HOW INSPIRATIONAL CAN YOU BE?

The answer to this headline question is probably "Far more than you think". This is especially so if you visit the video clips of two exceptionally inspirational communicators featured in today's issue. The thing is, becoming more inspirational is a learnable skill. Steve Jobs and Richard Branson (pictured) didn't just happen to become inspiring to those around them.       They worked at it. So can you. And much of it comes down to how you communicate. When you think about it, your effect when interacting with others largely stems from: # What you say # How you say it # And how you look when you say it. These are things you can plan, prepare and practice. And if you dedicate just one day to it, you'll be amazed at how far you can get! Here's what a member of the Academy for Chief Executives, Leann Hearne, sent in this month. "Michael delivers the training that everyone dreads, yet succeeds in making them wonder how they managed without it. In a fun and easy day, he helps people achieve things they never believed possible and gives your business a tangible benefit that is visible in £'s and smiles. " Thanks Leann. Leann (pictured) is the Group Director of Care and Support, at the Riverside housing organisation. She was kind enough to let me address their annual conference in Birmingham this year - before giving a captivating, robustly straight-talking speech herself.      These sorts of conferences and company away days are the kind of places where I normally speak about becoming an inspirational communicator....and they're naturally for those inside the firm only. However I have a special communications-boosting day coming up which is open to all. It's in Central London on Friday 29 November. Details appear later in this e-newsletter. But first I want to tell you about one more vital aspect of being an inspirational communicator. It concerns what you think... LESSONS FROM THE GREAT U.S. MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKERS        I've long been fascinated by what inspirational speakers do, say and - in particular - think. Since becoming President of the Professional Speaking Association's London Region, I've been checking out what inspiring speakers do with a fresh eye. This is because I've partly transcended from being a speaker searching for opportunities to supercharge your audience's communication skills. (However, I am still hugely up for any conference speaking gigs where you need me!!!). In my new role I have now also become a booker of speakers myself. Consequently I've embarked on a quest to be more of a connoisseur of great speakers. One of the performances I've come across has been modestly billed as "The Most Inspirational Speech Ever." As I haven't heard every speech delivered since the orator Demosthenes strutted his stuff in Ancient Greece, I can't guarantee that this title is absolutely true. But the speech is crazily inspiring. There's something about black Americans which often makes them shine out as speakers.  There's Martin Luther King (pictured), Jesse Jackson and Barrack Obama.      And there's one you may not have come across called Ed Thomas. Ed's speech extract in this clip is 13 minutes and 51 seconds long. I had no intention of listening to it all. But he did what inspirational speakers do. He compelled me to stick with it. And while it's impressive at the start - with a chillingly captivating story about a success guru - it's even better at the end. ANOTHER COMMUNICATOR TO INSPIRE YOU And if you think Ed Thomas is inspirational, and you have time for more, take a look at a rather different kind of black American speaker. He is a more polished, less confrontational, but incredibly powerful communicator known as Les Brown's Mum's little boy (pictured).    Among other amazing things, Les Brown once won an election as the underdog with the help of an endorsement from his mum. She urged people to vote for him on the basis that he was "a good boy". The story is among many uplifting tales in this speech. Only in America... BECOME AN INSPIRATIONAL COMMUNICATOR...IT'S POSSIBLE   My open communications-boosting day in London on Friday 29 November won't necessarily put you instantly in the league of leading world orators like these two amazing speakers. Though as Les Brown would tell you: "It's possible." But it will make you more confident, more dynamic and more able to touch the emotions of and inspire those inside and outside your organisation. And it will leave participants better equipped to sell your services, products and ideas. It's called "SUPERCHARGING YOUR BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS". We'll be working on high-impact business introductions - and your ability to give great answers to tough questions from clients, prospects and colleagues. The investment cost is £260. There's an early bird offer of £187 for bookings made before next Saturday.   To secure your place email: michael@michaeldoddcommunications.com Or call 0 (44) 7944.952835

CAN YOU ANSWER THIS QUESTION? I'm always interested in finding out about your latest communications efforts. So I'm doing a survey on the following question: When it comes to effectively communicating inside and outside your organisation and getting the results you want, what's the biggest communications challenge for you and your team? To be included in the results, please email your answer to enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com I will be writing up the results, but without identifying specific names and companies. MEMO TO CHLOE: MEDIA TRAINING ISN'T JUST A ONE-OFF One of the things I seek to convey to audiences is that training for media interviews should be a bit like football practice for professional athletes. By this I mean it's something you don't just go to once and then think you're sorted for the rest of your career. You don't hear serious professional footballers say: "I went to training two years ago so I haven't needed to go since." They wouldn't earn their telephone number salaries if they did. If you don't keep up your training, you can become a media victim like Chloe Smith. Ms Smith has just resigned as a British government minister - officially to spend more time working in her constituency. This actually she means she was fired, but got her resignation in first. Why did she lose her post? Well, among other things, she never recovered from an interview where she was made to look a fool by BBC tough-guy interviewer Jeremy Paxman (pictured).    While Chloe Smith is telegenic - and presumably at some stage had media training - she gave an interview in which she clearly hadn't properly planned, prepared and practiced. She went on the BBC's Newsnight programme to defend a government decision about petrol pricing which she didn't know enough about. Naturally she wasn't fired by the prime minister immediately afterwards, but it was just a matter of time. You'll see why when you watch this car crash: Not surprisingly, when Newsnight heard Chloe Smith was leaving her post, the programme got in touch. In blogpost for the Spectator, she later made reference to her Newsnight debacle. "It's not all been easy.  I couldn't help but laugh this week when Newsnight rang offering me a 'sensible' interview with Jeremy Paxman about my next move.  I didn't return the call." In my view, by not taking up the Newsnight offer, Chloe Smith made another mistake. If she had planned, prepared and practiced for the second encounter, she could have gone on with Jeremy Paxman and banished the ghost of her previous interview. First though she should have collected a copy of the Michael Dodd Communications Free Media Tip Sheet at: http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/products.php  And if she didn't want to leave her newly beloved constituency, she could have done one of my Skype media training taster sessions. There's a special £87 offer on them on Wednesday 30 October. Two one-hour slots remain - 11am and 5pm. Secure your slot and take your media interview performance to a new level by emailing enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com Meanwhile Chloe Smith made another mistake by not returning the Newsnight call. If ever the media approach you and ask for an interview - always, always, always get back to them. You may return the call and decline the offer. But always be courteous to journalists - even if they're not always courteous to you. You never know when having a friend in the media can come in handy.   Keep smiling, Michael