on "Become That Inspirational Business Communicator In A Day" we can focus on getting your message across to different personality types. http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/inspirational_CEO.php This enables you to communicate in a way that the person you are dealing with prefers - depending on his or her character. A colleague of mine in the Professional Speaking Association is now working with me to take this concept a step further with your team. Gerry Brown, pictured, is known as "The Customer Lifeguard" He helps track down bad service and asks it to leave.   Gerry can help your team draw up a set of "personas" who your company routinely has to deal with. These personas are identifiable fictional characters based on the different behaviours, attitudes and goals of the people that buy - or who might buy - your product or service. Gerry and I now run joint master classes on "Making The Right Impression On Your Customers - Every Time". We can help you define the typical types of people who your company interacts with and how to recognise them. For while all your customers naturally have their own unique personalities, you will find there are enough overlapping similarities to enable them to be grouped into different categories. Gerry and I can then guide you and your team on how to make an emotional connection with each type - in a way that makes them feel comfortable, relaxed and confident in your ability to serve them better. You can plan, prepare and practice in advance for the conversations you need to be ready for. So you and your team will be better equipped to deal with the actual people you deal with now - and the types of people you know you will have to deal with in the future. This result is a winning combination for your customers and your team. Email enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com if you would like to receive the flyer with more details about these sessions.

LEARNING FROM THE VIRGIN TOILETS Meanwhile back to the unusual... Virgin Trains have the right idea when it comes to getting across a message by saying something unexpected. They're trying to combat the problem of miscreants putting the wrong stuff down their train toilets. The standard dull messages clearly weren't having enough impact. Hence this new message - so memorable that I photographed it on the way to doing presentation training with engineers and sales people in Yorkshire this month. So please don't give chewing gum to your goldfish, put a nappy on it, wrap it in your ex's sweater and flush it down a Virgin toilet. And please find a better way to make a big impression on your competitors than biting them. Keep smiling, Michael

GET YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS TO ALL PERSONALITY TYPES

Suppose you had a great new idea that you wanted to pitch to that snarly Alan Sugar, the charming Richard Branson and the contemplative Bill Gates. If you wanted to maximise your chances of success, you wouldn't present it to each of these businessmen in exactly the same way. This is because - despite their individual success - the three of them have a distinctly different personality and a strongly preferred way of thinking and communicating. Alan Sugar in firing mode. When it comes to persuading people on a one-to-one basis to go for your ideas, your products or your services, it makes sense to use a different communication approach for different types. This is why I am launching my new communications-boosting session "Get Your Message Across To All Personality Types". It's for business leaders groups such as the Academy for Chief Executives, Vistage and others where those keen to raise themselves to new heights in the commercial world come together to enhance their knowledge and skills. And the new session is also for companies that have to persuade their clients, their prospects or their own staff. Board members, sales teams and those working in customer service centres are prime examples of those who might need it. There's also a keynote version of "Get Your Message Across To All Personality Types" for conferences. This is where we can demonstrate on the big stage how to best connect with introverts and extraverts - and with those who are more task-oriented and those who are more people-oriented. And, more amusingly, we can also demonstrate how to spot when it's done badly. We can even act out the game where we seek to sell a proposition in the manner of the "Dragon's Den" BBC programme on business pitching. If you pitch in the wrong way to the wrong "dragon" you won't get much in the way of investment - or even civility. Which is why you need to get it right.

