How To Do It - With Kevin Spacey

HOW KEVIN SPACEY DOES IT

   
     The digital age means there are more competing demands for our attention than ever before.

     And in my field of effective communications, this means there's a bigger challenge than ever to capture and hold your audience's attention....as you compete with evermore impressive mobile phones, ipads and even the new Samsung "smart watch" launched this week.

     So it's always nice to find someone who has the talent to fight back against the machines and grab audience attention.

     Hats off to American-actor-cum-British-theatre-manager, Kevin Spacey.
      

The Multi-Oscar Winning Kevin Spacey

     Mr Spacey - who works as the Artistic Director of London's Old Vic Theatre, along with his ongoing acting pursuits - has become the first thespian to deliver the prestigious keynote address at the Edinburgh International Television Festival.

     On the basis of his performance, I would say bring on more actors to do it.

GROWING DEMAND FOR PRESENTING SKILLS      In recent times the number of master classes and one-to-one sessions I run to boost presentation skills has actually overtaken the number of media interview skills lessons.      This is because only a select group of people in an organisation is likely to appear before journalists, but anyone who wants to get on needs to be able to connect face-to-face with a live audience.      So as I work at boosting the presentation skills of business leaders and others, I've found myself on the constant look-out for examples where someone has made a highly effective presentation...without slides, without clinging to notes and without having their performance diminished by nerves.      Enter Kevin Spacey.      Now I know that actors who are practiced at learning lines and delivering them with aplomb have advantages over we mere mortals.      But Mr Spacey has provided an excellent example for us all on how a strong message, a crisply-worded and properly structured script and a superb delivery style can scintillate and persuade your audience.      You don't need too much background to get into what Kevin Spacey had to say in Edinburgh.      In hailing a new golden age of television - delivered through the computer screen - he urged television bosses to be more courageous and take more chances when it comes to giving viewers what they want.      He criticises the obsession by American TV networks for insisting on the creation of expensive pilot programmes before committing to a full series.      Mr Spacey maintains that this forces writers to establish characters and concoct arbitrary cliff-hangers in order to prove that their concept will work in just 45-minutes on screen.      He argues that in reality a much longer period of time can be required to set-up complex characters and storylines.      So he was full of praise for the internet video-streaming service Netflix which was prepared to back the American version of the BBC political thriller "House of Cards" without the need for a pilot.      Incidentally the star of the US-version turns out to be none other than Kevin Spacey himself....but this doesn't diminish the power and coherence of his case. Kevin Spacey starring in House of Cards          You can check out edited highlights of Mr Spacey's speech here:

HOW YOU CAN BE MORE LIKE KEVIN       I particularly like Kevin Spacey's dynamic-yet-conversational style which enables him to connect with his audience in the room and on-line with a complete sense of ease.             And I love the long pause fifteen seconds in which he uses to make a point about how surprised his team was that Netflix would prove to be so enlightened.          Note how he keeps his hands apart with palms open much of the time - which demonstrates mastery and an openness with nothing-to-hide.      It's also worth studying his use of numbers.      Too many numbers can over-clutter a speech and diminish its effect, but Kevin Spacey deploys his numbers with the right animation and emphasis to profoundly underpin his case.      And his key message is encapsulated with simple phrasing which is easy for him to say and easy for us to absorb:      "We have learned the lesson that the music industry didn't learn: give people what they want, when they want it, in the form they want it in, at a reasonable price, and they'll more likely pay for it rather than steal it."        This is a classic case of putting the principle "Keep It Simple Stupid" into action in a masterly way.        In my sessions on "Presenting with Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz", my aim is to make you more like Kevin Spacey...even if you're not an actor, even if you're not American, and even if you're not a man.       More details of "Presenting with Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz" are at:       http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/presentation_training.php

