WHAT BOND MOVIES MEAN FOR YOUR NEXT PRESENTATION

When I was in the high school debating team in Sydney, there was one topic on the list which our team always hoped we would get: "That every man thinks he's James Bond." Alas, under the system where our team and the opposition had to jointly agree on the question, this was one debating topic that never happened. But whether you're for or against the Bond everyman theory, there's something that the start of the latest 007 - Skyfall - can teach us all when it comes to giving hugely more gripping presentations. I'm not giving too much away here for those yet to see it by telling you that Skyfall starts with a truly amazing - albeit ridiculously incredible - action sequence.  Bond chases a villain through the market places of Istanbul causing mayhem on an almost nuclear scale, fights on top of a train as it goes through tunnels and demonstrates a hitherto unknown talent for driving a bulldozer with murderous intent after he runs out of bullets. As you can see it's pretty much like the start of the previous 22 Bond films over the past fifty years - only more so. I can assure you that no one walked out of the cinema...and I don't think anyone drifted off either. So what does this mean for your next presentation? Lots!

HIT YOUR AUDIENCE FROM THE START The consistent success of Bond openings means you should start your presentation with a bang...that is, something that will grab and hold your audience.    This sounds logical, but most presentations don't achieve it. Too many presentations start with speakers wasting those vital opening seconds and  minutes by talking about something the audience is probably not all that interested in... usually themselves. "Let me just tell you some background about myself and my organisation..." Or they start with an unnecessary apology. "I'm sorry this won't be very good because it was Fred who was meant to do it and unfortunately he can't be here..." There are no clearer signals to an audience that this is time for them to drift off. The thing is that unless you are somebody the world is desperate to hear about, starting with background about yourself - or why you were roped in to do it instead of someone else - is not what the audience wants. What they do like is energy and excitement. This is why Skyfall took a record amount of takings in the first seven days of its opening week in the UK. And why 007 movies, under the never-ending parade of Bond acting stars, have consistently performed so well at the box office.    When you start your next presentation, make your opening line something which grabs from the start. If you provide enough oomph, you're well on your way to holding your audience for the entirety of your presentation. After that you can make a decision about whether every man thinks he's James Bond.  Picture Credit: Lucinda Dodd And for those with eagle eyes, do be assured that the red spot near the collar of this would-be 007 isn't blood. It's actually a Professional Speaking Association badge...a license to speak, if not to kill! But if it weren't for this, only a close relative would be able to identify the difference between this picture and the other Bond stars in the newsletter. MAKING YOUR PRESENTATIONS AS GRIPPING AS 007 Communications skills are improvable skills - whether you're seeking a major overhaul or just a touch of Bond stardust. There's an opportunity to throw yourselves into the challenge in the next open communications-boosting master classes in Central London. "Giving Great Answers To Tough Questions" and "Perfecting Your Elevator Pitch" run on Friday 30 November 2012. And "Presenting with Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz" runs on Wednesday 5 December 2012. There's an early bird offer for each which expires on 19 November. Places can be booked by emailing michael@michaeldoddcommunications.com or phoning UK 07944 952835. Or you can book through paypal at: http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/presentation_training.php Each session will start with a bang. Your communications skills will jump Bond-like from one plane to a higher plane. You can expect to come out with your performances shaken and your audiences stirred. My mission to save the universe from dull, nervous communications attempts continues...  FORTHCOMING MIDDLE EAST MISSIONS November looks like being as exciting as a series of Bond assignments...but hopefully a touch safer. There's a mission in Iraq which is hopefully less dangerous than it sounds...as it's taking place in Erbil in the supposedly calmer, northern part of the country. And the planned mission to Beruit has been switched to safer territory, which is nice...though I was keen see the so-called Paris of the Middle East. This follows latest car bomb and subsequent threats to Lebanese stability. The assignment has been shifted to Jordan which - while being close to Syria - isn't as troubled. So for those who have Dodd bookings for your events in later November, December and in 2013, I have every intention of returning in one piece to fulfill these commitments ("Inshallah - or "God willing" - as they constantly say in the Middle East).  AND FOR THE BOND WOMEN... Meanwhile after deciding whether every man thinks he's James Bond, you might also like to consider the parallel female question. Does every woman think she's a Bond girl...or a powerful Judi Dench-like female M?    Looking forward to your answers to these big questions. Keep smiling, Michael

DO YOU REALLY NEED ALL THOSE NOTES?

