GETTING PROVEN RETURN ON INVESTMENT.

MEASURING THE RETURN ON YOUR INVESTMENT

There's one thing people who book keynote speeches and communications master classes are really keen on these days. It's knowing they're getting an impressive return on their investment - both financially and on the time their people put into boosting their skills. I've been refining a method that demonstrates to participants that it's worth the time and money. It involves measuring the progress of participants during the session. The method requires participants - whether in a big conference audience or in smaller workshops - to write down "secret scores" for their colleagues' communication performances. This applies to whether we're working on boosting their presentation skills, their media interview performance, their elevator pitch or their ability to give brilliant answers to tough questions. Just as in some of those so-called "reality" TV shows, the scores are given from 0 to 10.   However unlike the numbers from these judges on Strictly Come Dancing, the raw scores in our sessions typically remain secret. What we do is determine two "secret scores" for each person - measuring their performance near the beginning of the session and again towards the end. However we only allow the judges to reveal the DIFFERENCE between the two scores - not the actual scores themselves. In this way no one has to openly declare whether they thought the participant was atrocious or brilliant on either occasion. We just want to measure how much the participants improved. I've run this with hundreds of participants now - and the typical improvement is about three points out of ten. This means that if their initial score was six and they move up to nine, then they've improved by fifty per cent in the session. But we have had some quite astronomic improvement results...with several participants scoring an eight point increase during the session. Admittedly, to improve as much as this, their opening performances have tended to be pretty awful. It's been chilling to see the mistakes which people routinely make - from defaming big personalities, to accidentally rubbishing their own products, to saying stupid things which they insist they haven't said until we play back the recording to show them. But the initial low-scorers are always delighted to get the winner's prize as the biggest improver. They feel so much more competent and confident when their ratings - as determined by their colleagues - demonstrate that they've lifted their game dramatically in a short space of time. The most memorable of these was a participant - let's call him "Cecil" - who initially started off his answer to a tough question quite well. But he didn't know when to stop. The more Cecil continued, the more he became entangled in irrelevant, diverting detail and diminished the force of his answer. When we showed him how to decide an end-point in advance - as you would with the punch line of a joke - he improved astronomically. Cecil's answers became focused, persuasive - and actually interesting. In master classes typically everyone involved comes away with their own personal improvement score. In interactive keynotes at conferences - where there's less time available - we typically have two or three people on stage to perform. We determine the audience's judgement of the improvement by a show of hands - getting someone who is good at numbers quickly calculating the average leap forward. The audience gets a snap shot of the kind of inspirational improvement that's possible in a short space of time. And unlike those reality TV shows, no one gets voted off the programme!

YOUR CHANCE TO HAVE YOUR IMPROVEMENT MEASURED If you haven't had your communications improvement level measured, then there's the opportunity to do so on Monday 30 July. This is when I'm running my once-a-year open session on "Presenting with Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz". The 9.30am to 5pm session runs in Central London at the Royal Institute of British Architects.   Details on the early bird offer are on the website at:http://www.michaeldoddmedia.com/presentation_training.php And yes, there's a prize for the participant with the biggest improvement score on the day! AND HERE'S THE WEATHER - LOTS OF IT After years of study, I can declare the key difference between Australia and Britain. In Australia typically a drought is declared after three years without rain. In Britain typically a drought is declared after three days without rain. So here in England we've had all sorts of dire predictions because the springtime weather has been all over the place. Earlier this year a drought was declared to be "gripping" most of England and resulting in water use restrictions affecting twenty-million people. March was declared the driest since 1953 and the third warmest since records began. Then we had April downpours, resulting in the wettest April in a century - which was also the coldest for 23 years with freak snowfalls in parts. Many of the water usage restrictions were lifted. And in May we've just had a series of superb "barbecue summer" days - the kind Shakespeare might have been