HOW YOU CAN BE LESS LIKE ANTHONY            But not all Americans are as effective at communicating as Kevin Spacey.        Take for instance the controversial New York mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner who is seeking the Democratic Party nomination.         Mr Weiner has been having a challenging time with the media after admitting to what Americans call "sexting" - sending sexually explicit material to people by mobile phone.         This is not a good idea if you want to reach and remain in high office.         Mr Weiner should know this, as it was a sexting scandal - inevitably dubbed "Weinergate" - which led to his resignation as a congressman two years ago.   Anthony Weiner - would-be New York Mayor        And during his attempt to return to politics as a mayoral candidate for New York City, Mr Weiner has admitted being involved in further sexting to three women.       But would-be Mayor Weiner is nothing but versatile when it comes to courting trouble.       Yesterday, while out campaigning, he walked into a Jewish bakery in New York to take issue with a critic and became embroiled in a volatile shouting match.        You can check out the clash at:        Afterwards Mr Weiner said on Twitter that he had "stood up to a heckler...that's what mayors have to do sometimes."       Getting involved in clashes like this is generally considered bad media practice.       It's the kind of situation where you cannot win.       But in particular, if you're going to do it, don't start the conversation with your mouth full of food.        There's further information about media interviewing guidance and master classes at:           www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/media_training.php         Oh and just for the record, I have not media coached Anthony Weiner.         And unless you have money you don't need, don't bet on him becoming the next New York mayor.         Keep smiling,         Michael

OUTSTANDING PREPARATION CAN SAVE YOUR CAREER

Great preparation lies at the heart of great communication.      Whether you're giving a speech, answering challenging business questions or doing a media interview, proper professional preparation is vital to success.       In case there was ever any doubt about this, a would-be Australian politician has just given the world a most dramatic lesson in the importance of doing your homework.       A few days ago 27-year-old Stephanie Banister was a candidate for Australia's One Nation party in the state of Queensland in the current election campaign.        One Nation is an anti-immigration party broadly similar to the British National Party.        Ms Banister already had obtained some publicity by being arrested for going into a supermarket and putting stickers on Nestle products saying "halal food funds terrorism".         She then did an interview with Australia's Channel 7 and - Whoopsi Daisy!!! - clearly didn't do much in the way of effective, ever-so-basic homework.             As a result Stephanie Banister literally put Islam on the map...revealing that she thought Islam was a country.        "I don't oppose Islam as a country, but I do feel that their laws should not be welcome here in Australia", Ms Banister declared.          She also made a series of other gaffs, including expressing her mistaken belief that Jews worship Jesus Christ.          With the help of mainstream media and social media her comments whizzed around the world.           Ms Banister has been given the dubious accolade of being dubbed "Australia's Sarah Palin" - after the hapless US vice-presidential candidate who, among other howlers, sought to build up her image of someone who understood Moscow-Washington relations by saying she could see Russia from her kitchen window in Alaska.           Sarah Palin never became America's vice-president.  Spot the moose! Sarah Palin with a caribou that she shot - upsetting animal lovers and her own nine-year-old daughter.              And Stephanie Banister has now quit in embarrassment as an Australian candidate.           A bit of preparation before you have an important communications moment can go along way ....from Queensland to Alaska and beyond.           This is why communications master classes work for my clients.            You get the chance to plan, prepare and practice and to be tested out in advance.            Any mistakes you make remain in the privacy of the session - not tweeted around the world in an instant.             As a result you have every reason to feel so much more confident about your speeches, your answers to questions and your media interviews.             You can check out the interview which led to Stephanie Banister's rather truncated political career here:                   BECOMING AN INSPIRATIONAL COMMUNICATOR        The next opportunity to boost your communications skills and your confidence in an open master class is coming up.         "Becoming An Inspirational Communicator" is a two-day master class in Central London.         It covers: # Presenting with Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz # Giving Great Answers To Tough Questions # Perfecting Your 60-second Elevator Pitch         A particular benefit of running it over two days is that you get the chance to try things on the first day, absorb the feedback, review your approach overnight and come back on the second day to hit the right spots.         We work on the content of what you say, the way you structure your communications and the way you look and sound when you deliver them.          Your ability to impress, connect, sell and motivate will soar.         "Becoming An Inspirational Communicator" runs on Thursday 21 November and Friday 22 November.         It starts each day at 10am and runs to 5pm.         The investment is £495 per place.         There's an early bird offer of £387 for bookings made before 13 September.          Your investment includes VAT, lunch on both days and refreshments.          Email enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com to secure your place. LEARNING FROM THE JUNGLE GIRL       I'm hoping the opening story of Stephanie Banister hasn't made you think Australian women can't be inspirational communicators.        They can be - even if Australia's ruling Labor Party has managed to depose the first sheila as prime minister after feeling she wasn't connecting strongly enough with the voters.        One Aussie woman who deserves the title of being an inspirational communicator is Bindi Irwin - daughter of the late crocodile hunter and conservationist, Steve Irwin.        She has heroically carried on her father's TV environmental campaigning with her captivating programme "Bindi the Jungle Girl" seen around the world.            Bindi has just had her fifteenth birthday...and unlike most teenagers chose to celebrate the occasion by talking to the media about one of the more controversial conservation issues - Zero Population Growth.          The idea of limiting the number of humans overrunning the planet is a tricky cause which can run into all kinds of religious and philosophical objections.          But Bindi remains undaunted and took the opportunity to push the issue when speaking to the media at her birthday party press conference at The Australia Zoo.              This drew more attention to her powerful Youtube essay on the topic.          Bindi talks about a friend of hers, Ruth, who died a little while back at the age of 104.          She says that in Ruth's lifetime the population of the earth went from 1.5-billion to 7-billion of us.           We are, of course, all arguably wondrous in our own way, but Bindi has spotted the dangers if we keep multiplying as we are.           In a particularly powerful analogy about the ongoing population explosion, she talks about the concept of inviting 15 friends to a birthday party - to find that 70 friends show up.           Check this out two minutes into the video:          It's interesting that Bindi has chosen to read her script from paper rather than use an autocue which, as a TV performer, she would be well used to using.          I find it more powerful when people talk in a conversational style straight to the camera...and run master classes for individuals and groups showing them how it can be done for high impact webcasts.          Nonetheless Bindi is such a splendid communicator that she somehow gets away with reading the script - and just looking up where she can.          It shows how strong arguments and a well-thought-out script can be highly powerful - even without perfect delivery.  MUSIC FROM THE BLUE DANUBE             When you think about The Blue Danube meandering its way through Austria, you may well have the famous waltz of Johann Strauss come into your mind.             But the river provided the backdrop for a much wider variety of performances at the thirtieth Danube Island Music Festival - with offerings of pop, rock, soul, jazz, blues, hip hop and hard rock as well as oompa music accompanied by knickerbocker-wearing, thigh-slapping locals.                However, when I had the good fortune to be working in Vienna, and staying in a hotel just up from the festival, I spotted one musical act which had much more far-distant origins.             Not only was it from a more ancient tradition than the others, but the two didgeridoo players didn't even mind if one of their countrymen joined in the fun.   Photo credit: Nick Shaw           No prizes for spotting the imposter.         I think it's fair to say the Blue Danube has never witnessed a scene like it.         However I'm not so sure if Johann Strauss would be deeply impressed by the musical quality of the third man.         Keep smiling,         Michael