LET'S TRY IT WITH ALAN, RICHARD AND BILL  So let's start with Alan Sugar - the often grumpy, get-to-the-point tycoon whose favourite expression on his TV "reality" show is "You're fired". As an ascerbic, highly task-oriented extrovert known as a "Director Type", Alan Sugar wants you to get straight to the point. He's likely to ask things like: "Why should I go with your idea?", "Do you really know what you're talking about?" and "How much money will it make me?" And he'd expect to get answers that are short, sharp and punchy. Give Mr Sugar and his type what they see as too much superfluous detail and you'll be fired before you're ever hired. Your experience with Richard Branson would probably be more pleasant.    As a suave, people-oriented extravert known as a "Socialiser Type", he'd be more interested in getting to know you personally. You could potentially captivate him with the story behind your idea...and he'd probably be keen to tell you a couple of stories of his own. In one of his many business books, Richard Branson writes about spotting and employing Virgin-type personalities around the world. These are people who are good at connecting with others and strong on keeping customers happy...rather like him. If you don't connect with Richard Branson and other Socialisers personally then he probably won't buy your idea - or you. Winning over Bill Gates to a new idea to assist his planet-wide charitable causes would need a different approach.    As a somewhat geeky, task-oriented introvert classified as a "Thinker Type", Bill Gates - if interested - would want far more detail about your idea than Alan Sugar could possibly stand. He would also want the information imparted gradually so he could analyse it as you talked. And you wouldn't want to rush him for an answer, because he would want to mull it over for a while before reaching a conclusion....and possibly kick it around with Melinda Gates.

SO HOW DO YOU REACT? "Get Your Message Across To All Personality Types" helps you and your people identify the different kinds of characters - and how to appeal to their varying preferences for absorbing information.  If you're a Director Type this is what you might say to what I've outlined so far: (A) "How much money will my team make if they master all these personality types?" (B) "Let's just get on with it and book it now" (C)  "I've got better things to spend my money on it. You're not hired." If you're a Socialiser Type you might respond by saying: (A) "Tell me about the cases where understanding the different personality types worked best." (B) "We should discuss this over a drink" (C)  "Let me tell you my story about..." If you're a Thinker Type you will be scratching your chin absent-mindedly and saying: (A) "Send me more details so I can really get to grips with what you're offering." (B)  "I'm developing a three-year plan to enhance the skills of my staff. Maybe this could be part of it." (C) "Let me mull it over." So for you thinkers who want to learn more, you can google Dr Tony Alessandra who writes comprehensively about the different personality types. And if you want to know what are the other communications-boosting options for your people: # This is the place for business leaders groups: http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/workshops_for_business_leaders_groups.php # Here's the spot for companies: http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/transform_communication_skills.php # And this is the link for conference bookers:http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/international_speaking.php

HELPING TEACHERS PRESENT WITH PIZZAZZ I've been doing a lot of work with teachers in recent times, and there's a couple of things I've noticed about their communications skills. One is that as learning experts, they tend to be impressively rapid learners. But however good teachers are at performing in front of the classroom, they often find presenting in other situations to be a different and more challenging experience. This is especially so for the high flyers who are on their way to becoming head teachers... or head teachers who are on their way to becoming these "super head teachers" who lead a group of schools. The higher teachers climb, the more their success depends on how they perform in front of those outside the classroom - audiences on parent-teacher nights and open days and the media. And of course there are also those school inspectors they have to wow. (In the UK I have an unfair insider advantage here, as I've been training Ofsted inspectors to present their messages to teachers - which rather helps when it comes to showing teachers how to shine in front of Ofsted inspectors.) When it comes to helping teachers reach new levels, I have been working with confidence coach, Nicci Roscoe, known as the "Mind Makeover Artist". Nicci is a wizz when it comes to inspiring teachers to feel more empowered and effective when presenting in potentially daunting situations.    Here's what some of those in the teaching world have kindly said on our report card... "Nicci Roscoe and Michael Dodd led a master class focused on Presenting With Confidence And Positivity. Over a week later I am still talking about it! The impact on the day was evident in the way the participants had developed their confidence in public speaking. Presentations changed from the ordinary to the extraordinary - engaging, interesting and influential." Barbara Chevis, Senior School Improvement Partner, Education Kingston "Nicci and Michael: I wanted to mail you to say how powerful I found the course you ran. I attend many courses, but rarely do I remember so much of the content, days later. I can now clearly see how to structure any presentation and am so eager to get on and do my next one."  Emily Haywood, Paddock School, Wandsworth "Nicci and Michael's master class was utterly inspiring. I have now taken away so many valuable ideas that I can put into place immediately - and I am now excited about presenting with confidence." Helen Palmer, Deputy Head, St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School. We can do communications-boosting work with teachers on Inset Days. Or if we run a master class for teachers on a school day we can also include the option of a session for pupils on "How To Shine In Job and University Admission Interviews". Having been lecturers at colleges and universities, Nicci and I have insider tips on what these institutions are looking for when it comes to student selection. Nicci and I can demonstrate good and bad interview practice in front of the pupils. And if they're up for it, some of the more courageous, outgoing pupils can have a go on stage and we can critique their approach.