British Prime Minister, David Cameron, today gives his speech to the annual Conservative Party conference under more pressure than he was a short time ago. Foremost amongst the reasons for this increased pressure is a single speech last week by the Opposition Labour Party leader, Ed Milliband. There was one thing about the Milliband speech which proved to be a political game-changer - at least temporarily and maybe for much longer. And it had little to do with any bold new Labour policy idea or attacks on the government's style and substance. The thing about Ed Milliband's speech which has really got notice was that it was delivered without notes. Ed Milliband...Look Mum, no notes. There was universal agreement among commentators that this was Mr Milliband's most confident speech - where spoke without any lectern, autocue or papers while surrounded by audience members on all sides. Now speaking fluently without notes for nearly an hour and to grip the audience throughout is an impressive thing to do. David Cameron has been known to do the same to much acclaim - such as one still remembered note-free speech he gave when running to be his party's leader.  David Cameron - Hey I can do it too What the note-free speech enables both leaders to do is to convey their personality and their message far more powerfully than they would otherwise come across. In Ed Milliband's case, being freed from notes helped him become seen as a more genuine and impressive figure - who spoke from the heart and connected emotionally with those in the audience and on TV to a far greater extent than ever before. Here's around four minutes of it. So if you're not seeking high political office, then what does the Milliband experience mean for you? It shows that when you give a presentation and you do it without notes (or without using slides as a memory prompt) that you can potentially have a far bigger impact and move the audience far more in the direction you want them to go.

HINTS TO HELP YOU DO IT What people often find when they leave the notes behind is that it's easier and more liberating than they thought. But you don't have to go completely down the Milliband route, to gain a benefit. You can make a big difference by just using fewer notes - and often less obvious notes. Rather than holding large pieces of paper, a tiny card in your hand to remind you of your main points tends to be far more useful to you if you get lost, and allows you to connect much more clearly with your audience. And if you are wedded to some notes, at least have points where you can depart from them. One of the best times to do this is when you're telling a personal story. Because you it happened to you, then it's imprinted on your mind and so much easier to tell without any prompts. Being freed from the notes will allow you to sound more naturally conversational. And it will allow you to keep eye contact with your audience which underlines the point that your speech is really for them. TRY IT YOURSELF While you can spend a lifetime to taking your speaking skills to a higher level - and become ever less reliant on notes along the way - most people can make a transformational difference to their presentations in a very short space of time. It's a distinctly learnable skill. A couple of half-day sessions or a full day dedicated to training for it typically makes a big difference to people's performance and confidence. It allows you also to know what to leave in and what to leave out - and how to structure your speech for maximum effect. It can make your pitches for business far more persuasive. Michael Dodd Communications runs bespoke presentation training sessions inside organisations - in boardrooms, hotels and conference centres. There's also an open session of "Presenting with Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz" coming up on 5 December. And if it's the killer questions you might get during and after your talk that put you on edge, there's an open session of "Giving Great Answers To Tough Questions" on 30 November. The early bird offer on both these Central London sessions at:  http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/presentation_training.php THE NEW AFTER DINNER SPEECH Why is this strange character being photographed outside a McDonalds? McDonalds in Budapest 2012 And surely, as it's in the magnificent city of Budapest, there are more impressive things to picture than a fast food restaurant! Well every picture tells a story, and this is to illustrate one of the more bizarre elements of my new after dinner speech called "Tales and Tips From Six Continents". I made my first visit to Budapest in 1988 - just before the anti-communist revolutions swept across Eastern Europe the following year. But in Hungary they had embarked on their own economic revolution even before the communists were thrown out. Taking advantage of the more enlightened approach to governing by the then Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev, some of Hungary's leaders were pushing to see what they could get away in terms of economic liberalization. And what they managed to do took them far beyond anything that was happening inside Mr Gorbachev's own country at the time. I remember doing an interview in Budapest with the economic advisor to the prime minister who was vehemently in favour of free market forces - to the extent that would have made the then British prime minister Margaret Thatcher proud. One of the signs of this was that when I arrived in Budapest the first McDonalds in the communist bloc had just opened amidst much excitement.  McDonalds in Budapest 1988 It seems crazy now, but people would queue for hours in Hungary get hold of a Big Mac - and to get a taste of America which for so long they'd been told was such an evil place. On my recent trip to Budapest it was fascinating to talk to those Hungarians who remembered the amazing moment of their first McDonalds visit back in the days when communism was being challenged. But the early-starting revolution in Hungary wasn't entirely smooth. There was still resistance from the secret police whose job it was to do whatever it took to keep the old-style regime in place. While I was interviewing dissidents in Hungary in 1988 the secret police made their presence felt in one particular interview with a young female environmental activist. Ecological campaigners were regarded by the old-style communist authorities as being a particularly sinister threat - as they opposed the production-at-all-cost mentality which was causing massive water and air pollution throughout the communist bloc. I was conducting the interview in a quiet spot in a major western-style hotel in the Budapest city centre when a man emerged beside us heckling the environmentalist, snarling repeatedly in broken English "You are nothing, you are nothing". At first I thought he was drunk, but as the tirade continued it became clearer that he wasn't. To her huge credit, the environmentalist refused to be intimidated, and insisted that we continue the interview regardless. It felt at times as if the harassment might turn physical. But never did. My interviewee said the secret police constantly sought to disrupt the environmentalists' efforts - and she was determined not to give in to them. And she didn't. Eventually the man gave up and left...though goodness knows what he wrote on her file. It's these and other stories from my time reporting and speaking on six continents that makes up my new after dinner speech. But I'm afraid that there are no stories from the seventh continent - Antactica. At least not yet. So if you want colourful tales about penguins on ice for your after-dinner entertainment, you'll have to look elsewhere. Keep smiling, Michael