LESSONS FROM THE SWAT VALLEY

A LESSON IN SPEECHMAKING AND COURAGE   The world has just received an unforgettable lesson from a sixteen-year-old - in both speechmaking and in courage. Malala Yousafzai was already a great communicator and already a heroine when she stepped onto her school bus in Pakistan's conflict-riven Swat Valley last October. She had become internationally famous for running her campaign to combat the Taliban's insane drive to prevent education for girls. She was already the youngest ever nominee for a Nobel peace prize. But when the Taliban sent what most be the must be the most inept assassin of all time to silence both her and her campaign, they not only failed spectacularly. They managed to propel Malala's status as a heroine and superstar to stratospheric heights. After the attack Malala came to Britain for a multiplicity of life-saving operations involving a titanium plate in her forehead and an implant in her ear. She has since left hospital and resumed her campaign for female education at a level which must give anyone afraid of women - such as the Taliban - the worst of nightmares. So it was fitting that Malala celebrated both her recovery and her sixteenth birthday, not with the conventional wild teenage party, but with a speech to the United Nations in New York.  Malala speaking at the UN

GET YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS - WITH SIMPLICITY AND POWER  Apart from Malala's obvious rare courage and determination, there are several ways that her UN speech is to be admired from a performance perspective. And we don't have to have the world as our audience in order to pick up invaluable tips from her presentation skills. For a start she had a clear message...something that all speeches need, but many lack. Malala's message was that education is not the problem which the Taliban fear - it's the solution. She didn't want to retaliate against the Taliban with the same crude kind of weapon they used on her. Malala said that even if she had a gun in her hand and the Taliban representative who shot her was standing in front of her she wouldn't pull the trigger. I believe her. Instead Malala declared: "Education is the only solution." And she wrapped up her message in a powerful image with the simplest of wording: "One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world". Many are fearful about giving a talk to a small number of people in their own company or to a panel of prospective buyers. Malala addressed international leaders and the world beyond with a calm inner confidence based on the quiet unpretentious certainty which underpins the wisdom of her approach. And rather than dwell on her own troubles and pain, Malala focused her attention on the challenges of others. It was all done with an overwhelming positivity. Malala spoke slowly with confidence, clarity and courage. The couple of times she made a teensy verbal slip she kept cool and then came up with the correct version. Check out Malala's style:    BECOME AN INSPIRATIONAL CEO IN TWELVE HOURS I work with a lot of chief executives - en mass in business leaders groups and individually. While they naturally have a wide range of personality types, there are a couple of things they tend to share. Most of them tend to be quick, ambitious learners. And they have the kind of brains that can keep across a wide range of things simultaneously. One thing a lot of them are not so good is communicating in a clear, confident and inspiring way. Up until recently the one-to-one work I do with chief executives has tended to be rather ad hoc. I typically come in and work with them for a specific speech they have to make or a particular set of questions they have to face in the media or from their clients, prospects, shareholders, suppliers or staff. But over the past week several chief executives, in the space of 24 hours, pushed me to design a more comprehensive programme to help chief executives rapidly boost their communications skills in a short period. So I have listened and acted. I'm now offering a new one-to-one programme for company leaders: "BECOME AN INSPIRATIONAL CEO IN 12 HOURS" I know it's possible to achieve this because when I've worked with company bosses on their communication skills in a concentrated way over several sessions they've made mindblowing progress. And I know that for many company leaders, being more inspiring communicators is desperately necessary. The business guru who once transformed the fortunes of Ford and Chrysler was right. "You can have brilliant ideas," Lee Iacocca declared. "But if you can't get them across, your ideas won't get you anywhere."   So the new programme - completed in three half-day sessions - will equip you with the following: # Supercharge your conversations skills so that you are consistently inspiring people rather than deflating them # Boost your business introductions in formal and informal situations # Empower you to give great answers to tough questions # Make presentations with confidence, impact and pizzazz (and if you want to use slides, deploy them in a way that enlivens audiences rather than sending them to sleep!!!) # Allow yourself to handle the media with aplomb when things go wrong # Give you the skills to win free media publicity when things are going right # Talk to the camera in webcasts and video conferences in a way that enhances your message, your offer and your image. Becoming an inspirational CEO is the kind of thing business leaders can focus on over summer when the pressure to perform may less than at other times of the year. Email enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com for more details.  SURPRISES FROM THE BLUE DANUBE  This is the part of the ezine where I say "Gross Gott" .........which means "G'day" in southern Germany and Austria. I've been saying "Gross Gott" a lot lately. As you read this I'm running pitching skills sessions in the magnificent Bavarian city of Munich on behalf of the dynamic international company, Bladonmore, which specialises in communicating knowledge. Munich ....where they don't talk much cricket (I've also come here to avoid having to take part in discussions over the First Test with English friends who have yet to acknowledge that if Stuart Broad had done the honourable thing and walked on Day 4 when he was clearly out the result would have been rather different!!!....But far from wishing to be portrayed as a Whinging Aussie - yes they do exist - let me say in my quietest voice: Well played England.) Meanwhile a few weeks ago Bladonmore sent me on a mission to The Austrian capital Vienna, which is also a pretty magnificent place with little discussion on inside edges or silly mid-on. I was particularly fortunate to be working there at the time of the Donau Insel Fest. This is the annual free music festival which takes place on the Danube Island...otherwise known as Europe's biggest free party.       The festival's a bit like Glastonbury but with less mud, a wider range of musical genres and strange collections of local men dancing in lederhosen baring their knobbly knees...Austria's answer to The Rolling Stones. It attracted over three million visitors with a mix of hip hop, house, soul, jazz, traditional Austrian oompah bands and didgeridoo. Yes, you read that correctly. On the banks of the Blue Danube there were indeed two Aussie didge players.....joined at one stage by my good self. Owing to a technical hitch you'll have to wait until the next ezine comes out before you see the stunning visual images which resulted.....the like of which The Blue Danube has never witnessed. Hope you can hold back. Auf Wiedersehen, Michael

