[00:00:00]

Mel: At some point in anyone's comms or change or leadership career, you are going to need to do something you might really be dreading, and that is either speaking to the media or presenting in front of important people, or maybe if you're really lucky, you get to do both. And it can be an uncomfortable place to be, driven by the uncertainty of how people might respond, what questions you might be asked, or just generally having to stand up in front of other humans.

So when faced with having to speak up in front of the media, senior leaders, or any other audience, what can you do to calm the nerves and speak coherently without risking getting yourself into strife? Well, today's guest can guide you there. Theresa Miller is the director of TM Media. She has 30-plus years' experience as a journalist, media trainer, presenter, and she's an author.

Theresa coaches people from all industries to confidently share their expertise and experience with a wider audience. Now, as a television [00:01:00] journalist, Theresa worked f- as a reporter, producer, and presenter in Britain, Switzerland, and Australia, including Sky News, Good Morning Britain, CNN, and the Zurich-based European Business Channel.

In Australia, she's worked for the ABC, SBS, Channel Nine, and Channel Seven, including reporting for Australia's Most Wanted. She is the author of three books and has written for several publications, including The Australian, The Medical Republic, and The New Daily. Theresa has lectured in media at UNSW and the University of Sydney.

And in this episode, Theresa shares insights from her latest book, Speak Up, on how to approach the role of a media spokesperson, how to prepare for the potentially curly questions, and how to make sure your answers make sense. She is an absolute wealth of knowledge, and I honestly feel like we just scratched the surface in this episode.

So without further ado, let's get into it. Here's Theresa.

Theresa, welcome to the show.

Theresa: [00:02:00] Thank you for having me, Mel. I am excited to have you here.

Mel: But before we kick off, can you tell us a little bit about you? Who are you? What do you do? How did you come to develop your expertise in this space?

Theresa: Thank you. So I, um, I'm the director of TM Media, and I'm a media trainer and a coach in presenting skills. My background is in TV journalism. I did a journalism degree in Adelaide, uh, and then I worked for ABC, SBS, Channel 7, Channel 9 as a presenter, reporter, producer. I worked overseas for six years, too, in London for Sky News UK when it first started, and for Good Morning Britain.

And then I worked in Switzerland for four years for the European Business Channel and CNN. Uh, so I've also taught journalism at, um, Macquarie Uni, Sydney Uni, UNSW, um, and still much- very much of a freelance writer. I've written three [00:03:00] books, and my latest is called Speak Up: How to Be a Successful Presenter and Media Spokesperson.

Mel: Awesome. We'll get into that in just a moment, but, uh, I'm interested into- in how you got interested in journalism in the first place. What was it that attracted you to it as a young whippersnapper?

Theresa: Well, to be quite honest, I didn't really want to be a journalist. I wanted to be a, a writer and an actor, but my parents said that's just not feasible.

And, um, so my dad said once ... I remember him listening to the ABC Radio one morning, and he was shaving, and he kind of looked over his shoulder and said, "Well, you like writing, and you like meeting people and traveling. You should be a journalist." I went, "Okay. What is that?" But, uh, at that stage- It was just beginning to open up.

The journalism degrees were just beginning to open up. Before that, you had to be a copy girl or copy boy in a newsroom. Um, so I was very lucky I did one of the first journalism degrees, and I got a job at the tender age of 20, [00:04:00] halfway through my last year of my degree, as a ca- cadet reporter at Channel Nine in Adelaide.

Um, so that was very, very exciting, and I was jumping in and out of helicopters and interviewing famous people. And then I went overseas, um, when I was about 22. Yeah, and then never went back to Adelaide. After being overseas for six years, I, um, moved to Sydney.

Mel: Yeah, right. There you go. I ask because, uh, yeah, my undergrad was in journalism but it was during doing my undergrad that I went, "I actually don't wanna be a journalist."

But I lo- like you, loved writing, loved talking to people, so ended up in communication. And I guess it is becoming a more challenging, uh, profession, isn't it? Because it- we're seeing newsrooms be consolidated or shut down entirely around the world, um, in the last few years. And, uh, we're also seeing a lot of AI come into it as well, which is a little bit challenging.

What are you seeing and hearing around the traps?

