References
"Peter is in the top rank of speechwriters worldwide...the go-to guy..."
John Shosky, speechwriter in three U.S. presidential administrations
"Peter has forensic political antennae."
Lord Bruce Grocott, PPS to Tony Blair 1994 - 2001, Govt Chief Whip in the House of Lords 2002 - 2008
(more references here)
@militans yes quite!!! The first comment was very funny I thought!!
1.3 days ago
25 Handy Words That Simply Don’t Exist In English | So Bad So Good http://t.co/FQsnncKw via @sbadsgood
1.4 days ago
RT @militans: @peterbotting Did you ever see this video? http://t.co/smUu5UpI
1.4 days ago
@militans thank you!!! I hadn't! My jaw dropped! Scary that he probably has a gun license, a car license and is allowed to raise children!!!
1.4 days ago
How to lose the plot totally, possibly the worst "Getting Selected" speech I have EVER seen. Hope he doesn't get a gun. http://t.co/GletjIpk
1.4 days ago
RT @stephenjgray: .@IONeal87 - this must be the most grammatically flawless @Out4Marriage yet, I love it http://t.co/lEZzdDGZ
1.6 days ago
Keep Updated
How can I help you tell your story better?
Intensive Interview Preparation?
Public Speaking or Presentation Coaching?
clarity and focus in story telling
How to give powerful Powerpoint presentations - if you really really have to!
Almost all of my work is...
Boris vs. Ken. Winning elections through likeability and turnout. Is Personality Politics the future? What does this mean for local politics?
I wrote about Boris vs. Ken,...
Speechwriting - a core skill and resource or an outsourced, peripheral add-on?
What a brilliant video. So...
What do Helmut Kohl, Margaret Thatcher, Sheikh Mohammed and Barack Obama have in common? My article for The Commentator
The easiest way to be the...
Social Media and Branding: Protecting your brand and your reputation in the social media world
Things happen quickly these...
Handling hecklers - Speeches and Debates - Lesson number one when debating or giving a speech - remember who your audience is
Remembering who the audience...
The ultimate secret to being a persuasive politician. Conviction politicians 101 - believe something yourself
My jaw dropped when I saw this...
Rupert Murdoch - The Power of the Pause - presentation magic
Pauses are scary. They are a...
House of Lords - my article in The Commentator from yesterday
If you were against House of...
Logos - what they can say about you - if only you had good ones - like these funny and clever logos
This is a brilliant collection...
How to write emails so real people will actually read them and respond favourably and not hate you
Clarity of thought. Why are...
Which words should NEVER be in a speech or presentation? Part 2
Following on from yesterday's...
UKIP outpolling the Lib Dems - my article in The Commentator
So, why is UKIP polling higher...
Giving a speech - 6 quick notes on making a better speech.
This is not the full list or a...
Crafting Messages for Politicians - Six Characteristics of the Successful Lobbyists
The successful focus on real...
Avoiding Amnesia
Herman Cain's Libya gaffe and Rick Perry's temporay amnesia are great...
Article for City AM - How to improve your speech in 5 mins
For those put on the spot at...
Rebuilding after the fire - the questions facing SME victims of the riots
Insurance brokers will be...
The Opacity Advantage – language that Government (mis)uses to control us!
Spin doctors, communication...
Your reputation, credibility and timing are sometimes more important than your message.
Dan Hannan makes a very good...
The 8 Point Cheats Check List to Improving or Crafting Your Speech in 5 minutes.
For those put on the spot at...
A man who needs no training from me and who has had no training from me! Damnit! What street cred I would have got!
Pithy, every word has a...
What’s in a name? What makes a reputation? Spin or substance?
A Lord, two Knights and a mere...
Rainmaking or Getting a Job – Can Social Media bypass scary gatekeepers?
However good, well crafted,...
How good is your sales pipeline? Or your pledge base?
A great article highlights the need for...
Will the downturn persuade British business people to learn from Obama and the Germans?
German white collar workers...
Getting Selected - a candidate shows how NOT to do it.
I am speechless. This guy is so bad. So very bad. Please - all Conservative Parliamentary Candidates - please watch this. And be different. Passion in a speech or presentation is good. Even mandatory. But in the words of my aged aunt, this man needs to get out more. Selection Interview...
Social Media - Bottom Up Power - Interview. Client's revenge.
I am involved with a new project with some very impressive people. I feel like a bit of an intruder to be honest. Anyway, we all met in Lewes for a day out - like those embarrassing days companies sometimes send you on. Except everyone there were bosses of companies and departments. All good stuff. ...
Is this the best war speech ever?
This was a speech that stood out. The Chamber of the House of Commons was packed. Important things were to be decided. Speeches were made that may have been technically better, more polished, more prepared. This speech was written that morning. It was written by the man who delivered it. It was deli...
Stand up for yourself. Use your voice. Your vote.
We are all getting the hang of being picky as consumers. But we are often victims as shareholders and as voters. You can read my article about voter's culpability, and why being in a democracy is not enough, in the Euroshambles in The Commentator. After reading the article, a friend sent me th...
My article gets mentioned by the media in Dubai
Following a recent trip to Dubai, I was so impressed, that I mentioned Dubai and Sheikh Mohammed in an article I wrote on leadership and vision for The Commentator. Well how surprised was I today. I was looking for a video I had uploaded to YouTube that seemed to have got lost temporarily and...