THIS WEEK: SUNNY BRIGHTON AND EVEN SUNNIER LIBYA As the British summer sunshine is revving up I'm heading off to the English seaside this week to Brighton. The aim is not so much to feed the seagulls and plunge into The Atlantic - though this could well happen - but to spend two days helping British civil servants enhance their presentations to large audiences. It's always great to run presentation courses over a couple of days because participants get the chance to think about things overnight and rework their content, structure and delivery style to a much greater extent than they can in a single day. They can then wow their audiences on Day 2 - partly by mercifully reducing unnecessary verbage on their slides and replacing it far more absorbable images and graphs. After the seaside sunshine my thoughts will turn to Libya. I'm privileged to be chairing the two-day "Libya Higher Education Forum" in London to help Libya chart its educational future as it emerges from its recent troubles. As Libya seeks more stability and development, there are sixteen-thousand students who have been awarded Liyban Government scholarships to pursue their higher education studies abroad. Many of these will end up studying in the UK. The forum is bringing together Libyan decision-makers with education providers from British universities, English language schools and vocational training centres to help place large numbers of Libyan students. The forum promises be a great meeting of minds as it seeks to foster the creation of innovative partnerships and lasting alliances between the academic communities in Libya and Britain. As an Australian conference chairman, I can hopefully provide a comforting neutrality between all parties represented. I'm not an expert yet in Libyan higher education, but expect to be steeped in it by the end of the week. So if you're interested in contributing to Libya's future higher educational development, ask me who you need to contact at the end of the week. Details of the forum are at: www.libyaed.com   Meanwhile I have fallen in love with this captivating Libyan scene which the conference organisers are using to promote the forum.       It certainly makes you want to go there. Keep smiling, Michael

Prepare To Survive That Grilling Nightmare

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH THE INTERVIEWING NIGHTMARE    Shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 I found myself in the same room as a slightly more famous fellow broadcast journalist called Jeremy Paxman. We were both doing separate interviews in that suddenly reunifying city with the mayors of East and West Berlin.    Jeremy Paxman was doing the interviews for the British Broadcasting Corporation's serious evening current affairs programme Newsnight where he had started a short time before. I was interviewing the mayors for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. I'd earlier been warned by a colleague that Paxman was "a poisonous individual". Because of this - and as it was a busy time for us both - I didn't go out of my way to chat with the man who would go on to become a legendary interviewer and every politician's worst nightmare. With hindsight this was a bit of a shame. After coming to live in London some years later I became something of a connoisseur of Jeremy Paxman's ferocious interviewing style as he kebabbed politicians with entertaining regularity, efficiency and ruthlessness.    I'm sure those who got famously "Paxoed" - like former British Home Secretary Michael Howard - agreed with my colleague that he was "poisonous"....at least while under the spotlight. Here is a reminder of the famous occasion when Mr Howard learned why you should not avoid a fair question...having been asked it by Paxman a dozen times in a row.   Michael Howard was haunted by this interview. It was one of the factors which meant he never did achieve his aspiration to become British Prime Minister. But most people viewing it tended to enjoy the spectacle as it is so obvious that Michael Howard is doing everything to evade the question - and Paxman refuses to let his non-answers slip by. I refer to this encounter in media training sessions to make the point that proper interview response technique is about answering the question effectively, not avoiding it. And having been trained as a Rottweiler political interviewer by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, I increasingly came to appreciate Jeremy Paxman's mastery of the artform. I have this saying in communications-boosting conference keynotes that my Australian journalistic colleagues think that Paxman is a bit of a wimp - because we Aussie journo's ask really difficult "blowtorch-on-the-belly" questions. This tends to get a laugh, but it's perhaps not quite as true as we'd like it to be. No one does tough guy interviews more effectively than Paxman - even if his scowls and hurrumphs have become perhaps a touch too theatrical towards the latter part of his Newsnight career.    So everyone except the Paxo victims must wish him well as he steps down from Newsnight after 25-years of politician-baiting brilliance.