Theresa: Oh, absolutely. I do, uh, talk quite a bit about that in the second half of my book. Um, in [00:05:00] fact, uh, I went on such a rant that the editor- ... said, "Oh, I think we need to cut this back a bit." You know, this is not just for ex-journalists and comms people, this is also for people who wanna be spokespeople for their causes or their, or their organisations.

Uh, look, I think it's a terrible shame that journalism has been so decimated and that resources in newsrooms, uh, you know, have been defunded. We've lost a lot of good journalists. Um- And we've lost that wealth of knowledge and experience. You know, now everyone is a journalist supposedly if you've got, uh, Twitter or you've got, uh, you know, y- you, you've got a blog on Substack.

Not that I'm poo-pooing those things. There's some very good people on those as well. But there are ... You know, we are losing a lot of those skills. Uh, we're losing the gatekeepers. Um, we don't have now verifiable facts. We've got alternative facts. Mm. Um, I do think it's a great shame. [00:06:00] I still have hope that people want facts, that they want the truth, uh, because if we don't have a strong media, it does really undermine democracy.

Mm. Um, I could rant about that for days.

Mel: No, I hear you 100%.

Theresa: But I feel very strongly about that. And in fact- Mm ... my little piece in helping that is that I want to see subject matter experts who really know their stuff, I wanna see them, um, have the skills and the confidence to speak up and to combat fake news and misinformation out, out there. I do a lot of media training with people from all walks of life, but, um, lately a lot with academics.

Mel: Yeah.

Theresa: And I really love to see them, uh, stepping up and speaking out and calling out outright misinformation. Either misinformation, which ... You know, the difference between misinformation and disinformation, which I only learned in writing the book, is misinformation is when just people have got their wires [00:07:00] crossed, and it might be innocently.

But disinformation is deliberate misinformation, and that's when people have got an agenda, are spruiking, um, spruiking lies. Let's just call it what it is. Yeah. It's not called alternative facts. They're lies. But unfortunately, it's very difficult these days online to discern what is right and, and what is incorrect.

Mel: Yeah. I ... And we just see so much of that, and I think, uh, I think, uh, uh, in some respects I feel like some people are becoming more savvy to that. But it, uh, it certainly isn't helped by, um, the technology that is driving a lot of these, um, you know, disinformation getting out there so quickly and in so many different ways as well.

Um, but you talked about you do train a lot of people in how to combat that. So what are some of the common challenges that people share with you when they ask for support in being a better presenter or being a better media spokesperson?

Theresa: Well, firstly, I think it's seeing the [00:08:00] value of speaking to a journalist.

Not that you have to say yes to every request at all. You've got to think, "Well, is this going to, um, further my objectives with my target audience?" Um, but I remember there's an, a story in the intro to my book, um, a, a, um, an academic at UNSW. She's a mathematical, um, modeler in infectious diseases, and at the very beginning of COVID when none of us knew what was going on, uh, journalists were reaching out to her because she was one of the very few people in the country who could predict the trajectory of this virus.

Mm. And they were saying, you know, calling her and going, "Oh, quick," you know, "Please, can we speak to you? We need to understand what's the likelihood of this, this terrible thing spreading." And she thought, "Well, no, I'm not gonna speak to the media. That's not what I do. I, I crunch numbers in my office. I don't speak to journalists.

They're unpredictable, unlike, unlike figures." So she went back to crunching numbers, but then she was horrified to [00:09:00] hear ill-informed media commentators spruiking absolute garbage. And then she went to the comms team, and she said, "Look, I feel like I really have an obligation here, a responsibility to correct, um, you know, some of these lies and set the record straight."

And that's when they reached out to me, um, to, to help her with some skills. And now she's very active in going to schools and helping, um, you know, students also sort fact from fiction. But the, the second one, uh, you know, the big problem is that a lot of experts, they don't have to be academics, but they could have worked in their field for a long time, is they use a lot of jargon, which is fine in your own workplace because it's a, it's a great shorthand when you're speaking to your peers.

But if you're speaking to people outside y- outside your industry, and they don't have a clue what you're talking about, then they'll switch off. Or worse still, journalists, especially [00:10:00] young journalists, and I was one of them, are often too embarrassed to ask you to clarify. "What do you exactly mean by that?"