How to prepare for a telephone interview
Preparation For telephone interviews. These are more staccato with less niceties than a face to face. Be ready to go from the outset. You will often sadly simply be "the next one" and the interviewer is often just looking for reasons to make the pile in front of them smaller. Telephone Interview P...
How to give powerful Powerpoint presentations - if you really really have to!
Almost all of my work is helping people and organisation tell their stories and differentiate themselves. Sometimes in interviews, pitches, campaigns or presentations. Presentations can be the most challenging - not least because of Powerpoint. Everybody knows it. Everybody thinks they can use it. ...
Video really makes presentation easy for me. thanks for sharing this tutorial with video for better guidance. cheap ink cartridges
- cheap ink cartridges
Is Boris the last Conservative Mayor of London?
Hurry Up Boris. You may be the last Conservative Mayor of London for a while. There has been a lot of internet comment about alleged BBC bias in describing London Mayor Boris Johnson's victory with 51.5 percent of the vote as a "tight margin" while describing the French President-elect Francois Hol...
I already read much about Boris however have to wait till 2013 or 14 to check his worth. cheap ink cartridges
- cheap ink cartridges
Vision in politics. Are you a child of Thatcher?
In this video, Andrew Marr says that we are all "children of Thatcher" - whether we like it or not. Marr acknowledges that she changed the UK and was a "nation changing" leader. He does amusingly say that she "gave it a long and repeated slapping" and in so doing made the UK a stronger and mor...
Boris vs. Ken. Winning elections through likeability and turnout. Is Personality Politics the future? What does this mean for local politics?
I wrote about Boris vs. Ken, likeability and perception of winner status several weeks ago. It looks likely that Boris will win today. And that makes me happy. For London and for Londoners and for the UK as a whole too. If he does win, it will be because of him being more liked, ...
Speechwriting - a core skill and resource or an outsourced, peripheral add-on?
What a brilliant video. So many good quotes. This is a MUST SEE for politicos and communications people alike. Idealistic - sure. Shouldn't we all be? "...it can't be a great speech unless it comes from inside..." "...there has to be trust and understanding..." "...bloodless, compromising...
What do Helmut Kohl, Margaret Thatcher, Sheikh Mohammed and Barack Obama have in common? My article for The Commentator
The easiest way to be the passionate politician that so many claim to be is simply to believe in something. It is easy in politics, especially when your social world and your political world overlap, to just "go with the flow" without identifying - and testing - and probing, exactly what it is you b...
Social Media and Branding: Protecting your brand and your reputation in the social media world
Things happen quickly these days. What you say, in private or in public, and what you post on Facebook can lose you jobs, elections or land you in court. Sometimes you will know that you have lost out because of what you have said or done - but often you will have no idea. A very good friend...
Handling hecklers - Speeches and Debates - Lesson number one when debating or giving a speech - remember who your audience is
Remembering who the audience is and focusing on getting them to take your side is huge. Watch this amusing example of how a heckler gets it totally wrong. He heckles, then asks for a microphone. The brave and self-assured comedian gets him a mike and invites the heckler on to the stage. And gives hi...
The ultimate secret to being a persuasive politician. Conviction politicians 101 - believe something yourself
My jaw dropped when I saw this video. The journalist must have struggled to believe his luck. I have always believed in and hoped for conviction politicians as clients and leaders. As somebody said - you can either be a weathervane or a signpost. Or you could be a poodle. This Australian politicia...
Rupert Murdoch - The Power of the Pause - presentation magic
Pauses are scary. They are a gap. A void. A big black hole that begs to be filled. They are powerful because you might fall in the hole. Because of the fear. The suspense. The wait. The silence. The damned silence. And this painful, exciting silence makes us yearn for the sound to follow. Like br...
House of Lords - my article in The Commentator from yesterday
If you were against House of Lords reform you could say that parliament has more important things to do at the moment than waste time on House of Lords reform. You could say that the House of Lords is the cheapest second chamber in the world. You could say that this "reform" is Lib Dem motivated and...
Logos - what they can say about you - if only you had good ones - like these funny and clever logos
This is a brilliant collection and explanation of some famous logos. Real thought and creativity went into them - almost as much as went into my blue-dotted name logo!! :) I recently helped a friend with some words for some work for a huge organisation. Somebody ha...
How to write emails so real people will actually read them and respond favourably and not hate you
Clarity of thought. Why are you sending me this email. What do you want me to do? Is it a nudge, a demand, an alert, just for info? Please decide before you push send. The subject line is the single thing that annoys me most. Especially from people that I "interact with by email" often. I f...
Which words should NEVER be in a speech or presentation? Part 2
Following on from yesterday's blog, I have a second edition - authored entirely by friends and followers! A round of applause to Scott Westron for a long list - his contributions are wide ranging, typically caustic, pithy - and some are very funny.:) Embarassingly I am guilty of one of them!!...
UKIP outpolling the Lib Dems - my article in The Commentator
So, why is UKIP polling higher than Lib Dems? The polling companies have Gigabytes of supporting data in detailed excel tables that would be best read on a 42" wide screen - but let me take a few guesses. UKIP appear to have a clear and retail message – and a message that resonates with the m...
