CONNECTING WITH DIFFERENT PERSONALITY TYPES.

GETTING COMMUNICATION RIGHT WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL  As we've just completed the Easter holiday, it may be appropriate to start with a pearl of wisdom from Jesus. You may recall him being quoted as saying "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Of course it's not just Christians who have gone on to espouse this concept. Many from other faiths - and none - would agree this enlightened approach truly deserves to be called The Golden Rule. But when it comes to communication, there's a contemporary school of thought which has advanced on this principle. It's based on the obvious fact that people of various personality types have different preferences when it comes to being communicated with. So you should seek to communicate the way that is best for that particular individual. This means instead of communicating in the way you would like, it is more effective to communicate the way THEY would most like. This is because the person seeking to impart information is likely to be a different personality type than the person who is receiving it. This has given rise to what American academic and speaker Dr Tony Alessandra (pictured) has called The Platinum Rule.     When it comes to working boosting my client's one-to-one communications skills, I am increasingly impressed by Dr Alessandra's contention that you need to work on the principle of "different strokes for different folks". It also means that when you examine interactions that you have with different personality types, you can more readily see why things work out the way they do.  Later on I'll tell you the story of how - armed with the insights on communicating with various personality types - encounters I had with two contrasting world leaders ended up with sharply different results. One was with the then British Prime Minister John Major who had a reputation for greyness and one was with his far more effervescent Canadian counterpart, Brian Mulroney. But first, let's have a closer look at the different personality types...

DIFFERENT STOKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS - IN ACTION  The Platinum Rule is not only helpful when you are communicating with someone whose personality you have identified.  It also works when you are dealing with an audience of people who, by virtue of their profession, are likely to have a majority of the same personality type. For example if I work with engineers, as I'm doing a lot lately, then there are - notwithstanding individual personalities - some common characteristics which most of them share. In order to guide you through the major personality types I will draw on various British prime ministers who you may remember. Now individual personalities are of course a complex mix of traits. But Dr Alessandra has made things easy by identifying four basic personality types. People are typically a mixture of several, but usually one strand will predominate. See if you can recognise someone in each group. And see if you can recognise yourself! If we can determine the kind of personality type we are dealing with, we can then communicate with that person in a way that THEY would prefer to receive our information. You can see the benefits when it comes to seeking to persuade someone of a particular personality type to your point of view!!!

COMMUNICATING WITH THE "DIRECTOR" PERSONALITY - JUST GET TO THE POINT!!!  "Director" personalities at their best can be seen as great initiators.  This is an extrovert, task-orientated person who often gets to a position of power. Here's one you may recognise...    The most important thing to the director personality is getting the job done - and the bottom line. Margaret Thatcher, you'll recall, was never too fussed about stamping on people who got in her way. Some were "handbagged" - and worse. The director likes to dominate and be in control of a situation. They tend to be very direct and can appear impatient. They like specific, measurable results. In communications terms, The Director wants straight-to-the-point answers and is not too concerned with details - providing enough is given for responses to be credible.

CONNECTING WITH THE "SOCIALISER" PERSONALITY - OVER A DRINK PERHAPS  "Socialiser" personalities at their best can be seen as great talkers. This is an extravert with a strong relationship orientation. They are highly expressive. They enjoy talking about themselves and about you. The socialiser tends to be highly motivated and thrives on achievement gained through people. They enjoy having a sense of influence and are often seen as the executive personality. You might consider this leader to be one of them...    Socialisers like to organise and co-ordinate teams to accomplish tasks. They can be highly imaginative, energetic and conceptual. When it came to justifying the second war in Iraq, many felt Tony Blair was too imaginative! In communications terms, The Socialiser can be most influenced by testimonials and stories which show the results of other people's experiences.

GETTING THOUGH TO THE "THINKER" PERSONALITY - TAKE YOUR TIME!!!     "Thinker" personalities at their best are great analysers. This is a task-orientated introvert. You might spot quite a few of my engineering friends in this zone. You are also likely to find many of these personality types in administration, accounting and computer programming. Accuracy and detail are very important to the thinker. They are more concerned with getting the job done properly the first time round than with anything else. The thinker doesn't like being rushed into making decisions as they like time to reflect and mull things over. They will only feel comfortable making a decision when absolutely satisfied that all their concerns have been covered. This guy wasn't an engineer...but perhaps he should have been.    Aficionados of British politics may remember that when Gordon Brown took over as Prime Minister he had an early opportunity to go to the polls with a fair chance of being re-elected. But he thought about it for too long and lost the opportunity. So when he had to go to an election because the term was completely up, the worst happened for him. In communications terms, The Thinker wants very specific, detailed information and a methodical approach with evidence and proof.

CONVEYING YOUR THOUGHTS TO THE "RELATER" PERSONALITY - MAKE SURE THOSE AROUND THEM WILL LIKE IT!!!    The "Relater" can be seen as the great helper. This is a people-orientated introvert. They are slow-paced, quiet types who are concerned about being liked by others and getting along as part of a team. You don't see them rise to the top in politics all that often. But if you have a longer memory of British politics you might remember one who made it to high office - even if he didn't seem to wield great power.    John Major made a massive effort to keep everybody in his Conservative Party happy and together - at the time of a great rift over whether Britain was better to be inside or outside the European Union.  But for much of his time at Ten Downing Street, the effort to reconcile differences didn't work. The Relater values the opinions of others and gaining their approval. They are very sensitive to needs of other people - and are tend to be supportive. In communications terms, The Relater wants you to be patient, warm and friendly, to slowly emphasise key points and to highlight any positives for those working with them.