WHAT TO SAY IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER

David Cameron has earned himself a series of unflattering headlines after failing to answer a couple of quiz questions on American TV. Mr Cameron - perhaps bravely, perhaps unwisely - agreed to become the first serving British Prime Minister to appear on the largely comedy-focused Late Show during a visit to New York. Now having watched the whole of his appearance, contrary to the headlines, it's fair to say that overall he did pretty well - and certainly avoided the biggest potential trap of taking himself too seriously in front viewers mainly looking for laughs. And as you might expect, on the occasional serious topics David Cameron was able to give some easy-to-follow answers to explain some of the finer points of the United Kingdom to a less than totally clued-up audience across the Atlantic. But the news media - being highly selective as they typically are - focused on those moments when he was completely stumped by host David Letterman's quiz questions.       First up, Cameron didn't know who composed Rule Britannia (understandably not being too familiar with the less-than-famous Thomas Arne). Then he couldn't give the translation of "Magna Carta" - a rather bigger crime for someone who presumably studied Latin at Eton. To his credit, Mr Cameron did make some self-deprecating remarks while admitting he didn't know the answers - the most drastic being "I've ended my career on your show". But he allowed himself to be portrayed looking far sillier than he needed to. There's a useful formula which anyone can use when being asked a question where you don't know the answer. Mr Cameron got the first bit right: admit you don't know. This is far safer than bluffing. But he didn't follow the essential next steps. The second step is to briefly, and without being defensive, explain why you don't know. "Well of course I'm only the prime minister, not the British historian-in-chief," would have been fine for the Magna Carta question. The third step is then to gently move the conversation onwards so that you say something on the same topic that you do know. The full Cameron-Letterman interview is here on Youtube: If you watch it you'll see that the prime minister had earlier in the interview demonstrated he knew quite a bit about the historic document, including the fact that it was signed in 1215. So all Mr Cameron needed to do was to move on and explain a little more about the significance of the Magna Carta for Britain, and the world. This would have made a far more impressive conclusion to his response and would have enabled him to avoid being hit by such Letterman barbs as "it would be good if you knew this" which were fired off during the embarrassing prime ministerial silences. The trick is that once you've dealt with a pesky question by saying you can't answer and explaining why, then you're perfectly within your conversational rights to add something you do know on the subject. If you get this right you'll look far more authoritative and in control than David Cameron managed.

