The Fleet Street Test
If you can pitch a story to a national journalist, you can sell to just about anyone. Getting an idea past the beady eye of a Fleet St editor is one of the toughest tests your communications could face.
Every day journalists, editors and TV producers wade through masses of emails, press releases and interview requests rejecting most of what they receive.
These are not easy people to please.
But a small minority of ideas will make it through and you see these in our print, broadcast and online media.
Afterall, even these people are impressed sometimes.
My name is Jon Card and I’ve worked as a journalist, editor and media advisor for over 20 years and have written for titles including the Guardian, Times and Telegraph.
I’ve been both sides of the fence. Both selecting stories for publication and also pitching them. I’ve placed stories in the national press and I’ve suffered some rejections too.
I want to share with you the lessons I’ve learned working in media, to help you make your communications super effective.
I believe this will be very useful to you, as people who are confident talking to journalists are often also very effective sales people, presenters and public speakers.
So contact me today and let’s discuss how to make your communications super effective with my Fleet Street Test.
The special way Jon can help
Jon has a unique approach to communications and will help your audience to think differently about how they communicate with large audiences. He covers topics such as storytelling, persuasive language and audience and will show you how to be a more effective communicator.
He draws lessons from the mass media industry which he was worked in for over 20 years. In his view, anything which is as popular as mass media must contain lessons for us all, especially if we are interested in business and people.
Jon would be a great speaker for your audience if they are any of the following:
Business leaders, CEOs, entrepreneurs aiming to improve their communications
People who need to pitch, present or persuade.
Companies looking to boost sales, raise money or attract investment.
This speech has been adapted for these audiences:
Large corporations, entrepreneur networks, business networks, business accelerators, professional bodies, charities, universities, government, media companies
Media mastery: The secrets of an irresistible campaign
Sometimes there is a story so good, journalists cannot leave it alone. It contains a power and a draw that’s simply irresistible.
Why do some stories gain so much attention, while others fail to lift off?
What gives a story enough power to travel around the world?
Informed by 20 years of working at the heart of media, Jon will analyse media coverage and campaigns, revealing their hidden strengths and providing a framework to learn from.
He‘ll provide your audience with unique insights into the world of journalism, ensuring they never read a story or watch the news in quite the same way again.
The special way Jon can help
Jon has worked as a journalist and written for every newspaper in the UK. He’s launched magazines and websites and worked in television, radio and podcasts.
Jon will provide your audience with an insider’s view of how the media actually works.
This speech has been adapted for these audiences:
Large corporations, entrepreneur networks, business networks, business accelerators, professional bodies, charities, universities, government, media companies, PR companies, agencies
Raising money with storytelling
Raising money for a business is a high stress activity. The future of the business is at stake and everyone has their fingers crossed.
But mistakes are often made and the future of a whole enterprise is put at risk.
In this speech, Jon will reveal the simplest and most effective ways to pitch to business angels and venture capitalists (VCs), demonstrating an approach any CEO, business leader or entrepreneur can learn.
He‘ll show how storytelling, combined with the Guy Kawasaki method: The Only Ten Slides You Need, can lead to big conversations with the right people and, ultimately, investment.
The special way Jon can help
Jon has worked closely with companies who have gone on to raise millions.
There are many parallels between pitching to journalists and pitching for investment. Typically, people who can speak confidently to the media can also speak confidently to investors.
However, honing pitches takes time. So, If you feel your audience may require individual help, then please contact Jon to find the right solution for you. Possibly you need a workshop?
WORKSHOPS
Jon has worked with many private companies and organisations, running workshops for groups of two to twelve people. If you like the sound of the themes above, but feel you’d like some hands-on support and a workshop-style event, then drop Jon a line: [email protected]
In addition, Jon runs workshops on these topics:
Interview success: Communicating even when you hate the questions
Showing examples of good interviews and bad, Jon guides you through the minefield of a tricky media interview.
He shows how the A-B-C interview method can be subtly deployed to your advantage to enable you to express your key messages, even when the interviewer has a different agenda.
Key takeaways:
Your team will benefit from mock media interviews from an experienced journalist.
Typical tough questions and pitfalls will be highlighted
You’ll learn how to be a confident and successful interviewer
The Story at the Heart of Your Business: Culture, leadership, communications
There’s a story at the heart of every business and, in this session, you’ll find yours and learn to tell it with passion.
Using The Hero’s Journey story canvas, Jon will take your organisation through an exploration of its story and reveal how it can impact upon your business communications and key media assets.
Key takeaways:
Find the key messages required to create key media assets including websites, sales decks and pitch documents
Gain a clear understanding of your business story and how it affects your mission