How to be convincing when pitching or campaigning.
Being authentic is important. So is being consistent. Technology simply won't allow you to say different things to different peiople in different places at different times and get away with it. Technology is great for the public and bad for politicians who change their stories. Here is a YouT...
Which words should NEVER be in a speech or presentation?
Some words and phrases are either so overused or meaningless or just plain wrong that they just should be banned from all speeches, pitches and presentations. "Passionate" is one of my pet hates. And it seems @davidgoldeltham agrees with me! Rumour has it that Blair's speechwriters inserted ...
How to give a great speech, pitch or presentation
Mark Twain said "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog." One of the most important foundations to a good speech, pitch or presentation is giving a damn about what you are saying and the impact of what you say and, absolutely key, whether you believe in what...
Giving a speech - 6 quick notes on making a better speech.
This is not the full list or a book on giving a speech - it is a quick list to tweak your performance and improve your impact. Be positive. People want to hear about the possible. They want to dream. They want things, their life, their job, their relationships to be better. Talk them through, and...
Communicating with clarity and simplicity
Not much to say here apart from to acknowledge http://99coolwords.com/ Clarity and simplicity. Let the words speak. Don't dress them up or put them on steroids.
Boris vs. Ken. Likeability counts. So does turnout.
Ken seems to be losing the Mayoral election - and he is doing it all by himself. The public generally love the likeable rogue, the underdog, the outsider, the cheeky chappie. Richard Branson, Ken, Boris - all have qualified for one or more of these badges at some stage - and they have served them we...
What is The Core of you, your brand?
I apologise for the picture and audio quality of this YouTube video - but the content, what Steve Jobs says about branding and core beliefs, makes it well worth watching. I watched it, with my ear pressed against my Mac Air. Obviously. I rewrote this sentence 3 times. I was going to say he comes cl...
Nice information about our brands. thanks for sharing it with me. keep on exploring more information. printer toners
- printer toner
Cash for Cameron - my article in The Commentator
The media storm of the last 24 hours has been so toxic because it includes and conflates party funding, lobbying, cash for access and cash for influence. Party Funding Giving money to political parties or politicians is rightly legal - especially if characterised by Obama-style 'many-and-small' do...
Crafting Messages for Politicians - Six Characteristics of the Successful Lobbyists
The successful focus on real influence, a positive impact and tangible results. They are different to the smash-and-grab merchants who make money from making noise. They get in early. By adding early value, clarity and knowledge (aka facts and evidence), they influence far more than the loudest a...
Nice successful pinpoints for politics. thanks for sharing it with me. printer toners
- printer toner
Stories outsell Concepts
Hat-tip - the anonymous author. This is a great example of how stories are more effective than abstract concepts. Especially stories that are based in the real world and include normal people. An economics professor at a local college made the statement that he had never failed a single student be...
If everyone go with these tips than students must get A grade in their studies. printer toners
- printer toner
Messages should be tested. Early.
Messages should be tested. Early. Really early. (Like before filming). By independent and objective people. (That means people who are NOT YOUR FRIENDS!) And "too clever by half" messages are generally failures. Yesterday the ASI Blog, mentioned today by Guido Fawkes, cast a bright and unpleasant l...
Cheapening words
I remember listening to a live report from a rebel stronghold under active attack from Gaddafi forces. A Libyan Doctor said, simply and eloquently, "Things are bad here." His vocabulary wasn't limited. His English was reasonably fluent. He just said what was. Fast forward a few weeks to another war...
Great information. thanks a ton for sharing it with us. I really learn some useful points through that post. keep up the right and great work. printer toners
- printer toners
Differentiating your company from the competition
I talk with clients a lot about differentiating themselves and their product or service. Here are some ways for a company to be different:- Your reputation - credible references, referrals, affiliations, business awards Your time in business Y...
I totally agree with you after reading that post till the end. you rightly said that by using these pinpoints we can easily differentiate our company from other companies. printer toners
- printer toners
Should I ask a question during an Interview?
This is something every corporate interview client asks me. The answer is Yes, Yes, Yes. And they should all be future "we" related, not past and "me". Good questions can make all the difference in an interview. They can elevate or rerank you, highlight your skills and experience and showcase your...
Ask a question such as "How do you see the role developing in the next five years?" Bit cheesy, but it ensures the interviewer knows you are thinking long term about your position in the company.
- Melissa
I think its better to listen and when during interview if they asked you for any question than its better to ask any question. printer toners
- printer toners
Holocaust Educational Trust
I was privileged to be at the Holocaust Educational Trust's Lord Merlyn Rees Lecture last night. Lord Janner welcomed everbody in his delightful Lord Janner style. Martha Vearney chaired it, Francis Maude spoke and Sir Ian Kershaw gave a deeply disturbing historical analysis about the interaction be...
Happy Christmas
Thanks for this greeting post. i am new here and missed to ask you Happy Christmas a few days ago anyhow thanks for this nice post. Ink cartridges
- INk cartridges
I am rubbish at interviewing people
friend: I like the spin you put on my negative qualities - is this why they pay you the big bucks? me: yep!!!! my job is to see people's potential and then sell them. Which is why I am rubbish at interviewing people!!!