AND YOU CAN DO IT YOURSELF Training to utilise this and other techniques is what we work on during my "Giving Great Answers To Tough Questions" sessions. These sessions can be run as keynotes at conferences or as workshops inside your organisation. They deal with tough questions from potential and existing customers, financiers, shareholders, public inquiries and the media. And there's an open session starting on the morning of Friday 30 November in Central London. In the afternoon of same day there's an open session of "Perfecting Your Elevator Pitch". This enables your business introductions become more powerful, effective and memorable when talking about what you do in formal and informal circumstances. It boosts your performance in conversations with new prospects, chance encounters in lifts and in those tricky 60-second pitches at networking meetings. And on Wednesday 5 December there's the opportunity to take part in the open master class on "Presenting with Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz". This shows how to grab and hold audience attention - and boost your presentation content, structure and performance. All three sessions allow participants to feel more confident when in the spotlight. Details of the early bird offer and booking arrangements are at: http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/presentation_training.php Or you can book your place by emailing enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com UNITED NATIONS - THE NEXT MISSION It's been great to work over the past couple of weeks with United Nations officials based across the world - including some of the most troublesome of trouble spots. These dedicated people have to be ready to stand up to tough questions from CNN, the BBC, Al Jazeera and others in some of the most difficult circumstances you can imagine. As luck would have it, the training itself was done under rather easier conditions than their normal working environments. We ran sessions beside the Danube in glorious Budapest.   Photo credit: York Smith And training by the shores of Lake Geneva...allowing for a post-training excursion into the Alps. Photo credit: Rick Ives But it's not always so luxurious - for them or for me. Word has come through that my next training UN mission is in Iraq...yes, really. But before you panic and think your next training course with me will be the last, the good news is the sessions we're running there are in what's described as the relative safe zone of Erbil in Northern Iraq. Nonetheless, advice on security matters from any reader who has been there of late would be most welcome. MADAM BECKY FAILS TO SPANK SPEAKERS The story about ex-brothel owner, Madam Becky, in the last issue of this newsletter generated more reaction than any other item this year. (This clearly says something about some of the readers I manage to attract!) You'll recall that Madam Becky was taking on me and my fellow speakers in a bid to become the UK Business Speaker of the Year 2012.    Madam Becky was promising to enthrall us all by showing how the principles she utilised to build up the profitability of her prostitution operations could be applied to other aspects of business. Well to the disappointment of almost all, alas Madam Becky failed to show up when the rest of the two-dozen qualifying speakers gathered in Southampton for the finals. So our fears that Madam Becky would give us all a right spanking because of her more wide-ranging worldly experience failed to materialize. (However I have a suspicion that the sponsors of the contest may have been a touch relieved at her non-appearance.) The judges then had the rather less exciting task of interviewing the rest of us throughout the day. They had to gauge our speaking prowess in X-Factor style auditions to decide who should be selected to give their speeches in front of the live audience. At the end of their interviews, the judges whittled the survivor list down to a final nine. So it was a privilege to be selected amongst this group to convey our inspirational business message to the audience. There was a fascinating collection of speeches, with the winner being Richard Watts for a very polished performance entitled "The Morale Factor". So hearty congratulations to him. Richard argued persuasively that rather than squeezing suppliers, business leaders should concentrate their efforts on rewarding those they worked with...including sometimes giving them a big hug. Meanwhile one can only wait breathlessly to see whether Madam Becky will titillate the judges with an appearance next year. One can imagine that until then, Madam Becky may be acting on Richard's advice and giving all those she interacts with a big hug. DODD COMMUNICATION-BOOSTING SERVICES Meanwhile, if you decide against having Madam Becky at your next conference, and you need a to transform your people into inspirational business communicators click here: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/international_speaking.php If you need to know how to perform at your peak in media interviews with the local newspaper, the TV news or anywhere in between then click here:  www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/media_training.php    And if you need a comprehensive communications-boosting programme for your key people click here:  www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/transform_communication_skills.php  CHRISTMAS 2012 COMES EARLY Ever since I can remember, it's been said that commercial activity for Christmas starts earlier each year. In Manchester in 2012 this is certainly the case. At a training gig near the Manchester United Stadium in Salford, the Beefeater restaurant has already begun the festivities - as I found when I had breakfast there. In case no one believes me, here's a diner holding a 24 September 2012 copy of The Telegraph to prove that it really is up.   Picture Credit: Jonathan Brind The presence of the tree is part of a promotion to get you to book there for Christmas dinner - more than three months before the big day. So in case I forget to say it in December... Happy Christmas, Michael