And so- ... they will then misconstrue and misreport most likely what you say. So th- that's a problem. Or as an ABC journalist said to me, um, "We'll just cut them out of the story because it's boring ... and we don't understand what they're saying." So just, they hit the cutting room floor. So they miss an opportunity.

They need to explain what they're talking about in language that's accessible to a 12 to 14-year-old. Mm. And another thing is they need to explain the benefits of what they're doing rather than the minutiae of the features. So there are a whole lot of features that go on in o- in what we do every day.

You know, I could say, "Well, you know, today I did some admin, and then I, uh, you know, sent a proposal, and then I did some feedback reports." But that is boring as bat shit. Or I could say, "I help people to shine a light on their [00:11:00] work and reach, um, a large audience through either pitching, presenting on a panel, a podcast, or speaking to a journalist."

So that's the benefit of what I do- ... not the day-to-day minutiae.

Mel: Yeah. I ... So I love that. So talking about the benefits, avoiding jargon, and looking for the opportunity that, um, speaking to media presents. I, I ... When you mentioned jargon I just, um, yeah, cringed a little inside because as you would know, with any comms person, we are constantly de-jargonising, if that's now a word.

I'm d- I'm just jargon-ed jargon. Um, de-jargonising what we're sent. And I remember many years ago running, uh, media training for Queensland Police Media when I was working there, and, uh, having to tell somebody, an inspector, that, you know, using the phrase decamped in a southerly direction- Maybe doesn't mean much to anybody.

Instead of, "He just ran down the road," that would be something you could say instead.

Theresa: I exact- I [00:12:00] have that quote in my book because I was, for my sins, a reporter on Australia's Most Wanted for about-

Mel: Oh, right ...

Theresa: 20 odd years. And I remember interviewing a policeman who was speaking to me completely normally off-camera, and as soon as the camera went on, he said, "Ah, yes, a male Caucasian was seen decamping in a north westerly direction after the unlawful use of a vehicle."

I said, "What? White guy stole a car, dumped it, and ran off?" "Uh, affirmative." And you know, the reason why the police wanted us to do these stories on Australia's Most Wanted was so that members of the public could ring in to Crime Stoppers and say, "Oh, yes, I think I saw something," and then they'd have enough collaborative evidence to take this to court.

But if they speak like that, then, you know, no one understands what they're talking about and people just switch off. But to their credit, I must say that the police have done a really good job since then. I think they've done a much better job at speaking like real people and, and in plain English.

Mel: Yeah.

Theresa: So, you know, we can't... We have [00:13:00] to give them credit where credit's due. Oh,

Mel: of course. Yeah. And I think their social media is so much more humanised now as well. You see that coming through. Um- Very much ... and to your point around academics too, uh, I often wonder, you know, how much great research is out there that isn't getting the air time it deserves because it's not presented in a way that is palatable to anybody who doesn't work in academia as well.

Uh, and I know that's a habit too that's hard to break, I'm sure, isn't it, when you're working with people in these fields.

Theresa: Oh, yeah, because they're worried that they'll sound like they're dumbing down their, um, research and that their peers will laugh at them. And I said, "But this is not for your peers.

This is for- Yeah ... the everyday audience." And you're right that they've got great research. I hear extraordinary things at UNSW. Everything from how we can, you know, combat different aspects of climate change, to how we can, um, help kids break the habit of, you know, ending up in juvenile detention, to, you know, better law and justice systems.

Um, [00:14:00] extraordinary. And I think, "Wow, why haven't we heard this in mainstream media?" And then I hear the way they speak, and I think, "Oh, well, that's why." Yeah. So, you know, my mission is to help them speak about that in a way that's meaningful. And, you know, that's gotta be better for all of us. We need to hear about solutions, 'cause there are solutions out there to some of the most vexing problems we have in society.

Mel: Yeah. And I think, uh, you've hit a nail on the head there as far as, you know, one of the core rules of great communication is think about your audience. You know, at the end of the day, they've got to be able to receive your message, and if you're not tailoring that message for the people you're speaking to, then you're probably not actually communicating.

You're just broadcasting and putting words out in the world.