Nothing to add.
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover" (Mark Twain) Nothing to add.
A very inspiring quote.
- K. Brothers
Do MPs only talk to improve their speaking records?
Paul Goodman makes several good points here about how speeches have changed in the House of Commons Chamber. I have always been in favour of shorter speeches and presentations. Long speeches are usually the result of a lack of planning and message/outcome focus. I think MPs should only gi...
Avoiding Amnesia
Herman Cain's Libya gaffe and Rick Perry's temporay amnesia are great comedy but excruciating for the candidates and their managers. And hugely damaging for their careers and presidential chances. All campaigns are exhausting, none more so than US Presidential and Nomination campaigns...
Crafting Messages for Politicians
Crafting Messages for Politicians Six Characteristics of the Successful Lobbyist. The successful focus on real influence, a positive impact and tangible results. They are different to the smash-and-grab merchants who make money from making noise. They get in early. By adding early value, clarit...
Article for City AM - How to improve your speech in 5 mins
For those put on the spot at short notice and those too lazy to prepare. Decide, and then stick to, what you are trying to achieve. Do you want to inform or persuade? What must you achieve with your speech? What defines success? What is/are the Key Performance Indicator(s) you have to hit? You are ...
A Matter of Principle.
I am often reminded by the tea bag test of character put by @TimMontgomerie . You can only really tell the character and quality of people and politicians when they are put in hot water. Yesterday and over the weekend there was a lot of hot water around in the House of Commons and on the mobile...
Saying NO
Sometimes you just have to say no. It's an important word to learn to use.... http://www.cityam.com/business-features/overwhelmed-sometimes-you-have-say-no
Human Trafficking Foundation Media Awards
The 18th October is now Anti-Slavery Day in the UK. The Human Trafficking Foundation wanted to get the date and the week firmly stuck in the minds and the calendars of the public, parliamentarians and the media. I came up with the concept of an annual media awards ceremony. Retained by the Human Tr...
Unsolicited email
What a great email to receive on a Saturday morning...!!! "I don't know if you remember me....you gave me some interview coaching last year for law training contract interviews. I just wanted to let you know that I recently obtained a training contract with X (top 50 full service Law firm) ...
Rebuilding after the fire - the questions facing SME victims of the riots
Insurance brokers will be tested on their advice after the riots. So will insurance companies. Some policy holders have another horrible shock coming. A client's factory burnt down in 2005. Like much of the damage caused in London and other areas, this was a small family owned business with around ...
Then you have this silly little Riot (Damages) Act 1886 that could be used to hide behind and place the financial compensation on the local police!
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/49-50/38/contents
- Henry Lamprecht
Make redundant words redundant
Whenever I have text to edit (mine or anyone else's) I go through the text deleting 1 in 7 words. I can usually do this at least twice on a 400 plus word text without losing any meaning. I also cut out clauses which often confuse and seldom add. We all use too many words to say what we mean. Too man...
In the video you posted the guy says "the smaller space you have the more critical it is to really be efficient with how you use it"
Same applies to text. My problem with writing for a long time has been using far too many words, something which was really REALLY encouraged and pushed at school. We were marked higher the lengthier and more ostentatious we wrote.
When studying Orwell's works in college he was the first person to inspire the belief that in speech and text, less is more.
Not sure if you've read this essay of his, but it's a firm favourite of mine - http://www.george-orwell.org/Politics_and_the_English_Language/0.html
We're also taught in marketing 'the Twitter rule'; if you can't communicate your campaign message or aim in less than 140 characters than you don't have a campaign or a message.
- Yasin Akgun
Ed's 60 seconds...
Just once yesterday, from my perch overlooking the Chamber, did Ed look really good. He was, briefly, cocky. In control. It lasted less than 60 secs. "Who's next?" he challenged after handing an interjection. 10-20 Conservative MPs sprung up. And he chickened out. And rushed to close. Very qu...
Reflections and lessons from Wimbledon
1. Eliminating Unforced Errors can be as important as finding Winners. Rafa had 7 unforced errors in his entire match against Andy Murray. Which he won. He conceded 5 in the first set alone in the final. Which he lost. There are hundreds of potential unforced errors - turning up late, technical iss...
Standing out at Interview
Three tips that will help you stand out at interview http://www.cityam.com/business-features/three-tips-will-make-you-stand-out-the-other-candidates-interview
How to handle the Nasty Question
She doesn't show aggression. She rejects the premise of the question. She fields the question and then responds with evidence. She is accused of being flaky and responds by acting the opposite - like a grown up. Action matching the words. (hat tip Mark Bernheimer) ...
The flake question didn't come from out of the blue.
She issued this video October 24, 2008 because "I may not always get my words right." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3_VRUHStOg.
That was US presidential election year in case we have forgotten - I wonder who 'suggested' this video was necessary?!!
- Peter B
How to give Paxman a spanking
Not everyone gives Paxman such a hard time. In fact, I am not sure Paxo has ever had an interview as harsh (on him) as this one. This clip is ample evidence that knowing what you are talking about is a key to success. Paxman and Co can smell blaggers from a couple of miles off. I worked with a newl...
