WHAT YOU SAY REALLY REALLY REALLY MATTERS

Whatever legitimate business you're in, it's not great to be filmed in a vehicle buying illegal drugs including crystal meth, crack cocaine and ketamine. This is what finally brought unstuck the ex-chairman of Britain's Co-operative Bank, Paul Flowers. Mr Flowers has not only lost his senior banking position, he's also been suspended from being a minister in the Methodist Church. The revelation that he had also once, as a city councillor, been found with "inappropriate adult content" on his council computer didn't help his image either. So the media have been full of headlines like: "How On Earth Did Flowers Bloom?" But as students of communications, it's important for us to note what really sparked the doubts about him in the banking world. The crucial part in the downfall of Mr Flowers (pictured below) was his appalling lack of proper preparation and his abysmal performance for a crucial communications challenge.      His communications challenge was appearing before the Parliamentary Treasury Select Committee. I spend many hours training people in and around Westminster for select committee hearings because they are sooooooooo important. You may not have to appear before a select committee yourself, but the same importance can apply to other big-moment communication challenges - when you are pitching to that dream client, speaking at a crucial board meeting or making an important announcement to your staff. Mr Flowers clearly didn't appreciate this - and has paid the price. The lack of preparation that lies behind the transcript which follows from Mr Flowers' appearance is truly mindboggling...especially if you're a shareholder in the Co-Operative Bank.

HOW NOT TO DO IT       Here are two exchanges between Paul Flowers and the Chairman of the Treasury Select Committee, Andrew Tyrie, who was asking about the financial size of the Co-operative Bank.   Tyrie: "What's your total asset value?"   Flowers: "Just over three billion."   Tyrie: "I'm talking about the assets..."   Flowers: "I'm talking about the assets on the balance sheet - just over 3-billion. These are the figures I've just looked at recently."   Shortly afterwards the Treasury Select Committee (pictured below) returned to the topic of the Co-operative Bank's figures.      This is what happened: Tyrie: "Your total assets in June 2013 are listed as about 47-billion, just to give you an idea. You were offering me 3-billion and I'm telling you your annual accounts show it at 47-billion. Flowers: "Indeed they did. Forgive me." Whoopsidaisy!!! You can hear this amazing moment as it happened on the BBC website. It will be on line for the next four days. The BBC Radio 4 story on it starts just after 1 hour and sixteen minutes into the Today Programme: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03hng14   You need a strong constitution to be able to bare it!

HOW TO GET IT RIGHT There are key things to do when you are facing an important communications challenge which Mr Flowers overlooked. You need to plan for it, prepare for it and practice for it. Many readers of this ezine have taken part in one of the communications-boosting sessions I run to equip you to face audiences and media outlets in general. I'm now offering multi-part programmes for those who want to transform the communications of your whole team:  http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/transform_communication_skills.php  And the latest offering for individual business leaders is at: http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/inspirational_CEO.php  But when you have a specific challenge, you may like to give consideration to doing a bespoke session entirely focused on planning, preparing and practicing for that particular occasion. The focus in these sessions can, if necessary, be rather like The West Wing, where the fictional US President has questions fired at him from all angles so that he's ready for anything.     We can do this for pitches to clients; we can do it for big occasions in the boardroom; and we can do it for that important announcement to your staff. I naturally can't reveal who I have helped prepare to face parliamentary committees - as these are run on a confidential basis. But I will declare that I did not do a session for Paul Flowers. And I don't think anyone else ran one with him either. Doing a bespoke session designed to hit the spots of your next communications challenge will help you perfect your presentation - and make you as close bombproof as possible when it comes to dealing with those questions you might receive during and after it. These sessions will certainly spare you the public embarrassment of appearing to mislay 44-billion pounds!

