Can you Teach Conviction Communications?

The world of politics is tough, exposing, and rich in criticism.
But so too is all business.

No political candidate in their right mind should enter a debate of the level we’re seeing play out right now, without anticipating the highest of scrutiny.

And by scrutiny, I refer not only to the content of one’s policies and promises, but the individual’s diction, posture, humour, and the all important backstory which so often informs or impacts their present life.

Having been asked a number of times by clients and friends in the last 24 hours, whether I would be media training certain politicians (*look for the one which found it difficult to find the room’s exit) to ‘deliver with more conviction’, it set me thinking about what it is us PRs can ‘teach’, and whether there’s a limit to the skills we can impart and the polish we can provide.

It's true that you can write the best of speeches for a leader.
You can conceive the best campaign themes and slogans.
You can assist your client by organising the best venue, the greatest audience of journalists, and yes, the best darned ‘merch’ that every attendee has received anywhere else on the week’s lively press conference trail.

But media train passion?

Media train conviction, charisma, personality and punch?

Actually, yes, you can go a long way toward that.

It’s perfectly possible to train a timid speaker or one who typically conducts with rather flat and uncharismatic diction.

But like any training, for any other ‘reason’ or race, it requires persistence and commitment.

If your scholar is in any way unaccepting of their need to learn, or possesses a certain arrogance as to their capacity to deliver off-the-cuff to audiences of all pitch and purpose, then alas…your job is so much harder.

No matter whether you’re a politician vying for a spot in Downing Street, or you’re about to start your own small business and attend more networking, or you’ve just taken on a new role in the workplace which involves more direct client conversations (particularly if you’re feeling a little less confident of your public delivery after a couple of years of engaging largely through Teams and Zoom), I’d certainly encourage a media training or confident communication workshop.

As ever, reach out if you think this is something which would suit you.

#PR #mediatraining #communications #marketing #business