HOW IT WORKED IN REALITY Some years back as a foreign correspondent I was covering an international conference in Munich between leaders of the leading economic nations then known as the G7. I was determined to get a one-on-one interview with a world leader to go in my reports for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. I took the chance to approach two leaders at the end of their closing German press conferences.  The first was John Major who listened politely to my interview proposal. But Relaters like John Major don't tend to want to be rushed into things or make quick decisions. Mr Major declined citing lack of time (fair enough for a busy leader), though he was awfully nice about it (wanting to keep me happy). So I went off to the Canadian press conference. At the end I introduced myself to the Socialiser personality of Canadian Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney. Mr Mulroney clearly loved talking and was very good at it. He wanted to get my take on then Australian Prime Minister, Bob Hawke. And he gave me a generous amount of recording time...just as you might expect that a Socialiser personality would.

PUTTING IT INTO ACTION Crafting your communications to suit the style of the recipient can help you impress, inspire and persuade. I can include the "different strokes for different folks" techniques in various communications-boosting sessions - depending on what's required. Among those where the techniques are applicable are: "Becoming That Inspirational Business Leader In A Day"  http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/inspirational_CEO.php "Presenting with Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz" http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/presentation_training.php "Programmes To Transform The Communications Skills Of Your Team" http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/transform_communication_skills.php The techniques have less relevance for my master classes on boosting broadcast interview response skills. This is because when you're being interviewed by the media you need to be less concerned about the personality of the journalist asking the questions and more focused on the audience beyond...which will typically involve all personality types. Nonetheless factoring in a journalists' personality type can have value in some dealings with them. Hot Tip: Many journalists fall into Socialiser category... one of the reasons we are fond of having a good chat over a drink! Keep smiling, Michael

COMMUNICATIONS LESSONS FROM MH370

There are big lessons about communications for all of us in the aftermath of Malaysian Airline's ill-fated Flight MH370 - even if we never have the misfortune to be personally touched by such a bizarre tragedy ourselves. Admittedly this heart-wrenching disaster - with so many mysteries still to be unravelled - would be difficult for any country, any company or any team of officials to handle well.       But amidst the muddled briefings, contradictory official statements and massive bouts of corporate insensitivity, there is much to learn. And we can apply these lessons to communications challenges involving situations which are far less dramatic - but still important for all those around you. One of these lessons is to choose your channel for communications with great care. The Malaysian Airlines decision to send out this week's final "loss of hope" message by text to relatives already overwhelmed by despair should never have been contemplated. Communications needs to be a two-way process. So the worst of news - whether it involves death, injury, redundancy or whatever - is best delivered face-to-face. This ensures that there's an avenue for vital live interaction - however painfully emotional it might be.

TOUCH EMOTIONS BEFORE FACTS One of the key rules in a fraught situation is to talk to the heart before you talk to the head. Distraught humans find it difficult to deal with raw unpalatable facts - unless you connect with them at an emotional level first. My professional speaking colleague, Nicci Roscoe, who publicly condemned the texting decision, wisely followed the "talk first to the heart rule" when interviewed about the plight of the relatives on Sky News. In the interview which starts about a minute into the following clip, notice that Nicci talks briefly about her heart going out to the relatives BEFORE she directly addresses the question asked by Sky's Eamonn Holmes. Tough emotional topics are the one area where the normal rule of answer the question immediately doesn't always apply. Malaysian Airlines chief executive, Ahmad Jauhari Yahya (pictured), defended the texting decision by saying his company wanted to ensure that the families heard the tragic news before the world did.     His officials said it was a "last resort" way of contacting relatives who could not be reached any other way. If any texts were necessary, they should have merely invited the recipients to call a number or to make themselves available for a face-to-face meeting. To make things worse, the first version of the texts were sent in English which most of the grieving relatives - being Chinese - could not read. Alas the Chinese version didn't follow until later. So the Malaysian Airlines team didn't look impressive at this point. If you want your team to look, sound and feel great - visit: michaeldoddcommunications.com/Making_Your_Team_Look,_Sound_and_Feel_Great.php

PREPARE BEFORE IT HAPPENS  Getting all the important details right is hard when the pressure is on.    This is why I run communications skills-building master classes which enable teams to try out handling emergency situations before they happen. These sessions enable organisations to plan, prepare and practice in advance for their worst nightmare. The rehearsing process means that if the worst happens, your team members have already worked their way through tough scenarios and so are better placed to cope. This applies to dealing directly with the tragedy itself, dealing with media and dealing with victims.    There's an additional advantage too. Working through scenarios - even though they are fictitious at the time - is still emotional. Participants are sometimes surprised at how genuinely distressed they feel even though the "deaths", "injuries" or other problems they face in the sessions are pretend. But it helps equip them for the real emotions they have to cope with when a genuine emergency strikes - and that's a plus for everyone involved.