INTERVIEW FIRST MAN ON MOON - I KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS

I'm looking forward to speaking later this year at the European conference of one of the world's largest accounting bodies - CPA Australia.   It's a huge organisation - with a membership of more than 139,000 finance, accounting and business professionals (they're not all Aussies) in 114 countries. But despite its size, it's fair to say that outside the financial world, and certainly outside Australia, it's not a name that comes up on most people's radar. Until now! In the past week CPA Australia has found itself on the universal map in a bigger way than ever before. Why? Because it did the last interview with the first man to walk on the moon - Neil Armstrong - before he sadly left us to go beyond this universe.    Neil Armstrong's being interviewed by CPA Australia But hang on! Why would one of the most famous men ever - the first to walk on two different bodies in the universe - bother to give an interview with an accountancy organisation? Well part of the answer - wait for it - is because Neil Armstrong's dad was an auditor!!! In fact, this is confirmed by the great man himself in the interview which appears on the CPA Australia website. And the person who secured the first in-depth Armstrong interview in nearly 30 years, and which also turned out to be the last, played on this obscure fact to persuade him to come before the cameras ... something the more mainstream media didn't achieve.  Mind you, the interviewer - CPA Australia's chief executive Alex Malley - isn't perhaps what you'd expect as the man in charge of an accountancy body... as I discovered when I met him at a CPA coffee tasting event (yes it really was coffee!) that they put on in their Central London premises during one of Alex's visits. Apart from running the CPA, Alex is a weekly radio commentator on Australia's "Money News" programme and hosts a digital and on-line TV show called "The Bottom Line". He has almost inter-gallactic ambitions for his organisation. I haven't trained Alex, but I don't think he needs guidance on how to do interesting things. His four-part interview series recorded with Neil Armstrong is all fascinating. But if you only watch one section, go for Part 3 where Armstrong talks us through the lunar module's descent onto the moon's surface - while it's pictorially displayed with a pilot's eye view - and lands it, despite a computer malfunction, with just 20 second's worth of fuel to spare.   The Lunar Module in action Even though you know it has a happy ending, it's still heart-stopping stuff. Check it out at: http://thebottomline.cpaaustralia.com.au/ WHEN HARRY MEETS LIZZIE Britain's Press Complaints Commission has received more than 3,600 complaints so far about The Sun newspaper's decision to print pictures of the naked Prince Harry cavorting in a Las Vegas hotel room. And thousands have joined a Facebook group entitled "Support Prince Harry With A Naked Salute" - supposedly the fastest growing Facebook group of our time.                               Shock Picture of Prince Harry Fully Clothed Whether you think the media are right or wrong to publish, the lesson for everyone is clearly that in today's world of mobile phone cameras and the internet, the saying "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" can no longer apply - for princes or anybody. As someone who works in the area of helping people give inspirational answers to tough questions, what I'd like to know is what should Harry say to his grandma if she asks him why he revealed all? You can picture it now, with Her Majesty looking up from her i-pad saying "Oi Harry, how do you explain these pics I've just run into while surfing the net in Balmoral?" All suggestions on what is the best thing Harry can say are most welcome.