Theresa: That's right ... Yeah. And that's why knowing your audience really helps. Because if you're speaking to The Fin Review, then you're going to be speaking more about, you know, the shareho- shareholder price, share price or, you know, about the investment potential.

But if you're speaking [00:15:00] to, I don't know, The Telegraph or, you know, you're, you're, you're speaking to, um, commercial radio, it's a different audience and they probably wanna know, "Okay, well, how's this gonna benefit me? How's this gonna make my life easier?" Um, it is understa- it's putting yourself in the shoes of your audience.

And if you're presenting also, if you're pitching for, to, you know, would-be collaborators or investors- Mm ... think about what interests them. You know, why should they care? Most people are tuned into WIIFM, what's in it for me? And that's how we scan a lot of the information that comes to us every day. There is- we're overloaded with information- Mm

and we scan it quickly and think, "Okay, can this, this make my life easier? You know, will this help me with my job, make me more popular with the boss, you know, help me get, get something done?" Um, yeah. And, and if you don't, if you don't tap into that, your audience will switch off pretty quickly.

Mel: [00:16:00] Mm-hmm.

Awesome. I, I love that we're all singing from the same song sheet here. So, and that brings me to my next question. So we've talked about some of the challenges. Um, what are some of the things that great media spokespeople do really well?

Theresa: Well, first of all, the good news is that great media spokespeople and presenters are made, not born.

You know, people don't just pop out being, you know, uh, awesome at that sort of thing. It is a learned skill. And one of the things you can do is work out, especially if you're going into a media interview, I always say a media interview is not the time for an original thought. Mm-hmm. So go in with two or three key messages already worked out, and I've got about half a dozen different structures in the book on how you can do that.

But one of the really, the simplest one is probably point, reason, example, so what? So what is your point? You know, my point is I think we could trial the four-day workweek in Australia. The reason being it would give us more flexibility in [00:17:00] terms of, um, lifestyle and work. Um, for example, they've trialed it, um, very successfully in Scandinavia and found that in fact there's not a reduction in productivity.

There's in fact a decline in absenteeism and an uptick in loyalty to that organisation. So, so what? So I think now is the time, uh, to trial it. So that's a point, reason, example, so what, and then there's a whole heap of different ones. You know, there's point, counterpoint, reason, point. There's point, past, present, future, point.

There's just point, reason, reason, reason, point. There's a whole bunch of them, but it's depending on the scenario, and it's really good to go into an interview with at least two or three of those key messages worked out. You know, make sure they're watertight, bulletproof, ready to go, and you deliver them almost no matter what you're asked in some ways.

Mel: Mm-hmm.

Theresa: And when the questioning goes off track, either into dangerous [00:18:00] territory, you know, controversial areas, or just because the journalist doesn't know anything about your topic so they're asking irrelevant questions, then there are linking lines you can use to steer the conversation back on track.

Mel: Mm-hmm.

Theresa: You know, and not the kind of smarmy ones that the politicians use all the time, but authentic ones. Like, "Well, you know what? That is a really interesting question, but what my research is focusing on is helping to eradicate hepatitis C," or whatever it is. Mm-hmm. Um, and so getting it back on track rather than following the journalist off the garden path, you know, down a bunch of rabbit holes, which doesn't really serve you or them or the audience.

And then the audi- and then the interview's over, and you think, "Oh, drats, I didn't get to tell them about the fabulous thing I'm doing."

Mel: Yeah. And, uh, you know, i- it's always afterwards, isn't it, that you think, "Oh, I wish I'd answered that differently. I wish I'd said this instead of that," and constantly going over, [00:19:00] especially as you say, if you're not as well-prepared as you perhaps should've been.

Uh, but you did, uh, mention something there, and it's about those curly questions. You know- Yeah ... I think that's, uh, in my experience, that's been something that has ma- put a lot of fear into, uh, you know, CEOs, whoever, when they know they're going to be interviewed, and they really do focus on, "What are the curly questions that I could be asked?"

Like, there's a lot of fear in that.

Theresa: Mm.

Mel: How do you prepare people for that? Because it will happen, that a journalist- Oh, for sure ... is going to ask those questions.