FILL THE VACUUM WITH SOMETHING One of the big communications challenges of the Malaysian Airlines crisis - before hope was officially abandoned this week - was what to say at times when there wasn't much to say. This is a challenge for all organisations when they are working on something really important, but feel they can't reveal anything until they know the full picture. The answer is sometimes to make a point of giving out whatever small bits of information you can along the way. And it's equally important to tell affected parties why you can't reveal more. This was one thing which the Australian Government largely got right over the past week. They kept the media and public informed in great detail about the search flights they were conducting over the Indian Ocean. And they kept providing dashing military leaders for the cameras to say what they'd seen...even when they'd sighted nothing of significance whatsoever.    This was good practice as it kept the world aware of how hard they were trying to find clues and what they were doing to try to clear things up for the relatives.

CRAFTING THE RIGHT SOUND BITE     When you're involved in a difficult mission, it can be advantageous to keep telling those affected just how difficult it is - especially when instant success is unlikely. When it was first suspected that the plane had crashed into the southern Indian Ocean way off the coast of Western Australia, officials from the Australian prime minister down were careful to explain how testing the search operation was. There was one particularly well-crafted sound bite which cleverly illuminated the challenge. It came from Australia's Vice Chief of the Defence Force, Air Marshal Mark Binskin (pictured).    Speaking to reporters in Perth, he summed up the situation by saying: "We're not searching for a needle in a haystack - we're still trying to define where the haystack is." There is an artform to communicating when there's little to say. And in fact I'm now running sessions on it. They're designed for a customer services centre in a highly impressive globalised company where calls flood in from around the world if something technical goes wrong. The service centre is staffed by technicians with great engineering skills who are determined to fix customer's problems as quickly as possible. They tell me they always eventually fix the problem. But the challenge is what to say to sometimes agitated clients while they trying to work out what the problem is...and how to fix it. So I'm working with the team to help them keep the callers as reassured as is reasonably possible while their service interruptions are sorted. Two other companies who have heard about the sessions are also potentially interested in having their own version - because it's not such an unusual challenge. If you'd like to see a sample version of the programme email: enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com

GETTING YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS IN 30 SECONDS  The idea of becoming a professional speaker seems to be becoming more popular. A new attendance record has just been set for a regional event of the Professional Speaking Association with nearly 100 turning up for our London meeting this month.  So when the association's two dynamic, glamorous national co-presidents - Eilidh Milnes and Jane Gunn - told members we could send in a video to advertise our speaking services at the forthcoming spring convention, they knew there would be so many speakers interested that we would have to keep the videos short. In fact, 30 seconds short. But it's amazing how much you can pack into half a minute if you plan it. I took the liberty of including cameo appearances from both Eilidh and Jane in my 30 seconds - in order to illustrate my message about picking up the right people. Here's how it came out: So if you need a professional speaker to turn your conference audience or offsite day attendees into inspirational communicators let me know.  Showing your team how to pick up dynamic powerful women on stage and make them shriek - as demonstrated in my video - is an optional extra. Keep smiling, Michael P.S. You can check out the next Professional Speaking Association London Regional Event on 17 May at: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/psa-london-region-speakers-meeting-17th-may-2014-tickets-11042052075?aff=eorg

PUTTING MORE ROAR INTO YOUR TEAM

Comedian W C Fields said we should never work with animals (and children). And as they're both likely to upstage us, he had a fair point. They can also bite you... as I found when getting too close to one of the monkeys on The Rock of Gibraltar this time last year. (Yes, I've just about recovered. And thanks for all those heartfelt messages of concern for the welfare of the monkey!) But despite such traumas, I'm going ahead with a bold new animal adventure project anyway... "Put More Roar Into Your Company" is the unique, fun, skills-enhancing away day which takes place amidst the magnificent animals of Paradise Wildlife Park. Paradise is the home of this magnificent Siberian Tiger - amongst the characters you get to meet amidst the wilds of Broxbourne in Hertfordshire.    I'm running these amazing days with my professional speaking colleague, Nicci Roscoe - known as the Mind Makeover Artist for her ability to transform the confidence, impact and image of her clients. Nicci is the author of "Fabulous Impact - Re-write Your Own Script And Step Into The New You" and a captivating motivational speaker. You can see her videos at: www.nicciroscoe.com Paradise Wildlife Park prides itself on being (arguably) the best venue for animal experience days in Europe. But our action-packed experiential learning days give your team more than just a great day out in an extraordinary environment. Nicci and I put your team through a variety of transformational activities designed to take the communications skills, confidence and impact of your people to greater heights - whatever their starting point. They get to meet the characters at Paradise Wildlife Park - and in selected cases get up close and personal with them.