TURNING YOUR MISTAKES INTO DRAMA...AND SORTING THEM

As humans, we're all used to making mistakes. And sometimes individuals and teams make the same mistakes over and over. This happens all too often in the field of communications. And it's the repetition of these mistakes that is something which can be overcome....providing you recognise the mistake in the first place. This applies whether it's saying something stupid or unrealistic in conversations with prospects, customers or staff. Or whether its saying something badly thought out in off-the-cuff answers in front of a large audience or a bank of TV cameras at a press conference. As an international speaker in the communications field, part of my job is to identify the mistakes that organisations continually make - and show them how they can fix things. I now have a new, dramatic way of doing this. It involves working on stage with my colleague in the Professional Speaking Association, Nicci Roscoe, who helps people create a fabulous impact in their business and their life.   In the vital liaison with clients which takes place before our performances, we seek to identify key communication sins that organisations repeatedly commit. One of them can be not living up to what they say - and then digging themselves into a bigger hole when held to account. So in a keynote with our professional speaking colleagues in London, Nicci and I sought to demonstrate how this can happen in a worst-case scenario. We chose to do this on an issue close to many people's hearts.....eating more chocolate than they're prepared to admit. But the sin of saying one thing and doing another could apply to issues even more serious than this.

HOW TWO SPEAKERS CAN SAY MORE THAN ONE One of the things which has drawn us towards the idea of having two speakers on the platform together is that you can effectively give more value to the audience. It's not just a matter of having two perspectives instead of one - or stories from two careers instead of one. The really big advantage is that there's an extra dimension for the audience - as the speakers can make comments to each other as well as talking directly to those listening....and by doing so say and demonstrate more. This is one of the reasons why double acts have been popular in comedy duos in particular - as there's interplay directly between the two individuals as well as with the audience. So while Nicci and I, as professional speakers rather than comedians, are seeking to impart serious messages about boosting communications, confidence and impact - there is also more scope for more variety, humour and drama as things unfold. And when it comes to demonstrating good and bad practice on stage, having two of us can make things better for the audience in one other respect. Typically we like to get audience members out on stage to show how they normally conduct challenging communication exercises - such as that difficult career interview or that tough conversation with a customer. We can then show how things can be made a whole lot better by overhauling the content, structure and delivery style. But with two of us on stage we can demonstrate good and bad communications practice in front of the audience ourselves. Then - when the timeslot allows - we can invite audience participation. This means that those courageous souls from the audience - sometimes known loosely as "volunteers" - are less likely to plunge into the pitfalls because we've already demonstrated how to spot them and how to avoid them. There's more on our double act at:  http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/Making_Your_Team_Look,_Sound_and_Feel_Great.php And at: www.nicciroscoe.com/ultimate-keynote/ WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITE DUOS? Meanwhile we've been making a study of some of the famous double acts to see how the participants manage to create that extra dimension. From Laurel and Hardy to Morcambe and Wise, and from Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis to French and Saunders, it's fascinating to observe how the duos create an extra layers of meaning for the audience.  Double Act Greats: Eric Morcambe and Ernie Wise We're interested to hear your favorites - particularly if you can send the Youtube link of the best example of their work. We can then look over how they do what they do. When selecting my favourite, I have to admit to a bit of Antipodean bias by going for the New Zealand twosome known as "The Flight of the Conchords" who I first saw on a boat on The Thames. Flight of the Conchords Bret McKenzie and Jermaine Clement get many of their laughs by their understated Kiwi-style putdowns when they're talking with each other. I particularly like this example (up until the song which is not as good as the preceding dialogue) where Bret is gently ridiculed by Jermaine because of his relationship with an imaginary woman and their imaginary children.  Flight of the Conchords - Issues (Think About It) Nicci and I look forward to laughing at, and hopefully learning from, your double act nominations. The best will be shared in a future exciting e-newsletter - which should keep us all laughing. PROGRAMMES TO TRANSFORM COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS There are various ways to take the communications skills of you and your team to a higher level. Where possible, doing a programme of sessions is a great way to improve over a range of areas - and to ensure that there's enough time and practice to fully embed the learning. Increasingly I'm doing some of these sessions over Skype - to supplement the giant leaps forward that participants make at conferences and master classes. It is always best to have the initial learning face-to-face where possible. There's no substitute to totally getting to know people by being in the same place with them - and this is particularly important when working on aspects of communication such as body language and eye contact.    But as a way of ensuring that the learning sticks and is built upon, I'm finding that Skype follow-ups have a lot to offer. In a Skype and telephone follow-up session I conducted on behalf of Pulford Global between the UK and Africa on Monday, a delightful testimonial was sent through afterwards by budding media star, Josefa. The session had been part of a series on media interview skills, which included a conference session I ran at the Dead Sea in Jordan last month. Then in her message after the Skype follow-up session, Josefa generously concluded with the words: "Had I been confronted with some of your mock interview questions before this training, I'd have gone crazy." So for some, communications training face-to-face and through cyberspace can clearly help you stay sane. There's more on the communications-boosting programmes at:  www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/transform_communication_skills.php Keep smiling - and keep sane,    Michael