Great example this. You always come off better against somebody else if they're acting belligerent and you are the cool cucumber. I am a Paxo fan, but in this interview I think he comes across as a hack.
"there are thousands of statistics"
"well do your homework"
bang bang Ackwilliam shot you down..
Peter, do you ever see the spokespersons of large corporations on Watch Dog? Great examples of just how not to conduct yourself under fire.
- Yasin @ Total Insights
Yasin - cheers for commenting. You are quite right about the corporation representatives on Watchdog - for me they just typify "The Accused"!!! I think in this example Paxo was blagging it himself!!
- Peter B
A very bad politician
Even if you don't speak German - this is worth watching. The insensitivity and ignorance of this German politician as he pretends to get on with his "photo-op" pals is unbelievable. Especially his comments about his and their earnings.
CCHQ Candidates' List culled
I understand CCHQ has sent out Dear Johnny letters to 120 on the candidates list. Apparently those culled include Cameroons and those who would hate such a tag, those who fought seats and those who had not yet been selected. Being on the A List or part of Women2Win was also no guarantee of escaping ...
Reflections of a Prime Minister
"You soon learn as Prime Minister, the people who invariably say "Yes Prime Minister that's right, lets do it" are not the the people to whom you want to go for advice. You do want people who are prepared to say you know, you are wrong." John Major
Be in the room
Whatever you do - go for it! If you are sleeping or resting - sleep or rest. If you are reading - read. If you are talking to someone - talk to them (DO NOT look over their shoulder at, or in search of, someone else or fiddle with your Blackberry). If you are on holiday - be on damn holiday! If you ...
Losing sucks
"Whoever said "It's not whether you win or lose that counts" probably lost." Martina Navratilova.
Pointing at Pavements
An MP is paid £65K. A Minister is paid over £100K. What do we get for this money? What should we get? Far too often we get grainy pictures of MPs pointing at pavements and other local "issues" that our MP is campaigning for or against, saving or condemning. In today's re-election campa...
I agree with you but the electorate by an large don't vote for MPs at all, they vote for the government.
I would say I'm one of those who think their MP doesn't "work hard enough" but thats not because she isn't pointing at stuff but because she's been my MP for 14 years and I don't know who she is. She doesn't try to communicate with us about what she is doing. My MSP sends us parliamentary reports of what he's been doing as well as notices of when he is doing a surgery local to us.
My MP doesn't even attempt to get the views of the locals on the "big issues of the day". I wish I could get rid of her but she gets in through the Labour brand.
- Nicola Prigg
Spot on!
- Steve Buckel
Gordon Brown fails as an MP on all these counts.
- Penny
The over-involvement of MPs in local affairs is also a response to the hollowing out of local government in the past 30 years by successive governments. People know that most decisions about local government are taken nationally, and implemented locally, so they complain to their MP rather than thweeir councillor.
Also, let's not forget that the whips encourage this: an MP getting involved in local, parochial affairs, is one not causing trouble at the national,, aprliamentary level
- Mark Austin
It's down to our appalling edjerkashun system.
Constituents think MPs are there to "give" them stuiff.
This is especially the case where the robust independence of Anglo-Saxon culture has been swamped by an influx of South Asians that expect their MPs to rob the country and share the loot with them or by an influx of Euro Marxists that think the party (and it's always the Liebore Party) is more important than the country or the individual.
- Marcus Aurelius
Losers try harder
Losing in politics is like losing in sport. It is direct, undiluted, painful feedback. Like getting a smack in the mouth. But there are a few ways you can deal with it. The first choice is giving up. This isn't always cowardice or defeatism. Maybe you just never wanted it enough. Or maybe, after go...
The new intake of MPs
Last night I went to a CIPR event in Westminster that was addressed in order (very PC here, you know!) by Aidan Burley MP (C), Stephen Gilbert (LD) and Stella Creasy MP (L). All are new intake MPs and they were asked to review their first year in parliament. I must declare an interest here - I ...
'I hope that they stay normal!'
Here's hoping they do. I'm an amateur parliament-watcher, and have been impressed by Stephen Gilbert and *very* impressed by Stella Creasey. I haven't really caught much of Aidan Burley as yet, but will now be watching!
- Straycat
Hi Straycat - thanks for commenting. I hope so too - I hope they also don't go "bad tribal". If they can do both - it will be good for us. Keep in touch!
- Peter Botting
Messaging Mistakes by YES
No campaign is perfect. Ever. External factors play a role. Mistakes are made. Some you are forced into. Most you make yourself. Pat Cash's coach, Ian Barclay used to say to Pat before every match "Just get the ball over the net one more time than he does." Eliminating unforced errors is as importa...
I am not an expert in campaign management, though my take on this campaign from the outset is as follows.
The Yes campaign started well. It had a decent lead in the polls and presented a positive message.
Later Miliband himself became involved and thought that Clegg's support could be a disaster for the Yes campaign. Miliband could have behaved like an adult and took the toxicity out of the Clegg brand. Miliband could have behaved like an adult and a statesman and shared a stage with Clegg, in-spite of disagreeing with him over tuition fees.