PROGRAMME DESIGNED AROUND YOUR TEAM'S NEEDS  We design the programme around your desired outcomes when planning your day. You get to choose which of the following outcomes you would like your team members to achieve: # Having a bigger more fabulous impact inside and outside your organisation # Developing their skills in telling stories - including, of course, animal stories - to enthral, persuade and inspire clients, prospects and colleagues # Taking their confidence to new heights # Boosting their creativity, team skills and morale # Identifying where and how they can take their performances to higher levels # Enhancing their ability to impress your clients and prospects and grow your bottom line. Our Paradise Wildlife Park away days are for groups of between 50 and 140. Mixing with the animals while working on developing their personal and team skills will help inspire them all. In fact, it's hard not to be inspired when faced with characters like the fun-loving Paradise meerkats - or this attitude-rich ringtailed lemur...    You can see the full range of extraordinary creatures - and animal experience possibilities - at www.pwpark.com If you'd like to receive the E-flyer for "Putting More Roar In Your Company" or line up a chat about the possibilities, email: enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com

DE-AUSTRALIANISING YOUR WORKFORCE Have you noticed that when speaking to (most) Australians their voice tends to have an upward inflection at the end of each sentence? According to the latest research, this tendency has now spread like rabbits to younger generations of British people who have adopted what's known by linguists as "Australian Question Intonation". Clearly it's come from watching too many episodes of Neighbours and Home And Away...or, worse still, drinking too much with the 300,000-odd Australians who live here in the UK. Yes "odd" is the word if you listen to the way that the upward inflection tends to make Aussies sound a touch insecure...as if being here on the fringes of sophisticated Europe leaves us out of our depth. The fact that many locals are now sounding Antipodean is understandably concerning to the British business world. A survey by the UK firm Pearson has found that 85% of managers questioned about the upward inflection trait took it as "a clear indicator of a person's insecurity or emotional weakness". So it's not great for promotion prospects. But getting rid of the upward inflection is a solvable problem - and I can solve it. The reason that I can is that I had it fixed myself at an early age. When I was a trainee journalist at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in Sydney, we could go to this voice expert called "Arch McKirdy" - who sadly departed this world last year. Arch called himself the "Quality Control Officer". He was also a great presenter - best known for hosting his ABC Jazz show "Relax With Me".        Arch would spend hours meticulously drilling myself and colleagues to make sure we went down at the end of our sentences when reading scripts and being interviewed on-air. So fear not: Arch McKirdy proved that Australian Question Intonation is a curable condition. I regularly use Arch's techniques to help boost the authority and performance of my client's media interview and presentation skills: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/presentation_training.php Just as it takes a thief to catch a thief, it takes an Australian to sort out an Australian-inspired problem. This doesn't of course mean it's a bad thing to be Australian! As you might guess, some of my best friends... And it shouldn't stop you booking my after dinner speeches on "How To Talk, Think And Act Australian (But Without That Rising Inflection)." Some people even think that an accent like mine - or like Paul Hogan (pictured) in Crocodile Dundee - is sexy. But I couldn't possibly comment.

BROADCAST MEDIA ETIQUETTE - LESSON FROM NEW YORK In media interview training sessions, people ask me many questions. But one they haven't yet posed is: "Is it a good idea to threaten to throw a journalist off a balcony whilst live on television?" Hopefully the answer is a no-brainer. But US Congressman Michael Grimm hasn't yet been to one of my media training sessions. www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/media_training.php  I have decided to offer him a free place...on the basis that he seriously needs it. A former undercover FBI agent with anger management issues, Congressman Grimm was asked on New York television about allegations of campaign financing irregularities which are hovering around him. After storming off in the middle of the live interview (never a good idea, by the way) he then returned to tell reporter Michael Scotto: "You ever do that to me again and I'll throw you off this (blanking) balcony." When Scotto insisted that he'd asked a legitimate question, Congressman Grimm replied "I'll break you in half, like a boy." (This was uttered as if breaking boys in half is a normal, natural activity.) The moment was all captured on video. (Hot Tip: It's always a good idea to check that the camera isn't recording when you threaten reporters with menaces!) So you can see it all here: Congressman Grimm later defended his actions saying: "I doubt that I am the first member of Congress to tell off a reporter, and I am sure I won't be the last." Eventually the reality of his error became clear to him and, fourteen hours later, he apologised, telephoned Scotto to admit he had "overreacted" and offered to take him out for lunch. If the lunch offer is accepted it should be an interesting occasion.

WHEN IN YORKSHIRE...   I had the pleasure of running a session of "Presenting with Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz" in Leeds with a group of Yorkshire business folk. The feedback forms made encouraging reading - with eleven out of twelve giving the session the top rating of "extremely valuable". Alas the other one merely rated it as "valuable" The participant later explained that, in the aftermath of the loss of the Ashes by England, I had made at least ten "jokes" (his inverted commas) about cricket. I suspect that's an exaggeration, but of course the customer is always right. As they take cricket rather seriously in Yorkshire one clearly can't be too careful. So let me rush to congratulate England on now retaining The Ashes (in women's cricket, that is). It can't be long now until Yorkshire's Geoffrey Boycott calls upon the women's cricket team to replace the men. Keep smiling, Michael

