See our latest film marking the 20th anniversary of the BioIndustries Association in 2009.
Archive for January 2009
BIA
Monday, January 26th, 2009Corporate video: useful sales & marketing tool
Monday, January 26th, 2009Corporate videos meet a wide range of needs, from corporate communication, training and education, to effective communication of key messages for conferences and conventions and as a useful sales and marketing tool.
Moving pictures have the power to tell an engaging and involving story that can influence choices and change perceptions. Done well, video can change our view of the world by creating an impression or conveying a message that gives us a better understanding of a subject or organisation.
But how do you set about producing a professional, eye-catching product to communicate a positive corporate message memorably in an already crowded and noisy marketplace? Or perhaps use a cleverly executed video to convey difficult or unpalatable news to your workforce or customers?
Once your budget is in place, identifying the key messages you need to include, refining the overall concept of the project and producing an appropriate storyboard and final script are all important contributors to a successful production. The most technically polished and
expensive-looking video won’t succeed if the message is muddled or ill-defined. Once the message is clear, the production team can set about bringing the idea to life.
This is where Media Speak can help. Our key people - cameramen, editors, producers and presenters - have worked in the national and international media for many years and know how to tell a visual story. We will take responsibility for an entire corporate video project: from
the first brief to scripting, filming and post-production, to delivery of the finished product. Where a fast turnaround is needed, we will deliver by the agreed date and on budget. Your project could be as varied as a product launch, a rebranding, an information campaign or a
distinctive contribution to a conference.
To discover how Media Speak can help you to make your video project successful, simply e-mail peter.coe@mediaspeak.com or call us on (+44) (0)1494 753990.
Speak in public with confidence
Monday, January 26th, 2009
by Maggie Eyre, Media Speak presentation coach
Paperback £6.99
Afraid of standing up and speaking in public? Terrified your mind will go blank and you’ll forget your lines? If so you are not alone. Most people name public speaking as one of their greatest fears. Surveys and research results show that the majority of people would rather die than speak in front of a live audience, however at some point in our lives we will all need to learn to communicate effectively and speak confidently in public - whether it’s delivering a business presentation, going for an interview, giving a best man’s speech or meeting a client.
In this easy to read, warm and personable book, Maggie Eyre, communications consultant and media trainer shows how to transform fears with self-belief so that speakers crippled by fear are turned into first class performers. Learn how to:
- Structure and write the most appropriate speech for your audience
- Brush up on interview skills and techniques
- Make the right first impression
- Conquer stage fright
- Convey your message with clarity and conviction
- Connect with your audience and stimulate change in the minds of your listeners
Maggie Eyre is a trained actor, communications consultant and media trainer, specialising in public relations, corporate training and presentation skills. She has trained many senior business executives, media personalities and public figures, most notably New Zealand’s Prime Minister Helen Clark, who has written the Preface. Originally from New Zealand, she is now based in London where she runs coaching workshops and one-to-one seminars.
For further information about the author please visit www.maggieeyre.com
Maggie’s top 10 tips to speak in public with confidence
- Believe in yourself - you are unique. The audience will believe in you if you believe in you.
- Share stories that will change other people’s lives. Don’t play it safe - empower your audience, stimulate change in the mind of the listener. Tell your story.
- Plan and prepare well in advance. Procrastination is a killer. Take time to research and do your homework. Your preparation shows you are committed. Always debrief with a colleague, get feedback.
- Respect yourself more. Speak positively to and about yourself.
- Hold on to the memory of the last successful speech you gave. Focus on that one, not the one that you associate with failure.
- Know what your key messages are, write them down and memorise them.
- Rehearse in front of a colleague and friend you respect. Have a complete run-through. A rehearsal is vital for your self-confidence.
- A warm-up is essential to make your body feel more alive. Breathe, move and vocalise. Five minutes is better than nothing.
- Be positive. Affirm yourself - use positive self-talk. Get a record of successful experiences behind you.
- Know your material inside and out. You are the expert. If you don’t know your subject matter, don’t give the presentation. Speak from the heart.
Crisis management: how the ground rules have changed
Monday, January 26th, 2009Martin Langford - Managing Director, Kissmann Langford
Crisis management: how the ground rules have changed
Many of us have been through the experience. The adrenalin rush that is triggered by a phone call on a Friday afternoon, with an agitated London-based client informing you that something is afoot in one of the subsidiary companies on the other side of the world that needs addressing NOW.
It appears that one of the global activist NGOs is lodging a complaint, claiming violation of the country’s laws and the company’s own code of conduct. The details are vague, and the extent to which this is damaging is unclear as well.
Of course, “now” is just before the weekend, when most of the client personnel who can explain what the ” something ” might be, and why this is important are gone. Yet your professional nouse tells you that this IS important: the country is one of the client’s strategic market, the business is one of their jewels, this is the second or third encounter with the activist NGO… and the company’s new code of conduct is both recently announced and one of the CEO’s reform platforms.
Reality is changing in a twinkling of an eye.
We instinctively know how long it takes a corporation to build a positive reputation with its stakeholders. We also know and often witness how a mismanaged crisis can not only ruin that reputation but even affect the very survival of the company.
Who would have anticipated that one of the world’s leading accounting firms would cease to exist only weeks after shredding documents in their Houston office? Or how one of the world’s leading private banks could be obliterated by the overzealous actions of one employee in distant Singapore? At what point did a leading healthcare company realise that the single day drop in share value of 30% was caused by the statement to the media of one disgruntled employee, in a far-off factory.