Media Training tips and your chance to WIN!

Welcome to the second ezine for 2006!

We have a great newsletter for you this month.

Thomas Murrell, from 8M Media & Communications is our guest writer this month. He provides useful information for anyone needing to undertake a television interview.

For Client Spotlight, we take a look at The AOT Group, who are Australia's largest distributor of travel product. Barney Johnstone talks about how their recent corporate video is helping with their marketing.

And finally, as a special treat, we have five copies of a fabulous book to give away. Details below.

Until next time,
Marie-Claire

Media Training 101: Mastering the Television Interview

As I travel around the world I always enjoy sampling the media in different countries.

Even if I don't speak Thai, Bahasa or Mandarin, watching local news services always provides a unique insight into local culture.

I was recently watching a story on a new biotech company on Channel News Asia in Singapore. The story had interviews with both the China-based CEO and biotech venture capitalists in Singapore.

One of the visual images that struck me was how professional, persuasive and powerful the Chinese CEO looked compared to the Singapore interviewees.

The simple difference was the Chinese CEO was wearing a dark suit jacket whereas the Singpore-based talent simply had on a tie and white shirt.

Attention to detail like this can make or break your image and ability to persuade others.

Here are the Top 10 Tips for TV Interviews:

1. Avoid the phrase "I think"
   This phrase weakens the impact of your message and sound bite. It adds no value and should be avoided.
2. Always wear a dark jacket for business interviews
   Always have on hand a dark jacket to wear for TV interviews. This will give your body shape conveying confidence, credibility and charisma.
3. Avoid white shirts without jackets
   A white shirt without a jacket is going to make your head look like a pale, washed out balloon floating around the screen. Avoid this unless you have a great tan or dark complexion.
4. Lean slightly forward towards the camera
   That great Western Australian-born TV communicator, artist and inventor of the wobbleboard, Rolf Harris was a master at creating intimacy with viewers by subtle changes to the angle of his head in relation to the TV camera.
   Leaning forward slightly will give you more presence and intimacy, as well as making you look thinner.
5. Avoid looking directly at the camera
   Having been a TV weather presenter, looking directly at a TV camera to deliver messages is a really challenging skill.
   Avoid looking directly at the camera unless you're a seasoned pro.
6. Look at the interviewer
   Look directly at the journalist to avoid 'wandering eyes' syndrome. Looking around furtively will make you appear shifty and untrustworthy.
7. Always control the background visuals
   Control the background of your TV interview with the message you want to convey. Your logo flashed up behind you for 7 seconds can be worth upwards of $50,000 in free branding.
8. Work on your "quotable quote"
   Your media message must be succinct, memorable and to the point.
9. Avoid milk, caffeine and alcohol
   Milk will clog up your mouth and caffeine and alcohol will dull your senses and make you want to go to the toilet.
   Stick to water and make sure you are fully hydrated.
10. Practice
    Nothing is known to improve your skills more than rehearsing, practising and then reviewing your performance.

Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries.

You can subscribe by visiting www.8mmedia.com. Thomas can be contacted directly at +6189388 6888 and is available to speak to your conference, seminar or event. Visit Tom's blog at www.8mmedia.blogspot.com.

Article Source: www.EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Murrell

www.digicast.com.au/services.htm

Client Spotlight - The AOT Group

The AOT Group is Australia's leading travel distribution business.

Many of you would already be familiar with some of their brands such as Sunlover Holidays, Needitnow.com.au, NSW Holidays and Travelmate to name just a few.

The AOT Group has the largest inventory of Australian & New Zealand travel product and leads the way in online content and booking functionality for both their global retail and wholesale customers.

Due to their large, complex business, the AOT Group needed a corporate video that gave an overview of the organisation, as well as its varied divisions and associated brands.

Barney Johnstone, from the AOT Group explains "At a travel industry conference, we had organised for some 200 of our supplier partners to attend a seminar that we ran. As many of our partners only deal with one facet of our business, we needed them to be aware of all of our other distribution arms. Having our corporate video played at the start of our presentation seemed like a great way to get the crowd warmed up and in tune with our abilities".

"The result was a short six minute video that clearly explained our products and services and was really well received at the premiere. We're very happy with the result and we are constantly showing the video in all of our presentations".

www.aot.com.au

WIN! 'Inside the Minds of Winners' by Charles Burke

We have five copies of this amazing ebook to give away. It has 15 interviews with successful people who give their beliefs on why they are successful, how they deal with bad times and how they overcome setbacks.

This is a great book.

To win a copy, all you need to do is be one of the first five people to email mc@digicast.com.au. Just let us know in the body of your email that you want to be in the competition.

Good luck! We will announce the winners in our next issue.