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

GRABBING ATTENTION WITH SNAKES AND MASSACRES

One of the keys to powerful communication is to connect emotionally with your audience. I've been communing with an expert on the subject who says graphic movie titles set a great example of how it should be done. This comes from marketing guru George Torok, a Canadian who shared star billing at the conference of the Professional Speaking Association at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester. George (pictured below) has a pretty emotionally-grabby tag-line himself.       He defines himself as the person who helps business owners get an unfair advantage over the competition. George is a fan of the title "Snakes On A Plane." I should stress that it's the movie name that he's keen on - not so much the film itself. In case you missed it (I did), "Snakes On A Plane" was the 2006 action thriller in which hundreds of snakes are released on a passenger plane in an attempt to kill a trial witness.   George says we should learn from the title which he describes as unforgettable, unique, visual and emotional. He also likes the fact that it sums up exactly what the movie is about. George is also a fan of the title "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" for the same reason.   It's another movie which I have avoided. But say what you like about the title, George is right. It sticks with you - and people can make an instant decision as to whether they want to see it or not. So George's advice is that when you are communicating, you must ensure you inject enough emotional punch into your headline that will both grab people and tell them what they need to know about what follows. He's perfectly relaxed about the fact that graphic titles will put some people off, because these are the people who wouldn't be interested in these kinds of movies in the first place (that's me, and quite possibly you). George suggests you apply the same principle whatever you are working on - whether it's material for your website, a self-introduction, a news release, a product, an article or your next presentation. Of course when it comes to injecting emotion, you don't have to select negative words and concepts. In fact positive emotional terms will in many cases work better for you - whether its "inspirational", "paradise", "kittens", "butterflies" or whatever. Ultimately you require a balance between emotion and factual content...but the more common error is to lean too much in the direction of dry fact. When it comes to grabbing attention, you have somewhere between five and fifteen seconds to get your audience to take notice of you. A title with emotional bite will help - and so too will balanced emotional content beyond the title.

PLANES ON A SNAKE        One of my professional speaking colleagues in the audience was equally captivated by George Torok's speech. Jackie Barrie, who speaks on "Writing Without Waffle" and is known for her succinctness, came up with her own visual take on it. It's rather surreal, but it probably has equal emotional punch - especially if you're a snake.

SUPERCHARGE YOUR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION SKILLS If you're concerned that you're not putting enough emotional dynamite into your communications, there's a master class coming up which will transform your approach. When people ask you what you do, do you sometimes fail to make an immediate memorable impact? Do you ever feel sweaty and uneasy as the focus switches to you when meeting new people? Do you struggle when asked hard-hitting questions by clients, prospects or your own colleagues? "SUPERCHARGING YOUR BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS" will leave you feeling more confident, more fascinating and more captivating. You'll be in a better position to sell yourself, your organisation and your offerings. I typically run these kinds of master classes inside companies. But on Friday 29 November there's a rare open course. It's in Central London at business premises at Queen Anne's Gate - just down the road from Buckingham Palace. (Her Majesty hasn't booked on yet - but there's still time for her to get the early bird discount.) A nearby resident yet to book... The investment cost is £260. However there's an early bird offer of £187 for bookings made before 18 October. This includes lunch and refreshments fit for queens and kings - just in case any turn up. To secure your place email michael@michaeldoddcommunications.com or call 44.7944.952835

COMMUNICATIONS-BOOSTING OPPORTUNITIES   Here are other ways to boost your communications skills... # "BECOME AN INSPIRATIONAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATOR" - the interactive keynote to enliven your conference audience and take your people to new heights in their confidence, motivation and performance level: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/Inspirational_Business_Communicators.php    # "TRANSFORM THE COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS OF YOUR TEAM" - Tailor-made programmes run inside your company to get your people in cracking verbal form - face-to-face, through the news media and across the web: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/transform_communication_skills.php    # "BECOME AN INSPIRATIONAL CEO IN TWELVE HOURS" - The communications-makeover or polishing programme for those at the top or heading that way... to take you to towards a stratospheric level of communications, confidence and image success. www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/inspirational_CEO.php # "SUPERCHARGE YOUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS OVER SKYPE" - Give yourself a communications boost in a one-hour one-to-one Skype session on Friday 18 October and Thursday 29 October. The session can cover giving great answers to tough questions and/or perfecting your business introduction. Remaining slots available on both days are at 8.30am, 11am and 5pm. Investment cost is £87 a session.  Secure your slot by emailing enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com Hopefully the titles of these offerings have enough emotional punch to connect with you. But if you can see a way of adjusting the titles to add more emotion then do let me know. If you can make emotionally-charged suggestions that don't involve the words "snakes" or "chainsaw massacre" then so much the better. Keep smiling   Michael