FREE PLACE FOR HARRY Meanwhile - on the basis that he needs a bit of help - I've decided to offer Harry a free place at the forthcoming open course on "Giving Great Answers To Tough Questions" He can take part - subject to certain terms and conditions - and providing he doesn't wear that old Nazi uniform that embarrassed him last time he was in big trouble. "Giving Great Answers To Tough Questions" runs 9.30am to 12.30pm on Friday 7 September in Central London. It helps you give more impressive answers to questions from prospective customers, clients, financiers, journalists and others (including royal grandmothers). Later on the same day there's "Perfecting Your Elevator Pitch" which runs from 2pm to 5pm. This session enables your business introductions become more powerful, effective and memorable. Places are £97 for each, or £167 if you do both. Bookings can be secured by emailing enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com Both session are running at the Royal Institute for British Architects in Portland Place - just down the road from BBC's Broadcasting House.   The courses are guaranteed to be fun - but as applies to Prince Harry and all others - clothing is compulsory.    ONE SMALL PHRASE FOR MAN, ONE GIANT LEAP Meanwhile back on the moon...   I'd always assumed that Commander Armstrong's famous first words on the moon were the result of a well-planned, much-rehearsed line from an earthbound public relations team.   However, in his last interview Neil Armstrong tells us this was not the case.   He says he thought up the words "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" after the lunar module landed safely on the moon's surface, and just before he exited the craft for that much-watched walk.                  Neil Armstong pictured shortly after uttering the famous words     So he did plan and prepare, as I always advocate for big moments.   But he certainly didn't do it much in advance.   Life outside earth is full of surprises.   Though I bet the first person on Mars has their first words crafted for him or her well before they leave this planet.    Keep smiling,   Michael

GRAB AND HOLD ATTENTION - HOW EXPERTS DO IT

At the risk of upsetting Russia's President Putin, there's much we can learn about effective communication from his country's protesting feminist punk band, Pussy Riot. Three members of the band have just been jailed for two years for so-called "hooliganism" - after they stormed into Moscow's main cathedral in February and performed their raucous "punk prayer" at the alter. The band members, in their distinctive colourful balaclavas to hide their identities, called on the Virgin Mary to rid Russia of Mr Putin at the time he was poised for a less-than-perfectly-democratic return to the presidency. The band members insisted their aim wasn't to offend believers (though this they surely did). They said their intention was to highlight the uncomfortably close ties between the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox Church.   Now if you're prepared to be sufficiently outrageous, it's not that hard to get loads of free publicity in the western world - or even in contemporary, still-restrictive Russia. But what impresses about Pussy Riot is how carefully planned their antics have been. Whether you support them or abhor them, here are three things that have been perfectly pitched to cunningly get their message across - by thinking through their communications strategy in advance. LESSON ONE: In marketing terms Pussy Riot has created an attention-grabbing name and an instantly identifiable look. Their brightly coloured attire is now being copied by supporters around the world -such as this group, pictured below, of London Amnesty International activists protesting against the Russian authorities.   Pussy Riot captivates attention by wearing feminine dresses which deliberately jar with their characteristically unfeminine dance moves and actions. Band members have staged their protests at strategically selected locations designed to steal Russian and world attention - Red Square, outside a jail, the Moscow underground and then, in a deliberately calculated step too far, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. LESSON TWO: Pussy Riot's timing is impeccable. This was exemplified minutes after the verdict, when publicity around the world was at its peak, they released their new single "Putin Lights Up the Fires". For a group that is yet to bring out its first album, its members know how to light the fires of free publicity. LESSON THREE: Pussy Riot's grace under pressure has been inspirational. When the verdict was announced they looked like winners. They smiled, they giggled, they were admirably defiant. In their self-sacrificing protest they had proved their point about Russian governmental repression.   Without arrogance, the Pussy Riot prisoners projected an impression that they will come to be recognized as heroines who've done more to assist the cause of free speech and genuine democracy in Russia than any protest march so far. In fact, Pussy Riot has so captured a chunk of Russian sympathy that even President Putin - perhaps sensing he wasn't winning on this one - expressed the view just before the verdict that their punishment shouldn't be too harsh. If you can get your enemy to feel as though he has to edge in your direction, you're doing something right. If the Pussy Riot appeal fails and they do spend two years in jail, it's a heavy price to pay. However they've positioned themselves to be potentially seen as the Mandela's of modern day Russia. Their "music", by the way, is pretty terrible - in my humble opinion. But that further underlines how brilliant their strategic communications must be.