MAN BITES DOG (IT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENED!!!)

There are some things you wait a lifetime for. And one of these has just happened. For some years I've relied on the expression "Man Bites Dog". This is part of my ongoing quest to take people into the minds of journalists so they can increase their media coverage. The expression focuses on the point that if something is unusual, then it's far more likely to make it big in the news. It's based on the premise that when a dog bites a man it's not typically newsworthy because it happens so often. Just ask your postman. But if a man bites a dog then it is real news as it's so much more surprising. The phrase has been attributed to several journalists including the investigative reporter, anti-slavery campaigner and editor of the New York Sun, Charles Anderson Dana (1819 - 1897). Charles Anderson Dana Mr Dana would have been as shocked as I was when the story about a heroic man from Iowa flashed up on my computer screen - because he had bitten a dog. The man was Laine Henry. He heroically bit the dog in order to save the life of his wife. Caren Henry was out walking their pet beagle when she was attacked by a part Labrador mix (normally docile dogs in my limited experience). The dog bit her abdomen and thigh, scratched at her eyes and then clamped onto her nose - actually tearing it off. Caren's heroic husband rushed to her aid.   Heroic dog-biter Laine Henry and his recovering wife, Caren   Laine found the only way to get the dog to loosen its grip was to bite the canine nose. You can check out the full story at:   http://aolbroadband.welcomescreen.aol.co.uk/video/man-bites-dog-to-save-wife/517769625/ The man-biting-dog story played large in the media for the same reason that a plane that doesn't crash typically fails to make it in the news. It's a principle which applies around the world. So when you're trying to get your story into the mainstream, focus where possible on the unusual. Whether you're issuing a press release, calling the newsroom or chatting to a journalist in a pub, focusing on the unusual element will get their attention every time. Details on master classes on "Position Your Business For Free Media Publicity" are   http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/workshops_for_business_leaders_groups.php