However what appears to have transpired, from my viewpoint looking at the campaign from the outside, y'know... as a voter, is that Ed Miliband saw that the various celebrities failed to have much impact (especcially Eddie Izzard, a man who lives abroad and comes home only to insult this country and campaign on the wrong side of all policies. He wanted us to dump the pound and join the Euro for God's sake....But I digress)
Ed Miliband appeared to take over the YES campaign and publicly made a big deal of refusing to share a platform with Nick Clegg. Miliband and Clegg are quite close in general ideological terms and were in total agreement on this one policy of AV. Yet Miliband behaved like a spoiled child, petulantly refusing to share the stage with someone who he AGREES with... WTF? That was seriously unprofessional and deeply damaging in PR terms.
Comparing that image, with Cameron and Dr Reid sharing a stage to unite on this one issue, showed the No campaign to be mature, reasoned and professional. We had petulant children having tantrums on the one-side and professional grown-ups on the other. Which appears more trustworthy?
The No campaign was a slam-dunk from then on and Miliband was largely to blame.
What amazes me though, is the fact that labour are undergoing a wide ranging policy review. So Ed Miliband has actually scrapped ALL labour's policies (ironic as they were all policies he wrote in the last manifesto).
So Ed Miliband only had this ONE single solitary policy to campaign on. ONE. That's it.
At the same time, Cameron was only having to run the country and manage a fractious coalition during this campaign.
Even then, Miliband managed to:
1. lose most of his parliamentary labour party.
2. lose even more of the labour party support in the country.
3. alienate his natural allies in the Liberal Democrats
4 single handedly take the yes campaign from a double digit lead in the polls to a crashing, crushing defeat.... no an annihilation would be more accurate description.
Then after that EPIC FAIL, he LIES about it and blames Clegg!!!!!
Miliband is the biggest loser in all this, by miles.
- Ken Hall
Just a quick point regarding the use of celebs to sell AV. The Yes campaign had the usual selection of luvvies endorsing it and therefore instantly politicising it as they are all regarded as Labour supporters. This was reinforced by having prominent Labour member Tony Robinson and Europhile lefty Eddie Izzard at the front of the campaign. How on earth were they supposed to appeal to Tories? It reinforces the point about the Left thinking they know best for everyone, and everyone quietly sticking up two fingers in return.
- Jamie V
Good article, I enjoyed it. Lucid arguments well made, and all without actually mentioning Izzard's name - well done!
- Nicholas Heneghan
Messaging mistakes by No:
Making everything up
Logical fallacies
Association of unrelated things with the issue of AV.
Nice work guys, nice work. Our democracy wouldn't be the same without you in so many ways.
- Josh W.
My feeling about the "Yes" campaign was that it was designed by people who had little real idea about how political campaigning works. The biggest difference between a political campaign and a campaign to sell a product is that when you're selling a product, you're campaigning against indifference, whereas in a political campaign you're campaigning against people who are actively attacking you.
The "Yes" campaign was designed and tested with voters who had no idea what the issue was and had not encountered the "No" campaign. From this, they concluded that a waffly "AV is more fair" campaign would work better than one that was more about the technicalities. Well, sure, if you ask people "Do you want fairer votes?" they will answer "Yes" in a more enthusiastic way than if you ask them "Do you want a system which blah-de-blah little bit of maths blah-de-blah is more fair and gives you more power over the politicians". So there was a deliberate decisions to be vague and waffly because "market testing showed people were switched off by technical details".
Come the weeks of the referendum, there was a vigorous "No" campaign - almost all of it VERY dubious, but it had more money and more press support, and its waffle sounded as convincing as the "Yes" waffle.
Right at the start when the referendum was first announced, I made my point, which was this. The best thing "Yes" had going for it was actually the technical details, and so it needed to go on and on explaining these until people understood them. It needed to give a few simple examples of "split the vote" anomalies under FPTP and show how AV resolved them. Sure, this would seem boring, so you do have to persist with it until people get the message. The "No" campaign couldn't have touched them because the maths is indisputable. A bit more understanding of AV and the innumerate and illogical arguments of "No" would have looked silly. I myself don't think AV is so complex that it is impossible to explain to most ordinary people. Sure, it does require a bit of humour and skill to do it, but I think it could have been done. By not even attempting it, "Yes" had already conceded one battle to "No" by in effect agreeing with the "No" line that "AV is horrendously complex". Worst still, they had thrown away the defence they had against further "No" attacks, meaning most people really were votibg on the emotions thrown up by both sides rather than by what was really the issue.
"Yes" was wearing last year's fashion. Then it was all about nasty politicians claiming expenses to build duck houses etc, and Nick Clegg as Mr New and Clean to sweep all that away. The 2011 fashion was Clegg "breaking his election promises", so talking about duck houses not only was old hat, it just served to remind people of the contrast between Mr Clean Clegg in 2010 and Mr Dirty Clegg in 2011.
The technical abstract campaign for AV I had in mind would have bemused people, but it would have taken it out of the arena where it was becoming a referendum on Mr Clegg - obviously an urgent necessity which ought to have been realised some months before May 2011. The real aim should have been to flatter people by making them feel a bit smug and clever because they'd understood AV. It ought also to have been trying to make "No" look dirty and old-fashioned and thick for not understanding it - but subtly done, no direct attacks. I think it could have been done, I even sketched a little in advance how it could have been done, I'm sorry it wasn't. The people who got the"Yes" campaign were paid large amounts of money for getting it wrong, my advice on how to get it right was offered for free.