envisioning when he wrote "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day..." So "topsy turvy" has been a much used word in the weather forecasts. Now it may be that global warming is at the root of what we've been experiencing - and I'm amongst those who can see that there's a growing body of evidence to support this theory and the human hand behind it. But some perspective might be in order. Springtime weather in Europe has long been notoriously changeable and unpredictable. While living in Germany I picked up an expression "In Avril das wetter macht was es will" - In April the weather does what it wants. I've been whizzing around the UK mainly by train in the last few weeks. And I can report that, despite the much-discussed meteorological "catastrophes", from Yorkshire to London and out to Bristol and over the border into southern Wales, there's a verdant landscape with flourishing wild flowers which appears to be in magnificent condition. Here's a typical English countryside scene.   In contrast, this is what a real drought-hit landscape looks like in Australia.   And here's a snatch of magnificent Yorkshire with a carpet of bluebells in the company of beacon head teacher and education guru Alan Yellup who invited me "oop north" to work with Wakefield's leading teachers.    So relatively speaking, much of the UK landscape appears to be in good shape at the end of spring - despite a strain of human thinking which will declare disaster at the earliest opportunity.  CHANGEABLE WEATHER - AN AUSTRALIAN PERSPECTIVE  Australia's cultural tradition (yes, there is such a concept) has recognised this doom-laden tendency in verses by bush poet and Catholic priest, John O'Brien. It's called "Said Hanrahan" and it deserves a hearing in the northern hemisphere in these days of volatile weather changes and prophets of doom. Hanrahan - one of the many Australian immigrants from Irish stock - represents life's eternal pessimists. He's known for his catch phrase "we'll all be rooned" (that's "ruined", for those who don't speak the lingo of the Aussie outback) which he lets loose at every opportunity. As O'Brien passed away in 1952, I can safely reproduce his poem below without fear of copyright infringement. I hope you enjoy it - even if you're an optimist. Keep smiling, Michael SAID HANRAHAN "We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,   In accents most forlorn, Outside the church, ere Mass began,   One frosty Sunday morn. The congregation stood about,   Coat-collars to the ears, And talked of stock, and crops, and drought,   As it had done for years. "It's looking crook," said Daniel Croke;   "Bedad, it's cruke, me lad, For never since the banks went broke   Has seasons been so bad." "It's dry, all right," said young O'Neil,   With which astute remark He squatted down upon his heel   And chewed a piece of bark. And so around the chorus ran   "It's keepin' dry, no doubt." "We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,   "Before the year is out." "The crops are done; ye'll have your work   To save one bag of grain; From here way out to Back-o'-Bourke   They're singin' out for rain. "They're singin' out for rain," he said,   "And all the tanks are dry." The congregation scratched its head,   And gazed around the sky. "There won't be grass, in any case,   Enough to feed an ass; There's not a blade on Casey's place   As I came down to Mass." "If rain don't come this month," said Dan,   And cleared his throat to speak - "We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,   "If rain don't come this week." A heavy silence seemed to steal   On all at this remark; And each man squatted on his heel,   And chewed a piece of bark. "We want an inch of rain, we do,"   O'Neil observed at last; But Croke "maintained" we wanted two   To put the danger past. "If we don't get three inches, man,   Or four to break this drought, We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,   "Before the year is out." In God's good time down came the rain;   And all the afternoon On iron roof and window-pane   It drummed a homely tune. And through the night it pattered still,   And lightsome, gladsome elves On dripping spout and window-sill   Kept talking to themselves. It pelted, pelted all day long,   A-singing at its work, Till every heart took up the song   Way out to Back-o'-Bourke. And every creek a banker ran,   And dams filled overtop; "We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,   "If this rain doesn't stop." And stop it did, in God's good time;   And spring came in to fold A mantle o'er the hills sublime   Of green and pink and gold. And days went by on dancing feet,   With harvest-hopes immense, And laughing eyes beheld the wheat   Nid-nodding o'er the fence. And, oh, the smiles on every face,   As happy lad and lass Through grass knee-deep on Casey's place   Went riding down to Mass. While round the church in clothes genteel   Discoursed the men of mark, And each man squatted on his heel,   And chewed his piece of bark. "There'll be bush-fires for sure, me man,   There will, without a doubt; We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan,   "Before the year is out."