INSPIRATIONAL COMMUNICATION - WHEREVER YOU ARE Like the fundamentals of what makes news, the broader principles of effective and inspiring communication also apply everywhere. Sure, there are some things which can be a little different in different cultures. For example, I've worked with women from Korea who've pointed out that giving a presentation with your hands apart and open and facing straight on to the audience (as I would normally recommend) can be seen as a bit too forward in their culture. Being aware of such sensitivities is important. But on the broader canvas of best communication practice, they are pretty tiny. When I've had the privilege of working through Pulford Global in embassies, consulates and high commissions around the world they have sometimes - much to my delight - brought in a local journalist to play a cameo role in our courses. This provides a splendid local reality check on the advice I give. The local journalists give insights into the local media which are always valuable - and sometimes surprising. One of them in a more far flung place spoke about a local custom of paying journalists a personal incentive to write up certain stories. This is something I personally don't recommend anywhere - and, to his credit, nor did he. AUSTRALIAN TRIES TO SPEAK FRENCH IN PARIS The underlying principles of communicating in a more inspirational way remain the same - even in "vive la difference" France. I was thinking about this when I was working in Paris on behalf of my colleagues in Now Training. The principles underpinning giving captivating presentations with the use of slides works across all language and cultural barriers. No audience anywhere likes slides with truckloads of statistics or wall-to-wall small font writing which some misguided presenters think they should put in their PowerPoints and then read to their victims But your audiences will typically like it when you use big graphics like movie posters with emotional punch to illustrate your points. I personally like the way the Jaws poster to grabs attention.     This is because the audience don't know whether the shark will eat the swimmer at the top of the poster. So the mixture of drama, colour and uncertainty grabs attention - just as your slides should. It's the same thing with another of my favourite posters - the one for King Kong. What will happen to the woman in red?    Because we can't be sure by looking at the poster it draws us in. The principles of grabbing and holding audience attention work everywhere. Which is why - after my sessions in France - I decided to pop down to the Eiffel Tower to illustrate my point. Click here only if you are tough enough to withstand the murder of the French language by a passing Australian.   Because he had such low expectations of me, I'm suspecting that my old French teacher might be impressed. However I'm reconciled to the view that no one else will be. Keep smiling, Au revoir. Michael

Free Media Lesson From Bonny Scotland

LEARNING FROM THE SCOTTISH MASTER  Larger-than-life Scottish hero William Wallace and current Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond are both famous for their pursuit of Scottish independence.  But their methods have been rather different. William Wallace took the direct physical approach involving lots of horses, swords and spears. He defeated the English army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297, but then lost in the Battle of Falkirk the following year. Wallace was later captured near Glasgow and handed over to the King of England. He was hung, drawn and quartered in 1305. Then things took a turn for the worse. When the big award-winning film was made of William Wallace's life (complete with various historical inaccuracies), he suffered the further indignity of being portrayed on screen by an Australian. Mel Gibson as William Wallace in Braveheart    By contrast, Alex Salmond is alive and well. As a result, he's able to play himself on Scottish television every night without the need for an actor imported from the southern hemisphere.    Alex Salmond has just made his latest and rather more peaceful move towards trying to make Scotland an independent nation. He's announced the date of the referendum which will take place on 18 September 2014. The smart money suggests - at this early stage - that the majority of Scots will vote against independence...fearing, among other things, that Scottish oil won't be enough to sustain prosperity without English support. As a communications professional, I'm naturally neutral on the issue of whether Scotland should depart from the United Kingdom (which, if it happened, would presumably mean the rest of the place would have to be re-named the Disunited Kingdom!)  An Australian tourist loitering outside Edinburgh Castle in the hope of being cast in the next big Scottish movie   Picture Credit: Jonathan Brind http://www.baa.me.uk/ But having met Alex Salmond and watched him deal with the media, I'd have to say: Don't underestimate his powers of persuasion. Alex Salmond is a captivating political leader who is a master at engaging with the media on his terms. Love him or loathe him, there's much we can learn from his approach to journalists. When I met him during the first of his two stints as the leader of the Scottish National Party, I was far more impressed by him than I am with most politicians. So working in Scotland this week, and watching Mr Salmond perform on Scottish TV, I've been reminded of just how charming and articulate he is. Click here if you'd like to hear my thoughts about this master of engaging with the media which were recorded in icy conditions on The Royal Mile. Maximizing Your Free Media Publicity Alex Salmond's rhetoric may not be quite as fiery as William Wallace's. But he must still lie awake nervously wondering if Mel Gibson will be brought back to Scotland to portray him in a future movie. And if you need reminding about what a fired-up Scottish-accented Mel Gibson looks and sounds like, then click here on this rousing excerpt from Braveheart.