Winning Communications: New 2014 Showreel

LOSING ON-FIELD, WINNING OFF-FIELD   In 1768-1771 England's Captain Cook was touring the South Pacific. It was rough going - at least in parts. After being the first European tour leader to reach the east coast of Australia, Captain Cook's team was nearly shipwrecked on the Great Barrier Reef.  But Captain Cook handled it well and made it back home while remaining in his post. In 2013- 2014 England's Captain Cook was touring the South Pacific. It was rough going - nearly the whole time. His team was shipwrecked five times... in Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.    The first Captain Cook didn't have to worry about dealing with media correspondents every time something went wrong. (Nonetheless historians note he did hit a particularly grisly patch involving daggers and spears which brought a sudden end to his discoveries on a later South Pacific voyage.) However the second Captain Cook has two different types of games to play - the on-field cricket game and the off-field media game. I won't comment on his on-field game. We can leave that to a Mr G. Boycott. But in dire circumstances Alistair Cook has played the media game of a losing Ashes captain with dignity and grace - certainly far better than one notably more grumpy former Australian Ashes-losing captain a while back when questioned by Yours Truly at The Oval. There is potential for the second Captain Cook to be more inspirational in his language at times. And there's scope for him to more speedily get onto his own positive agenda about future aspirations after being asked about the obvious negatives. But given the tough time he's had on field, Alistair Cook's post-Ashes media performances showed commendable honesty, calmness under pressure, an absence of excuse-making and a remarkably gutsy spirit. I'm almost tempted to declare him an honorary Australian...but I'm sure he wouldn't appreciate that. SO WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR US?  So the lesson for lifelong communication students is that however bad things are at any point, how you communicate about the situation can make an enormous difference. This also applies when things are going swimmingly - as poor communications can make an excellent situation look atrocious. What you say in good moments and bad moments affects: # How you are perceived # How you make those around you feel and perform # How successful you are at achieving your outcomes - business or otherwise # How positive your own future will become The new Michael Dodd Communications 2014 showreel reveals more about how you and your team can be empowered to become inspirational communicators. This is done by showing you the secrets of giving scintillating presentations and winning pitches, bombproof media interviews and great answers to tough questions. It can be achieved through captivating conference keynotes and master classes and one-to-one coaching. It can also be achieved through something I'm planning to do more of in 2014 - communications-boosting programmes tailored to the meet the precise needs of your team. The new showreel may look vaguely familiar to some at the start, but contains much you haven't seen before. Click here to see it.  And here is Alistair Cook (who I haven't media trained for obvious reasons) showing grace under pressure. BECOME AN INSPIRATIONAL COMMUNICATOR IN JANUARY   With the economies in the western world generally picking up, 2014 is set to be more uplifting than any year since the Lehman Brothers crash six years ago. So with potentially more positives to talk about, it's a splendid year to turn more people into inspiring communicators. To mark the opportunity I'm doing a special offer throughout January on my new one-to-one sessions on "Become That Inspirational Business Communicator In A Day". http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/inspirational_CEO.php If you'd like to know how the special offer applies to you and your team, email where you are located to: enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com or text 44 (0) 7944952835 So to get 2014 off to an inspiring start, I'm on a quest to find the most inspirational (though not the best known) sayings of all time so they can be quoted in the appropriate motivational speeches, challenging conversations and media soundbites. Here are my top five - including two from the same person. Please send me yours. "When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us." - Helen Keller (pictured reading braille).     "I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." - Michael Jordan "The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person who is doing it." - Chinese Proverb "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right." - Henry Ford (pictured)    "When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it." - Henry Ford CAPTURING THE POWER OF STORIES - IT'S SCIENTIFIC!    A role model of mine is fellow speaker, Graham Jones, who is known as "The Internet Psychologist" and is one of the two superb mentors I have had in the Professional Speaking Association.   Graham typically starts his speeches with a story - including one particularly memorable one where, by deploying astute name-dropping involving his connection with the rock group "The Who", he avoided being mugged on a train.   So Graham, like me, is big on the benefits of telling stories.   But now he's alerted me to some just-published scientific research which goes further than showing that stories can just help you make a point.   A team of scientists have conducted a study which suggests that stories have so much impact on us they actually change our brains.   The scientists studied people who took part in an experiment which involved all the participants reading historical novel "Pompeii" by Robert Harris.   They recorded the arousal level of the readers as they progressed through the book - finding amongst other things that they were generally more excited by the section on the eruption of Mount Vesuvius (illustrated below) than they were by the feasting and orgy scene...for what that's worth.     You can check out their scientific paper (which is rather academic in parts, though nonetheless absorbing) at: http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/brain.2013.0166 The point Graham makes is that this means there is now an initial scientific underpinning for our contention that when seeking to communicate we should tell stories. I look forward to working with those of you who are yet take part one of my master classes on "Presenting with Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz" which include my presentation on "The Power of Stories". http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/presentation_training.php So here's to more story telling by you and your team in 2014. And here's to me trying to stop telling stories of the latest Ashes series for as long as I remain based in England. Keep smiling - even if you're not Australian. Michael     Michael Dodd Communications runs programmes to transform the skills of your team: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/transform_communication_skills.php I do keynote speeches at conferences to help your people become inspirational communicators: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/transform_communication_skills.php Your on-line reputation can be protected and improved: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/online_reputation.php Your ability to do media interviews can be enhanced - however tough, tricky or infuriating the questions might be: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/presentation_training.php Business leaders groups can have their communications skills uplifted: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/workshops_for_business_leaders_groups.php Your team can be helped to look, sound and feel great: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/Making_Your_Team_Look,_Sound_and_Feel_Great.php And your event can be enlivened with an after dinner speech: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/international_speaking.php

