NEW REVELATION: MICHAEL DODD MEDIAEXPLAINED

If you've ever wondered why Michael Dodd Media was invented, there's a simple answer. It exists to help people become inspirational business communicators. And as you know, when trying get people to communicate clearly, I'm always pushing the idea of backing up your message with specific memorable examples. So let me tell you that Michael Dodd Media helps people like Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Michael Dodd Media helps people like Virgin's Richard Branson.  Michael Dodd Media helps people like Facebook inventor Mark Zuckerberg.  It hasn't helped these people exactly. But as I say, Michael Dodd Media helps people LIKE them. It helps people with huge potential to become inspirational business communicators...people who could just do with a bit of guidance or polish along the way. People like you. Of course communications assistance is often done on a confidential basis - especially when done one-to-one. So giving the exact names of people helped isn't always possible. But there are some common reasons why rising business stars need help with their communications. And usually it's not just the person at the top who can do with some assistance. It's often the whole team. This why I've launched my new keynote speech for company conferences - and why it's called "Becoming Inspirational Business Communicators". There's also a workshop version for smaller groups of business leaders. Here's a business fairy tale to help explain...

BECOMING INSPIRATIONAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATORS - THE FAIRY TALE  Once upon a time there was potentially great business leader. His name was Fred. He was ambitious. He was clever. He was hardworking. He came up with an impressive product and a clever commercial concept. Fred was also lucky. He won the lottery. As a result he was able to set up his own company with great speed. Fred realised he couldn't do everything himself, so he spent his lottery winnings to hire some top people. He didn't think he'd be any good at motivating people once they were on his payroll. So he appointed a Human Resources Director to do that. Fred didn't think he was any good at talking to bankers to raise future investment funds. So he appointed a Finance Director to do that. Fred didn't think he was any good at enticing people to buy his product. So he appointed a Sales and Marketing Director to do that. Fred didn't think he was any good at giving speeches - or at being interviewed by the media. So he appointed a Public Relations Director to do that. As you can see, Fred was a master of delegation. This can be a good business attribute. Fred knew some of his limitations. But when it came to communicating, Fred overestimated his limitations - and underestimated its importance. Fred thought he wasn't any good at communicating. So he didn't try. Eventually Fred's product ran into trouble. A fault was discovered and his product had to be recalled. Protestors and business journalists camped outside his company headquarters. His sales dried up. Bankers wouldn't lend. He cut the wages of his staff who went on strike. Fred didn't think he was any good at dealing with the communications challenges the crisis threw up. So he didn't try. He sent his directors out to deal with them. But as he couldn't communicate effectively with them, they struggled to communicate effectively with their audiences. Not surprisingly, Fred's company went bust. He didn't live happily ever after. LESSONS FOR FRED But there's a silver lining to every cloud. Fred learnt important lessons. He learned that however good he was at coming up with an impressive product and a clever commercial concept, it wasn't enough. He had to work at becoming an Inspirational Business Communicator. And his whole team needed to be Inspirational Business Communicators. Fred discovered that communication skills were learnable - even for people not obviously gifted in this area. He found that he could motivate. He found that he could give great answers to tough questions. He found that he could sell. And he could persuade. He realised that however good his product and his concept and however brilliant the team around him, he had to personally motivate, to sell and to persuade. Fred now understood that everything he said - and didn't say - communicated a message to those around him. He knew that it was vital that he had to share his vision with others. Fred invented an improved product and set up a new company. It was a ripsnorting success. He had become an Inspirational Business Communicator. This time Fred did live happily ever after. BECOMING INSPIRATIONAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATORS Of course this story is entirely fictional ("Once upon a time" was an early clue). But there's a fundamental underlying truth behind everything that happened to Fred. So if you're a potentially great business leader and you're not yet an Inspirational Business Communicator, you need to become one. And this is why the new keynote and workshop on "Becoming Inspirational Business Communicators" is dangling before you. Click on the link for conference key note details. Inspirational Business Communicators. GETTING FREE PUBLICITY It can be amazing what free publicity is available if you give out the right messages. As a result of a press release I sent over a year ago, my local newspaper asked to do a profile on me. What was particularly good is that they sent all the questions in writing - and so I got to write what I liked. They ran practically all of what I wrote - and printed my company logo and contact details. If you want to see it, it's in the Hemel Hempstead Gazette. http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspx?referral=other&refresh=Wz9017Qig14P&PBID=e149cee9-ebb7-4b81-90c6-298e1c6f9ab8&skip You go to this page and click on "Next". The story is on Page 2. It may be "just" a local paper. But as it's on the internet it's visible around the world! It wasn't like that when I was the political reporter on The Manly Daily in Sydney.    People have asked how much it cost to get so much space. The answer is zero. PRESENTING WITH CONFIDENCE, IMPACT AND PIZZAZZ   Most Michael Dodd Media communications-boosting sessions are run for specific companies and groups. But there is a rare open session coming up. So you too can stand on a soap box - or on a giant snowball as pictured - and get your message across. Picture Credit: Lucinda Dodd. For those wanting to supercharge their skills in talking in front of an audience, there's an open session of "Presenting With Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz" on Monday 30 July 2012. It's in Central London. Details - including the early bird booking offer - are at http://michaeldoddmedia.com/presentation_training.php Alas Fred won't be there. He's too busy running his new company and communicating to everyone about it. But future Freds will be...  so they can live happily ever after. Keep smiling, Michael