THE BORIS BIKE CRASH One person has done far less well in front of the cameras over the past week than either Alex Salmond or Mel Gibson. This is London cyclist and Mayor Boris Johnson. Mr Johnson gave a string of media interviews where he did far far far worse than he normally does. Usually his endearingly bumbling but witty performances win over journalists and viewers alike. But even faced with a bunch of school pupil interviewers as part of the BBC's "School Report" series, Mr Johnson failed to give a straight answer to a persisitent series of straight questions about his aspirations to become British Prime Minister. During this interview - and others - Mr Johnson claimed his chances of becoming prime mininster were next to zero. They weren't anywhere near zero before. But they are now.  Mr Johnson's worst performance was in an interview with the BBC's Eddie Mair where he managed to break practically every rule in the good interview response book. If you can bare to watch the full bike crash experience it's at http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2013/03/boris-johnson-meets-his-match/ Among of the learning points from the Johnson interview experience are: # Give straight answers - and don't do as Boris Johnson does at one point and ask for "permission to obfuscate". # Go beyond just preparing for the obvious. Mr Johnson claimed he was expecting the questions to all be about housing and the Olympic legacy. Ask yourself: What else could be on the media radar? In this instance - given the speculation about Mr Johnson's prime ministerial ambitions - questions about his next job and his integrity could be reasonably expected. # If you believe a question is not appropriate for you to answer explain, just why it isn't - and stick to your position. Mr Johnson tries a mixture of complaint about the questions, saying he doesn't want to talk about some subjects, giving partial answers but then claiming there isn't time for the full thing (there was plenty of time) and at one point offering a decidedly half-hearted apology (either give a full genuine apology or don't give one at all). # Keep eye contact with the interviewer or you will look dishonest. Mr Johnson goes from having very good eye contact on the early softer questions and then repeatedly looks away on the challenging personal ones...signalling that he's being less than straight-forward. To his credit, Mr Johnson did better after the encounter which has become known as the "bike crash" interview. "I fully concede it wasn't my most blistering performance," he confessed, returning to his more normal candour. The mayor's father, Stanley Johnson, complained that the interview was "the most disgusting piece of journalism I've listened to for a very long time". But his son realised there was no mileage in joining such complaints. "Eddie Mair did a splendid job," he declared. "He was perfectly within his rights to have a bash at me - in fact it would have been shocking if he hadn't. If a BBC presenter can't attack a nasty Tory politician, what's the world coming to?" Asked whether Mr Mair should get the job of presenting role on the BBC's flagship politician-grilling programme, Newsnight, Mr Johnson added: "I should think he'll get an Oscar." That's more like it Boris...though I think you'll be hard pressed to repossess the "future prime minister" tag from here. You should have paid more attention in your media training classes... though I wish to stress that I didn't train you!!! THE DOUBLE ACT TO CHALLENGE FRED AND GINGER And here's the good news for those wanting a high impact, high drama conference event with a difference. I've teamed up with a rapidly rising star in the Professional Speaking Association, Nicci Roscoe, who specializes in helping people make a fabulous impact. Picture Credit: Dianna Bonner http://www.worldvisionphotos.co.uk/  Nicci is one of those who truly lives the brand and tends to make a fabulous impact wherever she goes - including on a string of television on programmes like GMTV with Lorraine Kelly, Sky One's "One-To-Three", "Mind And Body" and "Weigh To Go". We have several double acts which can run as interactive conference keynotes or as workshops for away days. The first one to make its debut is "Making Your Team Look And Sound Great" which will run in the City of London in May. On the "Look" side, Nicci gives practical guidance on how to look the part and, as a fitness guru, can advise your teams on how to get into top shape. On the "Sound" side, we can show audiences how to boost the content, structure and performance of business introductions, presentations and answers to tough questions in professional situations. One of the things we do on stage is to demonstrate good and bad practice. So as something of an actress, Nicci can play the part of both excellent and appalling characters whether it's the bitchy job interviewer or the dragon around the boardroom table. We demonstrate ways to win out in the kind tough situations which any particular audience has to face. And when the conference crowd is brave enough, volunteers can come on stage to try out the best practice techniques in the spotlight - and get a personal critique everyone can benefit from. We give audiences instantly useable takeaway guidance on how to deal with a whole range of difficult people. This includes dealing with your organisation's own personal nightmares - whether they're challenging customers, skeptical prospects... or even BBC interviewers who are out to get you! Keep smiling, Michael