NATIONS DIVIDED BY A COMMON LANGUAGE

There are many wonderful things about America - which I've just been reminded about during my speaking mission to Kansas City in Missouri. Amongst them is an enthusiasm to meet customers' needs supremely well in shops (though this doesn't spill over to the hugely less impressive world of US Airways where, strangely, the concept of customer service has yet to be discovered). American shop assistants will routinely try everything to come up with exactly what you want. And if they don't have it, they will go to great lengths to tell you how to get to the right shop that does stock it. Americans I met on the streets happily pulled out their i-phones to show me maps, give detailed directions and even look up bus timetables. But one has to recognise that Americans have a different way of deploying the English language. Early in my visit - before I tuned into the latest quirks of America-speak - this was a routine conversation I had in the excellent the Kansas City Intercontinental Hotel at The Plaza. "Could I have milk with my tea please?" "Yessir. Would you like 2 per cent milk?" "Well actually I take a bit more milk than that. I reckon I have about 6 or 7 per cent milk?" "Sorry sir, we only have 2 per cent milk." "Well can you please bring the milk in a jug and I'll pour it myself so that I get exactly the right amount." What I eventually came to discover - with the help of some American interpreters - is that "2 per cent milk" is the standard US term for what is known elsewhere as "semi skimmed milk".  2% milk The moral of the story is that communication is often more difficult than people think. One of the constant requirements is to get inside the head of your specific audience so that you can see the pictures they have in their minds and adopt their language to relate to them. But the constant references to "2 per cent milk" raise another, more troubling question. If they're only giving you 2 per cent milk, what on earth is the other 98 per cent made up of? THE TITANIC - IN KANSAS CITY Being a landlocked metropolis, you might think that Kansas City would be the last place to have an interest in the one-hundredth anniversary of the sinking of The Titanic. But some of the passengers on the ill-fated journey were heading for a new life in the Midwest. Interest is consequently so strong in Kansas City that there's a massive exhibition of recovered Titanic artifacts in the magnificently restored Union Station - the second largest train station in America with a highly decorated 95-foot high ceiling from which hangs three 3,500-pound chandeliers (Americans don't like metric). Alas, given the US obsession with the car, the station now only sees around four trains passing through each day. However this means there's plenty of room left for other things, so a large part of the station is now turned over to Titanic photos, early movie footage of its construction in Belfast and the personal belongings of those who did and didn't make it across the Atlantic. When you enter the exhibition you get a ticket in the name of a particular passenger. As Americans clearly recognise true breeding, mine was an Upper Class ticket for the wealthy Macy's department store partner, Isidor Straus, who - with his wife, Ida - was returning to New York in 1912 after a European holiday. At the end of the exhibition you get to find out what happened to your original ticket holder. Sadly, Isidor Straus didn't make it. And neither did Ida. As a woman, Ida was entitled to get into a lifeboat and nearly did. But she refused to climb aboard when her husband - a mere male - was not allowed. So after declaring to her husband "Where you go, I go", Ida and Isidor sank together to the bottom of the Atlantic. Fortunately, a hundred years on, a slightly lighter side is emerging to the tragedy of the Titanic. This is because the Union Station is also home to the Irish Museum and Culture Centre. And mindful of the damage the Titanic's sinking might do to the reputation for Irish ship-building, they've made up T-shirts with the iconic four funnels going under. The caption reads: "She was fine when she left Ireland". And indeed she was...with the statement fitting neatly into the Michael Dodd communications credo: "Only tell exact truths". Here below, a perfectly formed world-class male model poses in the T-shirt before a backdrop of the Titanic's grand staircase.   