YOUR FACE HELPS TELL THE STORY

A fascinating controversy has arisen in Britain - which says a lot about how humans communicate.   It started with a Muslim woman being told by a judge that she had to remove her face veil so the jury could be better placed to assess her innocence or guilt.   The woman is due to stand trial for allegedly intimidating a witness.   She has refused to remove her niqab and reveal her face in front of any man in court.       Judge Peter Murphy at Blackfriars Crown Court in London has said that he will offer the woman - who can't be named for legal reasons - a screen to shield her from public view while giving evidence.   However he says she has to be seen by the jury, the lawyers and himself so they can make proper judgements while she is giving evidence.   Debates over the face veil normally come down to a person's right to dress how they choose, versus whether covering women's faces for religious reasons diminishes their status in the eyes of others and themselves.   But in this case the key issue is whether humans can interpret someone with total effectiveness without seeing the face behind the words.   The issue has now cascaded into whether there should be a ban on face veils imposed on Muslim women working in the National Health Service.   The British Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt (pictured), says "Certainly if I was a patient myself, I'd want to be able to see the face of the doctor or nurse who was treating me."              The stories underline just how important facial expressions are in the communication process.   When we meet someone new we can make amazingly quick conclusions about them - and much of this is determined by their facial expression.   Your initial judgement can be made in as little as three seconds.   If you're looking at a recovering Australian journalist-turned-professional speaker, it could take even less time!   So getting your look right - and working at getting it right - really matters.

NOW ON YOUTUBE: THE CONFERENCE KEYNOTE TO BOOST YOUR TEAM        The importance of getting your facial expressions in harmony with your message is one of the things covered in a new YouTube video I've made with my colleague in the Professional Speaking Association, Nicci Roscoe. Nicci (pictured below) speaks and writes on making a fabulous impact in your business and your life - and getting the look right can be a vital part of that.     In the video we demonstrate good and bad communications practice in front of audiences - and ask those watching to identify factors which make the difference between the two.   The sessions run under the banner of "Making Your Team Look, Sound and Feel Great".   They can be booked as conference keynotes for large audiences, or as master classes for away days and training programmes.   This YouTube video focuses primarily on media interviews at three separate events - because this was what our particular audiences were primarily interested in.   We can adapt the focus to whatever your audience most requires.   For example we can demonstrate excellent - and appalling - practice and give guidance on:   # Making Powerful Business Introductions   # Doing Career-Enhancing Interviews   # Giving Great Answers To Tough Questions - From Your Business Prospects   # Boosting Confidence and Positive Focus   You can check out the video here:       Click for further information about booking "Making Your Team Look, Sound and Feel Great" at your event.

DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOUR TEAM   Demonstrating good and bad communications practice in front of your people gets them thinking more deeply about how they come across to others. In doing this, "Making Your Team Look, Sound and Feel Great" can prevent problems before they get a chance to start. We've just had the most stunning example of what can go wrong in a team courtesy of the United Kingdom Independence Party. The anti-European Union party has been surging in the polls. But their annual party conference has just been destroyed - in the words of its leader, Nigel Farage (pictured) - because of some ill-thought out remarks and actions by a member of his team.   The miscreant who has overshadowed the party's conference is Godfrey Bloom - who, in an odd situation, is a Member of the European Parliament representing his party in an institution which he and his colleagues don't believe their country should be associated with. Mr Bloom described the female representatives at the conference as "sluts". You might agree this isn't the smartest or most reasonable thing to do - even if UKIP women don't clean behind fridges which is what Mr Bloom thinks they should be doing. Godfrey Bloom then further aggravated the situation with a TV performance which, among other sins, involved hitting a reporter over the head with a document. This was not particularly painful for the reporter - but agonising indeed for the party's supporters. Take a big breath and something soothing before seeing it all unfold:

HOW NOT TO BE THE NEXT GODFREY   If Godfrey Bloom provokes you to think about boosting the communication skills of you and your colleagues, here are some of the ways how Michael Dodd Communications can help:   # "Become An Inspirational CEO In 12 Hours" - Material on the new premium package for business leaders and those aspiring to be is at:   www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/inspirational_CEO.php    # "Protecting And Enhancing Your On-Line Reputation" - Ensuring the right things and the classiest possible material comes up about you when your name is googled:   www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/online_reputation.php    # "Presenting With Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz" - Including how to wow audiences with the right kind of slides: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/presentation_training.php   Hopefully you're in the happy position that there are no potential Godfrey Blooms in your team.   But if there are, they can be sorted.   You don't have to put a face veil on them...though sometimes this might help.   Keep smiling   Michael

THE DO'S AND DON'TS OF MEDIA INTERVIEWS           These days I spend more time helping others with their media appearances rather than doing so many myself.       But I did a fairly high profile interview over the weekend with BBC News in the aftermath of the Australian elections - and so I thought it may be worth sharing with you.       This why you're getting an earlier-than-expected ezine edition today.       The interview can be viewed on the home page of my website at www.michaeldoddcommunications.com  I Or you can see it directly on YouTube here.          I always recommend those I coach in media interviews to look back forensically over their efforts - in the quest for constant self-improvement.         So in order to practice what I preach, I've done the same for myself.         It's a bit like eating your most un-favorite green vegetable...not pleasant, but good for you.         When I was a full-time political correspondent in Canberra, doing interviews on the latest situation was pretty easy - because you eat, sleep and breathe politics (not much else happens in the Australian capital!). Canberra: home of the Australian Parliament - the old Dodd stomping ground          But having been following Australian politics from a distance for some time now, doing interviews on the subject from 12,000 miles away in London is rather more challenging.               So you'll see that I made a point of trying to add in extra things which I was sure about at different times - in order to seek to lead the interviewer to asking about aspects that I was strongest on.           I think this worked pretty well.           But as ever, there are some improvement points to bare in mind for next time. KEEP LOOKING FOR THOSE IMPROVEMENT POINTS           One of them was my seating position. I recommend to interviewees that they lean a little forward to demonstrate enthusiasm - and I didn't quite practice what I preach here.           I was leaning back a bit far in the chair.           The interviewer, Chris Rogers, sets a better example - so copy him more than me in this aspect.           And if you listen carefully you may spot that at one point I got a slight frog in my throat - so having a glass of water at hand would have been a wise precaution.          Normally water is available on the table in any TV studio, but for some reason it wasn't this time.          I should have insisted on water before the interview started. I will next time!          And maybe because I had a rough throat, there was one point when describing Australian politics I said the word "rough" a couple of times too often.          So there's some refinements for the future, though my colleagues who saw the interview have been very kind.          Do let me know if you spot any additional potential improvement points that you think I've missed.           This will be good for me - like eating broccoli.    And for those who should be prepared to talk to journalists if things go wrong - or if they go amazingly right - there's more on media interview training at: http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/media_training.php Media Training in action It's enormously confidence-enhancing, it can lead to the raising of your organisation's profile with all sorts of financial benefits - and is way more fun than eating green vegetables! DOING IT ON SKYPE                Skype is an amazing phenomenon - allowing us to make free video phone calls around the world with picture quality which can be remarkably good (on good days).              I've increasingly been doing one-to-one communications-boosting training sessions through Skype when face-to-face sessions aren't possible.               It works particular well where I've previously given people some face-to-face training and they need to build further on these skills afterwards - whether it's media interviews, answering tough questions from potential customers, doing impressive business introductions or inspiring presentations.             So I've set Tuesday 1 October as an open day for those wanting to get their communications skills to a higher level through Skype.             I'm offering one-hour sessions on this day for £97 including VAT - between 9am and 6pm.              If you would like to book a slot email  enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com  BECOMING AN INSPIRATIONAL COMMUNICATOR              The next face-to-face 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 learning-by-doing experience 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 will 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.         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. AUSTRALIA WINS AT CRICKET - A GOB-SMACKING RESULT          As you may be vaguely aware, it's been rather tough for supporters of Australian cricket in recent times with the convincing loss (again) of The Ashes this northern hemisphere summer.           In fact Australia has been through three prime ministers since it last won a test match!            But something truly remarkable has just happened.             Australia has just won a cricket match.             And it was against England no less.             With the help of a century from captain Michael Clarke (pictured below), Australia actually defeated the hosts by 88 runs, no less.            Admittedly it was merely a one-day match, rather than a test.               But after being demoralized earlier in the summer, Australians will clutch at anything.              Can re-taking the Ashes in the next series be a real possibility?              Let me know if I'm getting carried away.              Keep smiling.               Michael

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