Picking Up Powerful Women: Your Shock Xmas Greeting

It may surprise you, but being a communications guru does not necessarily make one an expert at picking up women....especially powerful women. But if you have a go at something you've never tried before, you can sometimes surprise yourself. And others... In this Christmas edition, I can shockingly declare that I have in 2013 achieved surprising success at picking up a powerful woman. You'll never guess who it is. It's not Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff - seen here with her predecessor (who Brazilians think I will look like in twenty years time - ever since I did a mock President Lula press conference in Rio de Janiero).   And it's not the muscle-flexing Michelle Obama.     Nor is it the persuasive Angelina Jolie - who, as a special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, I hold up as an example of an inspirational communicator when I talk with United Nations audiences.   All will be revealed later. And there's a video to prove it. But first - as this e-newsletter prides itself on sharing something important about communicating in every issue - let's examine the growing importance of video on the web in getting across your message.

VIDEO ON YOUR WEBSITE - WHY IT'S SOOOOOO IMPORTANT       Have you noticed when browsing the web that you are more likely to spend longer on a site if there are videos to watch? The latest research shows this makes you normal. And this is why - when you're promoting your organisation - using video on your website is such a powerful weapon to deploy. Here's some of the research which has been sent out by the international ezine for professional speakers, Speaker Net News. It reports that businesses that aren't making video an integral part of their marketing strategy are getting left behind because: # Nearly 80% of computer users watch online videos at least once a week. # Video is projected to account for over half of internet traffic by 2015 - nearly four times as much as regular browsing and email The research shows that video boosts engagement dramatically: # Visitors spend twice as much time on pages that have video # Visitors are 85% more likely to purchase a product after watching a video # Videos in emails can double the rate of response And video drives sharing between internet users: # Videos are shared twelve times more than links and text combined # Video is the most-shared brand content on Facebook # Posts with videos draw three times more links than plain-text posts Search engines love video: # Videos in search results have 41% higher click-through rates # YouTube accounts for almost one-third of Google searches And the most extraordinary finding is that video content can make a webpage FIFTY-THREE TIMES more likely to appear on the first page of search engine results. This is why I work with business leaders and others to enhance their ability to speak to the camera - so that they come across at their best in video on the web (with added benefits when they take part in webcasts, skype calls and other internet hook-ups). And it's also why I team up with excellent camera operators and editors - such as York Smith (pictured below) - so that when you master the art of talking naturally, powerfully and persuasively to the camera it can be deployed with maximum effect on your website.   Our sessions are called "Create Your Own Webcasts" which can be conducted one-to-one, in small groups or in larger master classes and workshops for business leaders groups. In these sessions we overhaul or polish your ability to talk naturally and convincingly to the camera - and you come away with material that you can actually use for real on your website. Practicing your so-called "pieces to camera" is also something which can be included in my sessions on "Become That Inspirational Business Leader In A Day". www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/inspirational_CEO.php There's a special offer on this running in January 2014. Email enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com for details.

PICKING UP A POWERFUL WOMAN: YOUR HOW-TO GUIDE So now back to the shocking details about picking up that powerful woman. I can reveal that the target was one of the most powerful woman in my world as a speaker - one of the two female national Presidents of the Professional Speaking Association of the United Kingdom and Ireland, Eilidh Milnes. Eilidh is a fantastically energising motivational speaker known as "Captain Positive". But you need to be careful as her military background means she is a trained killer. So to put the pick-up incident in proper context - just so you don't think powerful women should be picked up at random - the incident you're about to witness took place after Eilidh conducted a fascinating exercise to highlight the importance of collaboration in business. It involved one of the audience participants physically picking up another. So in my role as President of the London Region of the Professional Speaking Association it was my job to thank Eilidh for her splendid talk. Here's what happened.     I obviously still have a lot to learn about this art form. If you really want to know how it's done with aplomb, have a look at the stylish way Richard Gere picks up Debra Winger in the final scene of "An Officer And A Gentleman". Clearly wearing a smart naval officer uniform helps... If you can spot anything else that Richard Gere does better than me, do let me know.

HERE'S YOUR CHRISTMAS VIDEO When I said having more video available on the web is vital, I wasn't kidding. So here's your Michael Dodd Communications official Video Christmas Message. This is thanks to one of the other most powerful women in my world - a 13-year-old technical genius who lives in my household. As you will have seen, clearly an appearance on next year's Strictly Come Dancing programme must be a possibility. Seasons greetings. What Michael Dodd Communications can do for you and your team is below. Have a rip-snorting 2014 - and do be careful who you pick up. Michael Michael Dodd Communications runs programmes to transform the skills of your team: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/transform_communication_skills.php I do keynote speeches at conferences to help your people become inspirational communicators: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/transform_communication_skills.php Your on-line reputation can be protected and enhanced: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/online_reputation.php You can be shown how to present with confidence, impact and pizzazz: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/presentation_training.php Your ability to do media interviews can be enhanced - however tough, tricky or infuriating the questions might be: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/presentation_training.php Business leaders groups can have their communications skills uplifted: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/workshops_for_business_leaders_groups.php Your team can be helped to look, sound and feel great: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/Making_Your_Team_Look,_Sound_and_Feel_Great.php And your event can be enlivened with an after dinner speech: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/international_speaking.php