Kansas City's Salute to Sydney Apart from the train station, the other architectural point of note in Kansas City is a tribute to my home town, Sydney - the Kauffman Centre for the Performing Arts. Some correspondents on Trip Advisor and elsewhere confuse it with the Sydney Opera House because of its gracious sails. Locally they'll tell you it's known as "The Sydney Building" - and some will try to tell you that the designers of the Sydney Opera House actually copied it. Unfortunately for them, my glamorous assistant Ms Google has discovered that the Kansas City version was only completed in 2011. The Sydney Opera House was officially opened by a certain Mrs Windsor back in 1973. But the Kansas City hosts of our speaking delegation were sufficiently proud of the building to take all the conference participants for a giant dinner at their performing arts centre - and the food and ambience were indeed impressive. Here below a passing Sydney celebrity - who happened to be wearing an Australian Broadcasting Corporation 2BL "T"-Shirt - was prepared to wave to the massed cameras for the benefit of readers of this ezine.   THE POWER OF STORIES - YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO SHINE Kansas City witnessed the debut performance of my new conference keynote "The Power of the Stories". It tells how people who really changed the world - from the Buddha to Jesus Christ, from Martin Luther King to Barrack Obama, from Steve Jobs to Bill Gates - had one particular thing in common...they made things happen, in part at least, by telling stories. The keynote also shows how the human brain is programmed at an early age to tune into stories - otherwise known as fairytales - including beautiful princesses who kiss ugly frogs...such as this particularly obnoxious Australian cane toad.   The frogs of course then turn into handsome princes - or, even better, into handsome democratically-elected statesmen. They then live happily ever after of course. If you're interested in changing the world through stories - or in taking your presentations to a new level - you can book now for the open presentation skills master class on Monday 30 July in Central London. Details of the "Speaking with Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz" are atwww.michaeldoddmedia.com/presentation_training.php For those attending, any anxieties you have about presenting should die happily ever after. ONLY IN AMERICA - DRIVE THROUGH FOR ANYTHING Amongst the things Missouri is famous for is its claim to have the world's first drive through fast-food restaurant. The concept was supposedly invented by a guy called Sheldon "Red" Chaney who opened "Red's Giant Hamburg" for those driving the famous Route 66. The odd name "Hamburg" has been attributed to a measuring error made while making the sign - as it was cut too short to fit the more obvious name "Hamburger". But Missouri has now gone way beyond mere drive through food. All over the state are drive through banks - where you can withdraw your money without having to get outside your car...something Americans love. And on a journey out to the city of Independence - home of President Harry Truman - I discovered something even more extraordinary...drive-through religion. As seen below, you can drive through to get information about the Baha'i faith. This has made me think that perhaps I should be offering my communications master classes in a drive-through form. I'm sure this won't take off in Britain, Belgium or Australia. But in America, it could be the next big thing. Keep smiling, Michael

TOUCHING THOSE EMOTIONAL BUTTONS - THE WAY TO SUCCESS

What is it that separates good speakers from really exceptional ones? I once put that question to the very experienced chairman of a business leaders group who regularly brought in speakers to address his members. He said the answer could be summed up in one word: "Emotion". The really impressive speakers who - when scored by his members came close to ten out of ten - brought more to his group than knowledge and wisdom. They touched his members at a deeper level. I was reminded of this when an American speaking colleague, Mark Fritz, drew my attention to a currently popular US negotiation expert who puts touching emotions at the heart of his strategy. He's Professor Stuart Diamond. Professor Diamond says dealing with negotiation partners at an emotional level is vital when it comes to achieving what you want - and also in growing the "pie" rather than just dividing it up between you. Here the professor is pictured with the person he calls his favourite negotiation partner - his eight-year-old son, Alexander.   Professor Diamond lectures to Google bosses among others. But he insists his techniques also work in his dealings with Alexander - to the extent that he can get his child to willingly go to bed at an agreed time! Respect. The fundamental precept behind his approach to negotiations is that "perceptions and emotions are more important than power and logic." So when it comes to your negotiation partners, Professor Diamond says something which may sound irrational on the surface, but which - when you think about it - contains a fundamental truth. "The pictures in the heads of the other party" he says "are more important than any collections of facts, evidence and resources than you can possibly muster". This is something you may inherently know, but which the professor brings impressively - and emotionally - to life. I've taken to drawing upon Professor Diamond's approach