IT CAN BE WORSE   When you consider how badly Paul Flowers performed in the spotlight, you might think no one anywhere could put in a worse communications performance. But the embattled Mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford, is doing his best to prove you wrong.    Mayor Ford has been grabbing world attention - refusing to resign from office even though he's admitted to smoking crack cocaine in a drunken stupor. He's also been responding belligerently to a series of allegations in court papers that he has been a drunk driver, used racially abusive language, threatened his staff and consorted with an alleged prostitute. Rather than playing the humility card, Rob Ford continues to go on the attack against his multitudinous and growing enemies - including hecklers in the public gallery. If you haven't had the chance to take in the Rob Ford way of doing things, check him out here.    Toronto City Council would like to fire him for bringing their city into disrepute - but they don't have the powers to do so. Instead they've gone as far as they can by voting to strip him of most of his authority. But Rob Ford has succeeded in doing one thing - singlehandedly overturning the image of Canadians as laid-back, well-balanced folk who are far more chilled than almost anyone else on the planet. Many Canadians at home and abroad are less than happy about this. Among them is my Canadian colleague in the Professional Speaking Association, Gerry Brown, who is an expert on customer service. Gerry (seen below) is a more traditional mild-mannered Canadian.     He's keen for companies to learn the lessons of Rob Ford. Gerry sends this message. "If Rob Ford was a company - and many argue he is certainly large enough -  then by now I would expect that most of his customers (citizens) would have cancelled their orders, asked for their money back, taken their business elsewhere, gone onto social media and otherwise made their outrage public. "In the case of the voters of Toronto, they may have to bide their time until the election next year. "But as with companies that show disdain for customers, his time will come; his credibility is in shreds, he has misplaced the trust of the electorate, demonstrated that his basic values are not shared by the people he is supposed to be leading and generally lost sight of the fundamental principles, such as integrity, honesty, fairness and quality, that most right thinking people use as road map to get them through life and use to judge others." So there's one vote Rob Ford will be hard placed to capture. Now of course I have master classes, conference speeches and individual learning programmes that will help you and your team get the communications right in practically any situation. But I'm kind of hoping that Rob Ford doesn't call up and ask me to design one for him. Meanwhile, he's still insisting he wants to become Canadian Prime Minister. Keep smiling - even if you live in Toronto. Michael

MARILYN MONROE OR LAUREN BACALL - YOU CHOOSE...

In the course of reading this issue, you'll be confronted with a tough choice.    Should women presenting on behalf of business:   (A) Aspire to be like a flamboyant Marilyn Monroe         (B) Seek to be more demure like Lauren Bacall     (C) Be themselves and not aspire to have any particular role model - and advise men to do the same (D) Join forces with men and rail against any gender-specific presentational advice that could be seen as outrageously sexist. But first the international economic outlook - and your business...

AT LONG LAST, ECONOMIC OPTIMISM SHINES THROUGH       It's time to talk about the brightening outlook for the economy in the Western world. And what you and your team are doing to get into the best possible shape to ride the upswing.  Of course we should start with that much under-discussed global economic indicator: "The Hertfordshire Taxi Index". Hertfordshire contains the little town on the farther outskirts of Greater London which is the headquarters of the Dodd "Boost-Your-Communications-Skills" Global Empire that works across six continents.  In order to get to and from the local train station I end up talking with a lot of taxi drivers. For the past six years this has been a pretty gloomy experience. "Is the number of jobs you're getting going up or down?" I typically ask them. "Down", or "still the same" are the standard answers. This depressing news has over the period of the economic downturn, been underscored by the long snaking line of taxis at the station which is typically far far greater than the number of passengers.     But something at last is happening. The length of the taxi lines has been going down - and on a couple of occasions in the past month there have been customers waiting for taxis to turn up at the station rather than the other way around. And amazingly, a few taxi drivers are prepared to admit - at long last - that the number of rides they're doing is rising! The upturn in The Hertfordshire Taxi Index is being reflected by a more rosy economic outlook in much of the western world. It's showing up in the United States where things are getting increasingly bullish; in Australia where despite a slowdown in the minerals boom most economists are predicting healthy growth in the next couple of years; and through increased economic optimism in much of the Eurozone (leaving aside the troubled economies in the southern extremities). Here in the United Kingdom the government - wary of hailing the "green shoots of recovery" too early as happened near the end of the 1990s recession - is at last prepared to sound upbeat. News this past week that the UK economy is growing at its fastest rate for three years has triggered the professionally cautious Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, to declare that Britain "is on the path to prosperity". So is the time right for you and your team to get into top communications shape in order to sell your services and products as the economy (barring unexpected hiccups) blossoms in 2014?