Theresa: For sure. And, um, I always think about poor old Brad Banducci from ex-CEO of Woolworths who was, you know, kind of- Ooh ... cornered on Four Corners, uh, when asked about price fixing at Coles and Woolworths.

And- You know, rather than acknowledging that people are hurting out there and farmers are hurting out there, he spat the dummy and stood up and walked out. Mm. And that- ... is a shame. Ended up costing [00:20:00] him his job. So he must have known that question was coming. Uh, you know, you've got... It depends on, okay, it depends on whether the interview is going to be kind of crisis media management.

And then there's- there's a whole area that I cover in the book on that, and that's first of all about showing care and compassion for anyone who's been hurt in this, especially if you're talking about a death or an injury. And then the action. What are you doing to fix it? And what's your message from the organisation?

And then putting it into perspective and sticking to your, sticking to your guns, not, not being led into speculation. But if it's just regular, you know, uh, questioning, what you can do is it's no use... Unless you're the Prime Minister, it's very hard to get away with completely ignoring the question, 'cause it drives the audience nuts, and it drives the journalist nuts.

Instead, be polite enough to acknowledge the question. So 20% of your answer is acknowledging the question, and then you can use a linking line to get back [00:21:00] on track to your key message. But don't do it in a way that is so annoying that it'll just annoy everyone. It's just like, "Yes. Yes, I understand that that is, you know, a problem for people, or that they're feeling this pain," or whatever it is, "and this is what we're doing to fix it.

This is what we are genuinely trying to do." Like, be transparent. Be human. Mm. Don't leave your humanity at the door when the, when the camera lights up or the microphone's in your face. You know, uh, uh, and also see that you are a human part of this problem too. You're not just the CEO, and no, people pro- you know, don't want you to have necessarily entirely polished answers.

We just want you to be authentic, transparent, and real. Um, you know, I think what happens, or I don't know if your audience remember the Royal Commission into banking and finance years ago.

Mel: Mm. I was working at a financial services [00:22:00] institution at the time. It is- Right ... well ingrained .

Theresa: You know all about it.

But what I think, well, we could have a c- a whole conversation about that, but-

Mel: We could, we could, yeah.

Theresa: What it appeared to be is that when the bankers left the Royal Commission and the journalists were asking them questions, you know, they'd been answering questions all day- Mm ... from the, you know, in- in- interviewers.

But when they got outside, they just ran for cover- ... pretending they couldn't see the journalists. Now, it looked- for all, you know, purposes that they just didn't care. And so that just reinforced to the audience, "Oh, right. So you're paying your executives huge bonuses while other people were suffering. You were charging people's acc- you know, dead people's accounts-"

Mel: Mm-hmm

Theresa: fees. Uh, it just looks like you just don't care." So what I suspect happened from a comms point of view is that they listened to their lawyers rather than to their PR people. So Mel, did you tell them to stop and [00:23:00] say something reasonable?

Mel: Oh, look, I, I know that the lawyers were involved, let's just put it that way.

So um, but it is one of those things that, like we teach this a lot, anything that sends a message is a form of communication.

Theresa: Yeah.

Mel: So running away from the camera, that sends a message even if you haven't spoken a word. Your body language sends messages. Your, your tone sends messages, all those things. Uh, I think there's a, a misunderstanding that communication is only written or verbal, that-

Theresa: Oh, it's so much more

Mel: 100%. Yeah. Yeah. And is that something you touch on in your book around body language and those sorts of things?

Theresa: Oh, yeah. Yes, for sure. So I mean there, this study by Albert Mehrabian has been misconstrued, but he did say your voice conveys about 7% of the message, and then your tone and inton- tone and intonation I think is about 38%, and then the rest is visual.

But actually, that's been misconstrued. It's, it's only if, um, what you're saying doesn't match [00:24:00] up with, uh, with the body language and the voice.

Mel: Mm-hmm.

Theresa: So we will always lean more to what we're seeing and hearing in the tone and, tone and emphasis and intonation rather than the words. So the whole thing has to be congruent.

You've got to, you've got to think about your eye contact and your gestures and the way you stand, and the way even you walk onto the stage if you're giving a presentation. Uh, you know, if, uh, from the very first moment you step up onto the stage, you, as you say, you are, um, conveying a whole lot of messages.