THREE DAYS TO GRAB YOUR PLACES...  Of course there are ways of grabbing and holding attention without risking two years in a Russian prison. One of these is to take part in one or both of the communications-boosting sessions on 7 September in Portland Place, London. There's an early-bird saving offer which runs until the end of this Friday. "Giving Great Answers To Tough Questions" runs from 9.30am to 12.30pm on 7 September. It shows you how to apply the magic formulae for dealing with nightmare questions from customers, prospects, staff, journalists and others. "Perfecting Your Elevator Pitch" runs from 2pm to 5pm on 7 September. This session enables your business introductions become more powerful, effective and memorable - and helps you attract the right clients. Under the early bird offer you can do either session for £97 including VAT. Or you can do both - and stay for lunch in between - for £167 including VAT. Further details and on-line booking arrangements are at: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/presentation_training.php Alternatively, places can be reserved by emailing:                      enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com Both sessions are guaranteed to be fun!  Here's what Anne Summers had to say:  "An excellent session which everyone benefited from. Entertaining - yes. Really impactive - yes. Useful for each person in the group - yes, yes."  And before you ask, Anne Summers is the leader of the highly respectable Bristol group, Footdown, for business leaders - and is not associated with a racy chain of female underwear stores which adopts a similar name.  HUMAN LOGO FOR THE RIO OLYMPICS  Amongst the places I've been able to run communications-boosting sessions is Rio de Janiero...which competes with my home town Sydney to be most spectacular city in the world.  So I'm looking forward to the next Olympics there in 2016.      And of course we'll want to see what are the new "human logos" which are performed at the Brazilian Olympics.    Will they be able to compete with Mo Farah's "Mobot" M-sign gesture that he does with his arms - or Hussein Bolt's "To The World" double-handed pointing gesture? In my last newsletter I foolishly asked readers to suggest new human logo symbols that could be used at the next Olympics. To my amazement, British readers wanted to focus their human logos on the astounding fact that Australia finished behind GB in the Olympic medals table - something they are apparently expecting to be repeated in 2016. For example, a highly esteemed British retail expert called Greg sent in a suggested logo for Australian spectators in Rio with a disappointed Aussie banging himself on his head. According to Greg "It signifies the Aussie's reaction to the Poms winning yet another event in Rio and finishing above Australia in the medal table".    Another British reader - a widely respected marketing guru called Barnaby - had this description for his suggested human logo for Australian athletes:  "Bend over and poke your smiling head through your legs to give the impression of someone upside down." Not quite the dignified, confident, medal-winning image that Australia would like to project to the world in Rio, Barnaby, but thank you for your contribution, anyway! The topic is now closed (barring any amazingly positive suggestions for winning Australian athletes, which seems unlikely in the current climate). Keep smiling, Michael

PREPARE SOMETHING WORTH HEARING

Some of you are probably sliding into post-Olympic "withdrawal-symptom-depression" because London 2012 has been such a fantastic ride. Others may be in post-Olympic "thank-goodness-it's-over-ecstasy" because you couldn't stand another minute. Whichever camp you're in, you may like to think about the multitude of post-performance competitor interviews that have been hard to escape over the past fortnight. The really great ones open a fascinating window into the emotions, mindset and lives of the competitors - and maybe even say something insightful about the human condition. They can be a joy to absorb - such as some of the comments Somali-born British runner and expectant father of twins, Mo Farah, pictured here winning the 5,000 metres on top of his 10,000-metre triumph.    It was hard not to be moved by Mo's lines such as "Now I have got a gold for each of the babies." The more painful athlete interviews are with the ones that come out with less-than- enlightening lines like "I'm speechless" or "I dunno what to say". To be fair to both categories of athlete, their main job is to perform at their peak - rather than focus on their post-match media comments. But for the audience on the receiving end of their thoughts - or lack of them - there's a huge difference between those who've considered for at least a moment about what is useful for us to hear and what isn't. It's the same for the rest of we mere non-Olympians - whether it's a media appearance, a presentation, one of those self-introductions at networking meetings or key moments in critical conversations. There's a massive difference between how we come across if we've thought properly in advance about what is the best content at that moment for that particular audience. What's more when you get the content right - and you know how to structure your thoughts - you end up looking, sounding and feeling so much better when you deliver it.