- Matthew Huntbach
Funding clarification: No spend £2.4m, Yes spend £3.6
- Peter B
Thansk for the clarification Peter. I thought I'd read somewhere that "No" had more to spend, and from what I saw in terms of adverts and campaign material, that seemed to be the case. If it was the other way round, it indicates even more incompetency from those running the "Yes" campaign than I supposed.
- Matthew Huntbach
Cameron, Gaddafi, Unacceptable
Well done David Cameron. I say this not as a Conservative, or as a fan of war (I disagreed with the Iraq war and grew up in a war), but as a voter and as a lover of the (potential) potency of words. "Gaddafi would be judged on his actions and not on his words." said David Cameron when Gaddafi order...
It is unacceptable to use the word 'unacceptable' when you don't mean it!
- Archie Manners
The Birth of a Word
I often witter on about the power of words. In this TED presentation you can witness the birth of a word - a mammoth piece of research by MIT researcher Deb Roy. http://www.ted.com/talks/deb_roy_the_birth_of_a_word.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2011-03-15&utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&...
Telling Stories
"Isn't that what a great story does? It makes you feel." Dustin Hoffman People buy and vote emotionally and justify their 'investment', choices or purchases logically. A simple addition of facts that favour the required decision could win the argument. But the emotions, the feelings, behind a compe...
Cliches, Clicktivism and the (potential) Power of Words
A Facebook friend recently said that they stood "shoulder to shoulder" with the people of Libya. An understandable update, a valid update. But what does it achieve? Much has been written on Clicktivism. Facebook groups abound with members who join but who don't donate, don't write letters and don't...
Under Promise and Over Deliver
Do you know the feeling of getting a new car? When the fascia, the wheels and the body work gleams wonderfully and you almost laugh with joy just looking at it? Well I get that feeling every month. And it costs me just £10! The guy at the valeting company round the corner always smiles when y...
Less is more
This weekend on Any Questions a young lady asked a question. After the panel had responded, Jonathan Dimbleby asked the lady if she had anything to add. She made two concise points then said "That's all I have to say." Jonathan Dimbleby rewarded her by saying that she had been "pungently eloquent". ...
More on Moderate Language
I have written before about the need for moderate language in politics and the need to attack policies rather than people. The shooting of Congresswoman Giffords could well be traced back to the use of immoderate language and the tactic of playing the person rather than the ball. Of course...
Latest: Discretion, discretion, discretion…
There is a huge difference between protagonists or player, coaches and commentators. And there is a difference in what is expected of them and what language they use. A player or protagonist, for example, should never say that they are "the best", "the market leader", "the one to beat" or anything ...
Words Count...
Words count. They have power and meaning and meanings and hidden meanings. And titles are words. I used to be a tennis coach. Then I became a language coach. But trainer was thought to be a better word. So I became a trainer. Then people said I should be called a consultant. ("The money's better if...
Moderate language and behaviour
Whether it is negative personal attacks and general negative campaigning, the public are turned off by blind, unthinking, tribal political loyalty and the resultant school yard behaviour. Because they are not blindly politically loyal. They are too busy trying to get from day to day and from week t...
Completely agree here. I'm sure you've seen yourself how difficult it is to get somebody who is so involved in politics that they can't see anything outside their bubble that at the end of the day, what matters to them as a politician (he said she said inner squabbles) does not even register on the radar of the very people they seek votes from.
- Yasin Sterling Akgun
What would Hemingway say?
I love words, what they can do, how they sound and where they come from. As former Reagan speechwriter, John Shosky says: Words are dangerous. And I earn my living from words. And I got an A for A Level English long enough ago that it meant something. But when I came across a competitor's website ...
An Example of How to Own the Stage!
This is a phenomenal lesson in how to own the stage. Fear and nervousness are felt by an audience. Confidence, belief and competence equally so! If you believe, in all honesty, that your product or service is good for your client - you are on the way to owning the stage. A corporate client (a bout...
Can you say what you do in 3 words? Or even 10?
Twitter has made people reconsider lengthy, rambling, navel-gazing essays. Sometimes brevity works, sometimes it merely confuses. Can you do brevity? Can you describe what you do? I am not talking about your mission statement or strapline (Apple doesn't seem to need one), rather a core description ...
You can’t fix a brand with an elastoplast…
This was so true I had to copy it in full.. "Your brand is more than just your logo or website. It's the core, the essence, the soul of your company and it's the main story you want to tell to the world . You have to know what that brand story is so that you can communicate it to the world with you...
The Opacity Advantage – language that Government (mis)uses to control us!
Spin doctors, communication allowances, jargon and language designed to fool you..... Read here about how language is misused. I call it the Opacity Advantage!!! My article is No. 4.
Take your job seriously, not yourself!
Lets face it - we all screw up from time to time. Sometimes we win by winning, sometimes by screwing up less than the competition. When I was a tennis coach, Ian Barclay (who was Pat Cash's coach) was coaching a group of us in Johannesburg. One of his standard pieces of advice was "Winning is easy ...