WHY PREPARATION IS ALWAYS TIME WELL SPENT  Since I've started to spend more time helping people prepare for media interviews than doing them, I've come to appreciate Jeremy Paxman even more. The man is a walking advertisement for anyone who thinks that media training isn't a good idea if there's the slightest chance you will ever have to appear in the news spotlight. Under-preparation for a media interview is a truly dangerous thing, as one-time British rising political star in the current British Government, Chloe Smith, knows. Here is the interview where Ms Smith was suddenly on her way to becoming an ex-minister as she didn't have enough preparation or knowledge of her topic to pass the Paxman test.      Chloe Smith would now agree that being prepared for the Paxman experience is as wise as having insurance for your house burning down. But the lesson applies to business as much as to politics. If you are likely to have to represent your organisation when something goes wrong - or indeed when something goes fantastically right - then training in advance is the best preparation. South Korean style "just-in-time" production methods can work well in a car assembly plant, but when it comes to standing up to the worst possible questions it's advantageous to be as well-trained in advance as a professional sports star. Just in time method...works for car-makers, not interviewees One of those I trained ended up being interviewed twice by Jeremy Paxman on a single edition of Newsnight. He covered himself in glory...but many don't.

BEING PREPARED FOR NON-PAXMAN SITUATIONS  Of course not all media interviews are Paxman-style...and, in fact, mercifully most aren't. Interviews with the trade press or local newspapers for example can often be much softer - as can those "on the sofa" interviews in less confrontational TV shows.       But they still contain their own traps. The much more laid-back style of interviews for the written word or the more friendly approach for TV magazine programmes can still give unsuspecting interviewees the opportunity to hang themselves several times over. The magic formulae for answering tough or tricky media questions are also useful way beyond the realm of the camera. The formulae can be applied to a range of situations - including questions parliamentary committees, public inquiries and courts. They also apply to nightmare questions from your prospects, clients and staff. Here's one of the preparation formulae which works in all situations...

JUST SAY "AMEN"  Whatever the conversational challenge - whether it's Paxo or an unconvinced sales prospect - proper preparation is a plus. To do it systematically, then perform "AMEN" - even if you're not religious. AMEN stands for: A = Audience: Put yourself in the mind of those who will be asking you the questions so you can see things from their point of view. Then you will know what they will require from you. M = Message: Remember that all good communication is more than just giving the facts. It's about getting across a message. So define your message in advance. E = Example: Make sure you can back up your message with real-life examples by painting a pictures in the minds' of your audience members. This gives credibility and memorability to your message. N = Negatives: Consider what negative questions will be thrown at you in advance. Jeremy Paxman famously said he prepared for interviews by asking himself "Why is this lying bastard lying to me?" Of course if you're reading this ezine you won't be a lying bastard. You will be a wonderful, innocent and highly competent person, a million miles from the rogue who Paxo pictures as he sharpens his pencil and his tongue. But getting yourself into the mind of your interrogators - so that you can anticipate their questions - allows you to come out as a winner. Jeremy Paxman will be replaced by someone. It could be Eddie Mair - seen here getting the better of London Mayor, Boris Johnson in this famous interview.  Whoever becomes the new Paxman, best be ready for it. Keep smiling, Michael