NELSON MANDELA - BY THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE

On that historic day on 11 February 1990 when the world's most famous prisoner was released smiling into the South African sunshine, there was one face missing in the crowd of welcoming admirers. It was mine. As a journalist who loves to be where the action is when history is made, this was a major disappointment. After 27 years of imprisonment, I'm not sure if Nelson Mandela ever got over the shock of my absence on his big day. I certainly haven't.   As a foreign correspondent I had - before the Mandela release - succeeded in getting to some of the right places at the right times when it came to broadcasting the stories of released political prisoners. Before the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, I travelled to Gdansk in northern Poland on a tourist visa to interview ex-prisoner Lech Walesa - leader of the banned Solidarity free trade union and heroic anti-communist freedom fighter in 1988. And I got a tricky-to-get Czechoslovakian visa to make it to Prague the following year to report amongst 300,000 people packed into Wenceslas Square when ex-prisoner and future president Vaclav Havel was free to inspire the masses and lead the Velvet Revolution.   So witnessing the leading anti-apartheid icon savour his moment of triumph became the next thing on the "Covering-Ex-Political-Prisoners-To-Do-List". I was based in the London Bureau of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation at the time when rapid political developments in South Africa meant the release of Nelson Mandela was becoming obviously imminent. We had the services of local freelancers in South Africa at the time, but no Australian staff correspondent. My masters wanted me to go to Cape Town to report on the occasion through Australian eyes - and so did I. So I applied for a visa to be put in my Australian passport at the South African embassy in London. Alas my application was adversely affected by the fact that Australia - in the years leading up to the Mandela release - had taken a hard line against South Africa's apartheid system. It even went as far as refusing to play rugby against the Springboks (a massive sacrifice for Australian sporting fans) as a protest. So when it came to getting my visa application approved by the unreformed pro-apartheid bureaucrats at the London embassy at Trafalgar Square, they weren't inclined to let it happen. And happen it didn't. My claim to be an expert in the art of persuasion hit its limits amidst South African hardline officialdom. So I ended up watching the Mandela release on TV like practically everyone else in  the world. I did on another occasion get to interview that  fabulously good humoured humanitarian and anti-apartheid man of the cloth, Archbishop Desmond Tutu. This was an inspiring experience - but not quite the same as being present outside the Victor Verster jail on that historic afternoon as prisoner 46664 strolled through the gates. I do hope Nelson Mandela - before he passed on to a higher place last week - came to grips with the shocking lack of an Australian Broadcasting Corporation staff correspondent on hand to beam back his live commentary to Sydney. But Mandela was a master of overcoming disappointment and setbacks...so I dare say he's wisely getting on with the next phase of his existence without too many regrets. MANDELA - LEARNING FROM A COMMUNICATIONS MASTER        As great leaders tend to be, Mandela was a master communicator. So there is much we can learn from his approach to getting his message across. Amidst all the Mandela tributes, one example of great communication stood out. It was when talking to the media after his release and - not having seen a crowd in 27 years - he was asked about his first impressions as he walked to freedom. Now he admittedly did have 27 years to plan, prepare and practice most his post-release comments. But answering this in-the-moment question relied on a high degree of spontaneity. Mandela replied that what really struck him was that so many white people had come to join the crowd which gathered to see him. It was not just a good observation. The reply sent a signal that he was - on his pathway from prisoner to president -preparing the ground for inclusively leading white South Africans as well as the others. It was the same kind of reconciling behaviour that he repeated when, as president, he donned the green Springbok rugby jersey at the time South Africa hosted - and won - the Rugby World Cup....even though the jersey had previously been seen by the non-white community as a despised symbol of apartheid.     It was great symbolism, great statesmanship and great communication combined. As an inspiring communicator, Nelson Mandela left us with many other enduring moments we can learn from. One was his 1964 speech from the dock at his trial where he was convicted of sabotage. When he declared that he was "prepared to die" for the principles of a free and democratic society he did it with total conviction - and it certainly had an effect! Here's my other top three Mandela quotes: "It always seems impossible until it is done." "If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner." "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." MANDELA - HOW WE CAN BE LIKE HIM OK, so not everyone who reads this ezine is likely to be locked up for 27 years and have the opportunity to come out speaking peace, love and forgiveness. But in searching for the communications hero inside yourself, Mandela has set a magnificent example. One of the key things about communicating as a leader is that whatever your message is, you are a key part of it. So look for ways to link an element of your life with your message. Note how Mandela does this in the following quote: "It is never my custom to use words lightly. If twenty-seven years in prison have done anything to us, it was to use the silence of solitude to make us understand how precious words are and how real speech is in its impact on the way people live and die." So whatever your situation in life, when you are communicating something important, look back and seek to highlight something you've done - or which your organisation has done - which is in alignment with what you are advocating or offering. In my case it's this. I spent a large chunk of my life as political reporter in Australia - where the journalists are regarded as being especially tough by international standards (sometimes to a fault!). I was specifically trained as a devil's advocate interviewer to put politicians, business leaders and other public figures under pressure. The process was described by one Australian political leader as "blowtorch-on-the-belly" questioning. So I draw on this as a professional speaker and media trainer to say that in my interview response master classes I can subject you to the toughest possible questions for your own good - and then show you how best to answer them. You can look back at something important in your past and link it to what you are seeking to communicate for the future. It's a way of ensuring that your communications efforts are more credible, more memorable and more inspiring than they would otherwise be - as Mandela has shown.  