when it comes to my workshops on "Giving Great Answers To Tough Questions". This is because when formulating great answers, you need to take into account both the factual side and the emotional side of those who you are talking to - whether it's your bank manager, your customers or your own staff. Click here for details of Giving Great Answers To Tough Questions Professor Diamond's lecture on YouTube runs 48 minutes and 42 seconds - and then there's a Q and A. It's worth investing the time - as you'll learn, among other things, how Google used his method to make millions on one deal. I've watched it three times - and utilised what the professor says more times than that. You can check out the professor's contentions on YouTube. Leading@Google: Stuart Diamond AND HERE'S SOMEONE WHO USES IT. Whatever your politics, if you're following US developments in this presidential election year you will have noticed that Barrack Obama - despite a mass of criticisms that would bring down a lesser man - now looks as though he's in a pretty good position for the first Tuesday in November. I don't know if the president has had time to read up on Professor Diamond, but he clearly knows something about touching emotions in order to get his message across.   This was evident in his response to the shocking story in Florida where an unarmed black seventeen-year-old, Trayvon Martin, has been shot dead by a neighbourhood watch captain. At the time of writing, the killer not been arrested on basis of his claim that the shooting was done in self-defence. This has sparked growing anger which has spread well beyond Florida. Speaking from the White House, President Obama went beyond insisting that Trayvon's death needed to be fully investigated. "If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon," declared the president. Spot the emotion? THE HELICOPTER VIEW Business guru and professional speaking colleague, Roger Harrop, has just brought out the kindle version of "Staying In The Helicopter". This is a great read for anyone in business - whatever its size and whatever shape it's in.   Roger Harrop's fundamental thesis is that your business will only stay in a good place - what he refers to as the "Room of Renewal" - if you take the view from above...the helicopter view. He urges business leaders to get in that helicopter often, and in fact diarise helicopter missions well ahead. And he tells you what you need to do when you're taking this regular overview of where you're heading. It's written in a compellingly simple, easy-to-follow way while focusing your mind on the areas which will determine whether your business booms or busts. For example, Roger warns that if you don't know where you are going, it's unlikely that you'll get there. How true!  Details at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Staying-in-the-Helicopter-ebook/dp/B007C9PRFK  "THE CHALLENGE" - BIGGEST VERSION YET I could have done with Roger's helicopter over the past couple of week's as it's been a bit mad - with speaking gigs in Altrincham, Tunbridge Wells, Richmond and Felixstowe among others. The most unusual of the events was in central London with 80 fast-stream civil servants - a highly impressive contingent of up-and-coming mandarins far more civic-minded and motivated than Sir Humphrey Appleby ever was. The event was the biggest version yet of a leadership and decision-making exercise involving a series of simulated TV shows hosted by yours truly. Under the scheme, participants are divided into teams - in this case six government agencies and six lobby groups. Their budgets have just been cut, and they are all under pressure to do more with less (sound familiar?). So each team has to set their priorities and negotiate with each other. The idea is that despite their cut in funds, if they collaborate successfully they can all come out achieving their aims. This latest crop of civil servants did spectacularly well - which gives cause for hope. They also had to choose chief executives to represent their team on TV shows hosted variously by someone called Mike Boulton from Sky, Mike Paxman from Newsnight and Mike Dimbleby from Question Time. In action: Mike Boulton, Mike Paxman or is it Mike Dimbleby? Rest assured all the young CEO's took no nonsense from the TV presenter and managed to rise above the negativity of his questions with well argued and overwhelmingly positive answers. Having a series of mock TV shows is a great way to help teams come to grips with problems and opportunities facing your organisation - and to road test and enhance their communications skills under pressure. Michael Dodd Media runs them under the banner of "The Challenge" and they provide a fun way to get issues out in the open - and overhaul or polish the way your people make and defend their decisions. It works in the public and private sectors alike. Actors such as Julian Hirst from the amazing team at CentreStage Roleplay can participate where required to