Media Training Worldwide’s TJ Walker Gives Insights On Public speaking & Media Training

TJ’s Insights

April 29, 2005

New Books, TJ Walker’s “Media Training A-Z”
http://www.mediatrainingworldwide.com/mediatrainingaz.html
“Presentation Training A-Z” http://www.mediatrainingworldwide.com/presentaz.html

Bad Presentation Advice

The world is full of bad advice written in books by so-called “experts.”

“Pregnant women should NEVER exercise!”

“Lose weight by eating only one meal a day.”

“The best way to catch a husband is to play hard to get and to lie, lie, lie” (advice from a now-divorced, but very rich “relationship” expert)

Most of us realize the world is full of charlatans and we take lots of advice with a grain of salt. But for some reason, many of my media and presentation training clients lose all sense of skepticism when it comes to advice they have read about how to conduct media interviews or give speeches.

I always urge clients to become more skeptical of everyone when it comes to presentation advice—including my own advice. Testing is the key. You should always test to see if your speaking audience understood and remembered your audience. If they didn’t, you were following bad advice. If your media audience doesn’t get your message, or you failed to get the exact quotes you wanted, again, you followed bad advice.

The following are advice tips I have read in books from media and presentation training experts—some of them world-renowned and extraordinarily successful.

“It is bad to use your hands while giving a formal presentation.”

“If you use your hands while speaking, keep one hand in your pocket at a time.”

“Always begin a speech by introducing yourself. Tell the audience about your credentials and your company, and then give an outline of your presentation.”

“Always look at the TV camera.”

“It’s not important how you look on camera during TV interviews; it is only important that you have a strong and compelling message.”

“You can never plan your sound bite in advance, they just sort of ‘happen’ in a magical way.”

“Always stand directly behind the lectern.”

“A formal speech should have a memorized introduction and conclusion.”

What do all of these tips have in common? In my opinion, they are all horrible pieces of advice! But don’t just take my word for it; test everything you do in your speeches and media opportunities by asking your audiences what they remembered about you, stylistically and substantively.

Then make up your own mind.

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Author of Media Training A-Z
& Presentation Training A-Z

TJ Walker
Media Training Worldwide
212-764-4955

Media Training Worldwide provides more media and presentation training workshops and seminars (54 separate courses) than any other company in the world. Media Training Worldwide also publishes more than 100 presentation training books, DVDs, CDs, and other information products and is the largest presentation/media training publisher in the world. For a product catalog or more information on training services call 800-755-7220 or visit http://mediatrainingworldwide.com/mediatrainingcatalogapril2004.pdf.

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www.mediatrainingworldwide.com

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