THE POWER OF SELF-DEPRICATION Another thing which Mandela did so well was deliver a powerful message with humility. Self-deprecation, if done in the right way, can strengthen rather than weaken your standing. Take this Mandela quote: "I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying." Just suppose he started to believe the propaganda that he was a saint. He could easily have been seen as insufferable. So by expressing modesty he put himself in a far stronger position to convey impressive messages which hit their target and often, eventually, got their desired outcome. We can aim to do this too.  "MANDELA, JOBS, BRANSON" - FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT "Nelson Mandela, Steve Jobs, Richard Branson - Lifting Gold Nuggets From The Communication Masters". This is my new offering for 45-minute keynotes at conferences, master classes for away days and half-day workshops for business leaders groups.    It looks at what makes great communicators - highlighting examples of their technique from speeches, interviews and other interactions. The conference keynote version inspires your people to follow the example of the communications masters and incorporate their techniques into their every day interactions with prospects, customers, financiers and staff. The master class and workshop formats allow participants to put into practice the techniques of Mandela, Jobs and Branson - in their presentations, pitches, interviews and challenging one-to-one conversations. All versions involve "audience shifting" - moving your people to a place where they are more confident, more empowered and more inspiring in their interactions with others - for the benefit of your image, your teamwork and your sales. To explore how the sessions can be customised to achieve the results you desire, email enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com  or phone 44 (0) 7944 952835. THE MANDELA NEWS - HEARING IT FIRST Even though there was every reason to expect Nelson Mandela's death was going to happen about now, it still came as something of a shock. But I knew about his future death a long, long time before it happened. As a paper boy on the northern beaches of Sydney I read about his expected imminent death back in the 1970s. This was a time when Mandela news was incredibly tightly controlled by the South African regime - sometimes giving rise to more speculation than fact. As an aspiring journalist, one of the plus points of the paper boy's job was to be able to get a free read of the papers in quiet moments. I remember reading in one of the Sunday papers at the time that Nelson Mandela was set to die because of lung problems. So the story was kind of true...it was just rather too early. Sure enough, forty-odd years later alas Mr Mandela did die. But he certainly succeeded in packing a lot of living and a lot of action into those extra years of life. It's amazing what a great leader and great communicator can achieve in forty years! So it's amazing what you can potentially do too. LAST WORDS (ALMOST) The menu for how Michael Dodd Communications can boost your team's ability to get your message across is listed below. Meanwhile, if you're an English reader, don't take two successive Ashes test defeats too seriously. If Nelson Mandela can come out of 27 years in jail with his sense of humour in tact then so too can you. Keep smiling, Michael BOOSTING YOUR COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS:  THE MENU CONFERENCE KEYNOTES: Becoming Inspirational Business Communicators www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/Inspirational_Business_Communicators.php  Mastering The Media - With Balls www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/international_speaking.php Have I Got News For Your Company - Preparing For Media Emergencies www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/international_speaking.php MASTER CLASSES FOR BUSINESS LEADERS GROUPS AND AWAY DAYS: Giving Great Answers To Tough Questions Perfecting Your Elevator Pitch Presenting With Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz Position Your Business For Free Media Publicity Create Your Own Webcasts Your Message In Sixty Seconds www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/workshops_for_business_leaders_groups.php  MEDIA MASTER CLASSES - TO ENHANCE YOUR INTERVIEW RESPONSE SKILLS: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/media_training.php RIPSNORTING CUSTOMISED AFTER DINNER SPEECHES: Tales and Tips from Six Continents www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/international_speaking.php Australian-Style Sledging And Heckling For Beginners Email enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com to set up a conversation on how this can bring your event alive. PROGRAMMES TO TRANSFORM THE COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS OF YOUR TEAM: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/transform_communication_skills.php  EXCLUSIVE ONE-TO-ONE COMMUNICATIONS COACHING: Become That Inspirational Business Leader In A Day www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/inspirational_CEO.php  There is a special offer on this running to 16 January 2014. Email enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com to find out how it applies to you. MAKE YOUR TEAM LOOK SOUND AND FEEL GREAT: Making_Your_Team_Look,_Sound_and_Feel_Great SKYPE OR TELEPHONE SESSIONS TO GET YOU READY: Sessions - typically an hour, but entirely flexible - to get you ready for specific communications challenges...pitches, presentations, interviews and tough professional conversations. Email enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com for details - and, where possible, send a range of dates and timeslots that will work for you. SUPERCHARGING YOUR COMPANY NEWSLETTER: Creating, Overhauling or Polishing Your Newsletter - to target the results you want. To discuss the possibilities telephone 44 (0) 7944 952835