Yes, the, absolutely those non-verbal cues are very strong. Um, and if you're speaking on radio or on the phone, then you've really got to focus on emphasis on key words, your pace, your volume, uh, the intonation, not having that upward, uh, inflection that sadly a lot of young women, Australian women have. You know, when they're asking a question like this.

Mel: That's [00:25:00] Queenslanders.

Theresa: Right.

Mel: That's us. That's Queenslanders.

Theresa: No, we do it a bit in Melbourne.

Mel: Something I've had to change myself- train myself out of.

Theresa: Well, at the same time you don't wanna l- lower your voice too much and have that vocal fry. Mm. So that's when you sound like a Kardashian and your voice goes down like this- but actually it sounds like you're just sunbaking your vocal co- vocal cords. Uh, so there is there's a lot to learn. But the thing is, it can be learnt and it can be practiced, and that's why when we do our workshops, we always, um, I interview people on camera, play it back and say, "Look, this is what you did really well, and this is what you could do better perhaps next time."

Mm. Um, and it's always specific and generous, and the idea is to build people's confidence, not to make them so terrified that they, they decline all interviews and all presentation- ... skills, um, opportunities

Mel: As you say, we're all learning, right? Like- Mm ... none of us were born learning how to ... Knowing how to talk or walk or drink or anything basic. So it's all just learning at the end of the [00:26:00] day.

Theresa: Oh, I've had absolute disasters. And I think also it's important to remember that you can recover if a presentation goes pear-shaped. So I was, um, speaking ... My first book was called Making Babies: Personal IVF Stories, and I was addressing a room full of, um, you know, IVF, you know, want- parents who were doing IVF and a whole lot of IVF practitioners.

And I must have been gesticulating wildly and very excitedly because my wraparound dress rapidly unraveled, and I was seconds away from standing in my underwear in front of about 100 people. But my IVF doctor, God bless him, sitting in the front row, yelled out, "Theresa, no need to undress. I've already examined you."

I went, "Ah!"

So, and I just quickly re-tied myself, laughed, and went on. But, you know, th- it was actually a great icebreaker, and because IVF is a pretty, pretty heavy topic, and people laughed- Mm ... and went, "Okay, she's human." And it kind of went better from then on. Um, and I think people just want you to be [00:27:00] human, and it, it, it just made me think, "Okay.

It, it's okay. If that something goes wrong, just laugh and, and move on." Don't get really embarrassed and flustered because actually, that will make the audience feel embarrassed and, and awkward too.

Mel: Exactly. And humor is a great anecdote in, or antidote in those situations. I've seen some great people, you know, make little mistakes and, you know, laugh it off, and it just makes them, as you say, so much more human.

Um- Yeah ... now, I have one last formal question- Yes ... I guess. For a person who might just be starting out as a media spokesperson or, you know, has to present for the first time in their jobs, what are your top three tips?

Theresa: Mm. Okay. So they're slightly different for... So for, with, with presenting, I think it's really important to, um, research your audience.

So know what their pain points are, know what's keeping them up at night, what's bothering them, and then hopefully you're providing the solution. Um, it's also about, as we said, [00:28:00] speaking in plain English. Uh, you are your best visual aid. Don't hide behind your PowerPoint, and if you insist on using a PowerPoint, keep it, keep it very lean and clean.

So I always go with six by six, so no more than six bullet points and m- no more than six words across. And even that's too many. Like four by four really. So yes, you are your best visual aid, plain English, and research your audience. Speak their language. Have a, have a great opener, and have a, um, specific and dated call to action at the end.

So you don't want people to just walk away going, "Oh, that was great," and have a cup of coffee and forget what you said. Mm-hmm. You want them to do something by a specific time. Uh, you know, vote for me, or, you know, send me your feedback by close of, you know, business, or, uh, you know, give me a pay rise.

Whatever it is, make it specific and dated. And then for m- Someone who's a media, uh, spokesperson, it is really important to go [00:29:00] into a media interview with two or three key messages worked out, and that's using those structures that I give in the book. Speaking, again, in plain English. Um, practicing on camera and then playing it back and seeing what you do, because there will be little ticks that you didn't know.