GETTING YOUR CONTENT RIGHT    Figuring out how to find exactly the right content for your next performances is one of the key things we concentrate on in master classes to take communications skills to a new level. These master classes be done on your premises, in broadcasting studios, or at open sessions in Central London. The three open sessions coming up are: "Give Great Answers To Tough Questions" is scheduled for Friday 7 September 9.30am to 12.30pm "Perfecting Your Elevator Pitch" runs later in the day on Friday 7 September 2pm - 5pm "Presenting with Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz" on Thursday 4 October running 9.30am to 5pm. Full details including the soon-to-expire early bird offer are at:         www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/presentation_training.php Here are the "graduates" from the open session that ran in July celebrating their success.     And here are some of their thoughts. More sensitive souls should be aware that one of the comments contains the word "buttock-clenching". "Thanks for a brilliant day yesterday. It was all so incredibly useful - practical, enthusiastic, constructive, immediately-applicable...oh and fun." Dr Lynda Shaw, Neuroscientist and Psychologist. "Michael can make even the most dull presenter or subject matter appear interesting. You will take away some gems of presentational insight that will give you confidence and make every presentation you do much easier." James Hickman, Managing Director, Caxton FX. "I thought I was a good presenter, but after this session, I have now seen the light. Following the steps that Michael has honed over many years does now give me the confidence that I can present with Impact and Pizzazz." Julian Dawes, Managing Director Huf UK Ltd. "Use Michael to get Focus, Clarity and Context in your presentations or elevator pitches. You will be delighted with the results." Frank Bastow, Chief Executive Officer, Bastows Ltd. "I just spent the day with Michael Dodd and discovered that presenting can be FUN. Instead of the usual buttock-clenching fear of standing up in front of people and feeling like an idiot, Michael gave me the tools and the confidence to PERFORM to my audience and it felt GREAT." Andy Mildner, Managing Director, Azure Financial Services Ltd.  EMBEDDING BEST PRACTICE IN YOUR TEAM  In today's competitive world there are huge advantages in having your team in peak form when it comes to getting the right messages across - inside and outside your organisation. This applies whether it's doing sales pitches, business introductions, presenting with slides, media interviews or handling critical conversations with clients, prospects, financiers and beyond. Michael Dodd Communications is now offering a seven-part programme to ensure that communications skills are enhanced - and embedded so they become the new norm for your organisation. The programme is either for your top team or for emerging leaders being groomed for increasing responsibility.   Performance is measured at the start and end - and along the way. Programmes are tailor-made to suit the requirements of those involved. Typically the programme would involve a mixture of group and one-to-one sessions for your key people arranged to suit their schedules. A sample programme is at:                      www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/transform_communication_skills.php   MOBOTS TO THE WORLD - THE NEW TV NORM    When advising clients about how to perform on TV there's always a big checklist. But it seems that checklist may be getting one step bigger. The normal list includes getting them to dress right - which in most cases means things like wearing nothing too fancy to distract from their message. And there's what they say, how they structure it and how they look and sound when they say it. The new addition since the Olympics seems to be the need for a specific gesture to encapsulate the TV moment. The world's fastest man, Usain Bolt, had already established his dramatic so-called "To The World" gesture at the Beijing 2008 Olympics with his two pointing arms...and he's had plenty of chances to practice it over the past fortnight. But London 2012 saw the arrival of the "Mobot" - an "M" sign with two bendy arms signalled by the world's fastest long-distance runner Mo Farah just after the gold-medal-winning climax of his races. To mix it up, one of the big moments of the games was when Bolt and Farah - who share the same agent - got together and performed each other's winning gestures for the cameras.   So the new life-sized living logo concept is now with us. There must be a job for someone between now and Rio 2016 to design these things for the next generation of winners. In fact, I'm trying to think of an Australian-style one I can use myself in case I ever win something. All suggestions welcome. Keep smiling, Michael