For all those womans and gents, who are searching ahead, to have themselves into nice looking overall yet complicated appear, Abercrombie has invested in some tremendous awesome dress and components. This brand has took away the kisses of many people, living across the globe. Just about every period,abercrombie fitch constantly formulate incredibly cool and trendy, modish and chic designs and styles. Notice numerous items inside the establishments of it, that are constantly accepted as extremely nice-looking.
http://www.aberclombie.com/abercrombie-shop.html
- aberclombie
The results of a loss of trust…..
MP expenses scandal all over the news. MPs have been taking the mick with our money and we are angry and have lost faith in our elected representatives. This has happened before. Arthur Andersen lost its reputation and was quickly gone. Hard earned and quickly lost, trust is probably the most valu...
Do you give a shit? Enough to be persuasive?
Do you care about what you are doing? Do you care about your customers? Would you do what you do if you won the lottery? I have been a coach of some description almost all of my adult life and am lucky to have found something I love doing. (Some people would say its because I love telling people wh...
Your reputation, credibility and timing are sometimes more important than your message.
Dan Hannan makes a very good point here about catching the wave of popular opinion and the importance of timing. Once people categorise you as good, bad, credible, deceitful etc. there is a huge job awaiting you before they will even hear your message. And then there is still some mileage to do bef...
The Power of Tailor Making Your Message.
Say things that interest the client. Not the things that interest you. But how can you do that without knowing your audience? Talking to an 18 year old about pensions is unlikely to strike a chord. Talk to a pensioner about your new BMX and you may well get a glazed look. However, talk to me about ...
The 8 Point Cheats Check List to Improving or Crafting Your Speech in 5 minutes.
For those put on the spot at short notice and the others too lazy to prepare. 1. Do you want to inform or persuade? What must you achieve? What defines success?2. If you want to persuade, compare the current with your vision of the future. Use "we".3. Use fresh examples and metaphors. Avoid those w...
I gave a really bad speech tonight!
I wasn't sure whether I should post what I wrote last night. So I waited until this morning. Candour is generally the right route though so here goes.... I am waiting for a train. I gave a speech tonight. I thought it was pretty rubbish. People said it was good. They even clapped. But I knew better...
A man who needs no training from me and who has had no training from me! Damnit! What street cred I would have got!
Pithy, every word has a job,perfectly delivered, great and accurate content, alliteration, rhythm and and and..... Great Job Dan!!
What’s in a name? What makes a reputation? Spin or substance?
A Lord, two Knights and a mere Mister summoned to appear in front of the Treasury Select Committee. Sir Alan Stanford accused of bankrupting - it seems a country and thousands of people around the world. The Queen must be annoyed - at best. Is there a connection between titles, reputation, trust an...
Bras, short-term fixes, and why some charities annoy me…
Why do some charities seem to be happy to be needed for ever? The way they concentrate on short term fixes to problems that seem to never end, rather than attempting to fix the problem really gets to me. I sometimes describe Labour as being the new owner of a house that turns up the heating rather ...
Rainmaking or Getting a Job – Can Social Media bypass scary gatekeepers?
However good, well crafted, different and relevant your message is, it is useless if no-one - WHO CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT - hears it. Networking has always been crucial and various astonishing statistics swarm around of how many jobs/contracts are obtained without real tenders - in other words t...
How good is your sales pipeline? Or your pledge base?
A great article highlights the need for sales organisations to be proactive and avoid complacency when considering their sales pipeline!!! Of course this equally applies to politics but here your pipeline is called your pledge base!!!
Distracted by Disability?
This article about prejudice against a disabled TV presenter well is worth reading, especially as I think that kids are often much more tolerant than adults. At university I knew an ex-military guy who had been horrendously injured by a landmine. His pockmarked face, severed leg and hand and blind...
Sign Language- Dispute Between Neighbours
This is apparently a true story... A town councillor in Wales had a beautiful view of the mountains, until a new neighbour purchased the land below his house and built a new home. The new home was 18 inches higher than the planning dept had approved, so, mad about his lost view, he went to the loca...
Handling Fear in a Downturn. Or anytime really.
Fear is evil. It paralyses. It messes with your brain. It stops you thinking straight. And it stop you doing things. I have a stone with a prayer written on it that I got from my Mum. It is a simple prayer but hey - aren't they the best ones? "God grant me the courage to change the things I can, t...
Are you considering discounting?
Short-term discounts can help preserve cash flow in an emergency, or be used as a strategy to increase market share. But the impact of discounting on your brand, margins and future pricing must be included in your decision! Commodities are assumed to be equivalent and are sold on price only. Most c...
Will the downturn persuade British business people to learn from Obama and the Germans?
German white collar workers who are not sent on at least 2 weeks training a year fear that they must be on the redundancy short list and will soon face the chop. (Their company is not investing in them - so they must be on their way out!). Their British counterparts (with some exceptions) consider t...
Building Rainmaking Relationships – 6 Secrets
Or anytime really!!!.... 1. The easiest way to get what you want (i.e. a client's money) is to give them what they want - or need. Whose money is it anyway?? It's all about them, their company, their problems, their fears, their needs, their threats and their wants. Research your audience, pers...
great suggestions. I often give interviews on telephones but fails however after reading that post looks will surely succeed. cheap ink cartridges
- cheap ink cartridges