SET YOUR SALES FOR GROWTH The Dodd "Boost-Your-Communications-Skills" Empire has been getting ready to put you and your team in the best possible condition for the 2014 upswing. As things pick up, you need to get your message across to the outside world to ensure you get your share of the recovery. Here are two ways to get those communications skills overhauled or polished - one for teams and one for individual rising business stars. 1.    "GET READY FOR THE 2014 UPSWING": This master class is on offer in November and December 2013 for companies to put your key people in the best possible place to portray your offer to prospects - to sell more effectively and gain new clients. This session is ideal for leadership, sales and marketing teams. It enables your people to grab, hold and persuade audiences in pitches and formal presentations - with or without slides. And it helps refine performances in those informal business discussions where your message needs to come across with lasting impact. This session also helps your people give impressive well-thought out answers to those tough, tricky and challenging questions that arise in sales and marketing conversations and business negotiations. Typically conducted over a day, this master class leaves your team feeling confident, positive and ready to capture those 2014 opportunities. 2.     "BECOME THAT INSPIRATIONAL LEADER IN 12 HOURS": This is a one-to-one communications package designed to match your individual requirements. It's built on the premise that as a contemporary business leader - or someone planning to be one - you need to inspire those around you in order to achieve your vision. And you need to counter the negativity that can be thrown at you when you try to change things. Your individual programme will be designed to fit flexibly around your busy schedule - and is typically carried out in 3 four-hour sessions. These will enable you to: # Project yourself as stand-out inspiring leader to audiences of all sizes - with confidence, impact and pizzazz # Supercharge your conversation skills so that you're uplifting those around you - and give great answers to those most challenging questions that make their way to the top # Master the communications revolution by dynamically getting your message across in webcasts, video conferences, the social media and news media. For further information on either of these sessions, email enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com - or call 0 (44) 7944 952835 to have a chat. These sessions are typically conducted on your premises - though other venues and studios can be arranged. My camera operators (if required) and I come to where you need us...wherever you are:

ADVISING WOMEN IN THE SPOTLIGHT...BE CAREFUL   Now back to our opening topic. The global law firm Clifford Chance has aroused internal controversy after circulating a memo to female lawyers in America providing gender-specific advice on presenting. The memo involved a string of tips from a senior partner in the firm its women's committee. The senior partner giving the advice - I should point out - was a woman, though she hasn't been publicly identified. There are definitely certain pieces of good advice for both sexes amongst her 150 tips for speaking in public. But it was the female-specific ones which led to some women in the company feeling patronised. The memo advocated "Think Lauren Bacall, not Marilyn Monroe". One of the contentious tips was: "Don't giggle; Don't squirm; Don't tilt your head." The first two of these could well be considered patronising by some. Not so the third one, I would maintain, which is something a lot of women do in the spotlight without realising it. A tilted head can be interpreted as a submissive sign which can conflict with your aim if you're seeking to establish yourself as an authority on your topic. I advise men against head tilting too, though it's overwhelmingly women who do it. However there is something to be said for occasionally breaking the rules if you know what you're doing. The late Diana, Princess of Wales did the head-tilting thing at times and deployed it in a way that tended to win over audiences - such as in her famous Panorama interview (pictured).   Another tip was: "Don't hide behind your hair". Some people do - mostly women. But the occasional longer-haired male can do it too. As for the alleged sexist aspect of the tips, a Clifford Chance recipient of the memo has been quoted as saying that she and her colleagues were "very upset by not only the elementary nature of the tips themselves, but the suggestion that these would only apply to women." Clifford Chance replied with a statement which included: "While much of what is covered is common sense, we believe that it is important that women as well as men are given access to a range of different viewpoints and approaches; there is no Clifford Chance template on how people should present. "The offence cause by a small percentage of the suggestions in the tip sheet was entirely unintentional." My experience is that there are some distinct differences between the presenting traps women and men typically fall into. For example men frequently put their hands in their pockets - and even worse fiddle with loose change inside them. Other men in the audience are typically not that bothered by this. But women in the audience frequently are - and feel incredibly strongly about it. So some gender-specific advice makes sense. But as Clifford Chance would now tell you - you need to be extra careful how it's conveyed. Back to the list of tips....and let's end with the advice on high heels. The guidance given was "make sure you can stand in your heels, not trip; don't rock back on them". Sounds like a good health and safety warning. And this should certainly apply to men wearing high heels too. Keep smiling, Michael

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