add to the realism and drama. Julian Hirst, Roleplay genius On away days or at conferences, we can also provide a business, leadership or change management expert who watches the action as it unfolds. After the shows the expert then rakes over the coals with the participants - selecting highlights from the TV footage to examine crucial moments. Together they examine what works, what doesn't and what needs to be done differently in the future. Graham Vale - who commissions these simulated TV shows for his work in developing leaders and managers at Civil Service Learning - likes "The Challenge" because it puts people on the spot. "There is no hiding in The Challenge and learners need to be able to work in partnership with others and to defend their work area against attack from others," Graham says. "It hones leadership and management skills in a fast track and exciting pragmatic environment." Details of The Challenge can be found here: http://www.michaeldoddmedia.com/media_challenge.php  BOOST YOUR SPEAKING PERFORMANCE - IN LONDON Most Michael Dodd Media sessions are commissioned by companies or organisations. But inquiries have built up for open sessions - especially for presentation skills. "Presenting with Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz" will be running as an open session in Central London on Monday 30 July 2012. Details - including the early bird booking offer - are at: http://michaeldoddmedia.com/presentation_training.php Of course it's no good me telling you how fabulous workshops like this are - or how much they'll boost your confidence and performance levels. What one needs of course is third party endorsement. So the business leaders from the international CEO leadership company, Vistage - who I've been working with in the past fortnight - have given their testimonials. My advisors say I should only share these particular endorsements with people who have a sense of humour. But as you're on the Michael Dodd Media mailing list, it means you automatically qualify on this count. "Michael ticked all the boxes...he was involved, he was interactive, he told stories, he was amusing, personable...and above all he delivered great learning and take home value. Apart from that he was rubbish!" Chris Hughes, Chair, Vistage Group 102 "Michael delivered a high energy performance to my Vistage group, focusing on how to answer tough questions. Some of the group thought they were already quite good, but had to rapidly admit that they had gained several substantial benefits from the exercises. This session certainly took them well outside of their comfort zone, but they agreed that it was one of the most significant that they had yet endured.  Michael's style is a bit different to normal and very typical of the rumbustious antipodean refugee that he is. Try him out!!!" Stuart Smith, Chair, Vistage Group 63 I now have to go and look up what "rumbustious" means. Keep smiling, Michael

MAKE SURE YOUR NEXT SPEECH IS BETTER THAN HUGH GRANT'S

Speaking in public has the remarkable power of unsettling some of the toughest people - even high-flying men and women in the business world. I continue to be surprised that so many of those I work with who are responsible for making courageous big money decisions still complain about butterflies in the stomach and sweaty palms at the idea of talking to an audience. Even those used to macho endeavours like bungy-jumping, parachuting and hang-gliding can find these activities less fear-inducing that putting their company's case to a gathering of prospects or potential investors. It doesn't have to be like this. There's much you can do to get these adverse physical side effects of public speaking nerves under control. Being physically warmed up before you start, taking a few deep slow breaths to fill you with confidence, standing more upright and getting your hands and legs in the right places are amongst the things which can make you - and your audience - feel so much better about your next speech. But the performance side is just one of three elements to supercharging your presentational efforts. The other two are choosing the best possible material - and saying things in the most appropriate order. When you get the content right and the structure right then magically you feel much, much better about the actual performance - and those palms remain dryer. My sessions on "Presenting with Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz" work by getting participants to come along with a short presentation on the big day. It could be a sales pitch to enticing new prospects, or a (hopefully) motivational talk to your employees. Or it could even be that nerve-wracking best man's speech you have to give. If you have any doubt about the importance of getting the content of this right, check out Hugh Grant's car crash of a best man's speech in Four Weddings And A Funeral.  Here he unwisely talks about the previous time he gave a best man's speech for a couple whose marriage went on to last just two days (two violent days). Even a less-than-sensitive Australian could probably tell that choosing to talk about the previous groom's sexual adventures with the bride's younger sister and mother may not have been his best content choice. So I'm hoping that the content for our participants in our next sessions will be more carefully selected than Hugh's character managed. But if it isn't, we'll look at a method for quickly sorting out what should stay in and what should be thrown out. We'll be working on picking out of your potential material what is exactly right for your specific audience at that particular moment. This is because the most promising speech in the world is not enticing if delivered to the wrong audience...as Hugh Grant will attest! And we'll also show you the magic formula for getting your structure right. Those who've been on my "Giving Great Answers To Tough Questions" workshop, will know that there are a couple of magic formulae which - when you deploy them - make it very logical to determine the order in which you should say things to your questioners. Similarly there's a magic formula for putting your material in the right order in your next presentation. So when you get the content right and structure right, you'll be a far better place to get your performance right - and reduce the sweat on your palms. And if you still get a few butterflies in your belly, at least you'll have them flying in formation!

BOOST YOUR SPEAKING PERFORMANCE - IN NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Most sessions of "Presenting with Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz" are run for specific companies, chief executives groups or individuals. But there's an open opportunity for all to participate in the East Midlands on Friday 27 April in the luxury setting of Highgate House just outside Northampton. This session is being hosted by the Business Leaders Group which helps those running companies to constantly upgrade their skillsets. The session is limited to just six participants - so everyone will get plenty of practice time to overhaul or polish their performance. Joint Chairman of the BLG - the multi-skilled Graham Speechley - will be filming our participants throughout the day. This means you will get the chance to see yourself back as others see you, and adjust your approach accordingly. Graham has been the film-maker in all my recent sessions in Northamptonshire, so he knows how to capture and highlight whatever it is that needs improving. Graham Speechley And after the session over a glass of wine at Highgate House, you can entice Graham to apply his business brain to helping tackling your company's biggest challenges. The Business Leaders Group is offering an extra discount to readers of the Michael Dodd Media Newsletter who book before 17 March. You get a £100 discount beyond what Graham calls their "early investor" rate - which means you boost your presenting performance and confidence for £595. Bookings can be made at: http://www.businessleaderslearning.com/events/michael-dodd-workshop/ To take advantage of the readers discount offer please write the code "MDM05" in the "additional information" box. And while you're in the region you can take in a bit of Northampton's fascinating history. It has a magnificent Guild Hall - where the cells of prisoners previously condemned to death can be visited by prior arrangement (yes really). Northampton Guildhall Sadly, Northampton has lost its castle which was torn down on the orders of King Charles II. This was punishment for the good local folk who supported the parliamentarians during the English Civil War - enough to make anyone a republican. Fortunately Northampton's giant market square remains. It's one of the largest in the UK. Beware, it can become overpopulated with pigeons, Australian tourists and other pests...  Picture Credit - Cedric Pulford   AND HERE'S A BOOK THAT CAN HELP People have been asking why I haven't written a book on "Presenting with Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz."...and maybe one day I will. Until then, if you want to uplift your speeches, go for "The Presentation Coach - Bare Knuckle Brilliance For Every Presenter" by my Professional Speaking Association colleague, Graham Davies.  Graham's book will help you make your speech stand out from the crowd - much the way he does himself by nearly always wearing bright lolly pink shirts. You can spot Graham in his dazzling signature shirt in the opening shots of this famous youtube clip:  Graham is a particular master of getting the content and structure of your speech exactly right for a particular audience. And he warns against over-packing your speech, with the eloquent words: "Remember the mind cannot accept what the bottom cannot endure." Graham has kindly inscribed my copy of his book: "Michael, here is a book you do NOT need." I ignored his advice. You should too. Keep smiling, Michael