You know, it's pausing rather than umming, um and erring. It's maybe you need to slow down, or maybe you need to speed up. Maybe you need, if you're going to be on camera, uh, you know, stop, stand with your feet hip distance apart, rather than wiggling around. Um, you know, look at the interviewer, not at the, down the barrel of the camera.

Uh, gosh, there's a, there are a lot. Also, you know, getting in, okay, this is a big one, um, say the name of your organisation. Mm. Like, that is key, especially for media monitoring. So, so many times people forget to say, you know, "I'm from XYZ company," because the media monitoring sometimes doesn't pick it up [00:30:00] if you don't say it.

So that's just a little one. It's, you don't have to be salesy. You can just say, "Well, you know, here at XYZ company, we're really working hard to research," or, "Our, you know, customers tell us this." Um, you know, and don't, don't forget to talk about the good things you're doing. Mm. It's, it's a great opportunity, um, without being too salesy and sleazy.

Mel: I love that, and I think that's a, a great place to finish up on the formal part of today's episode. I think, uh, we've covered a lot of ground there, and I really love the structures that you're mentioning in your book because everybody loves a structure. But it also just gives you, I think, a bit of confidence if you've got a plan to go through, rather than just trying to throw everything at the wall and see what sticks.

So, I think our listeners are going to find that very helpful. Now, Theresa, there is three questions we ask every guest on the podcast. You ready for those?

Theresa: I am, I am.

Mel: Let's go. Question number one is: What [00:31:00] is an unexpected or left-of-field way that you've learned a valuable lesson about communication?

Theresa: Mm.

Well, I think definitely being prepared. I once did a radio interview. I wrote an article for The Australian about being left-handed, and a radio station, drive time radio station in Melbourne rang me and said, "Oh, would you like to be interviewed about this?" And I went, "Yeah, sure." And this is years and years ago.

Uh, I thought, "Well, I don't have to really prepare because I wrote the article." So I, standing in my kitchen making dinner and supervising my kids' homework, and when they asked me, "So, there's a disproportionately high number of left-handed tennis players. Tell us about that," I could not remember the name of one single left-handed tennis player.

And then I realised, I'm on live radio, and then I just froze. So of course, when I hung up I remembered, you know, Martina Navratilova, N- you know, Rafael Nadal, McEnroe, blah, blah, blah. So, the thing is, just be prepared. No matter how well you [00:32:00] know your subject, back yourself and have a bunch of poster notes with statistics and examples and anecdotes posted all over your desk and all over your-

Mel: Or all over your kitchen

Theresa: all over your kitchen. Or just go into the office, forget the kids, and forget the cooking. Just give yourself some quiet time and do it properly. So yeah, that's my tip, be prepared.

Mel: Great, great lesson. Uh, second question. What is a book or a podcast you love and would recommend to our listeners, other than your own, of course?

Theresa: Well, of course my own Speak Up is fantastic, and there's an audio version. But I actually really like, uh, The Content Bite. Um, it's, uh, now Lynn, uh, Testi- Testoni and Rachel Smith. I've been on a couple of times, I have to say. But it is great because it's for freelance writers, and a lot of them are ex journos.

So, they have, um, great guests and they talk a lot about, you know, so you've pivoted from journalism and comms into this freelance world. H- [00:33:00] you know, how can you run a business successfully? And they make it very accessible.

Mel: Love that. And, uh, yeah, certainly I've been through that journey myself, and I'm sure you have, too.

It's a, it's a lot of learnings along the way that's for sure.

Theresa: A lot of, a lot of apps and tech, and a whole lot of things- Yes ... you never thought you would have to get involved in.

Mel: Right. The level of subscriptions I've got went up exponentially. Mm-hmm. Uh, last question. If you could wave your magic wand and change one thing about communication at work, what would it be?

Theresa: I wish that people would speak in plain English and not use a whole lot of technical jargon, because even if you work in industry, if you're new in the job, sometimes it's really overwhelming, and people are sometimes too intimidated to ask, "What is that acronym?" Uh, let's just keep it in plain English, and let's not use all that weird jargon like, um, circling back and moving forward.

And, you know, all those k- uh, like [00:34:00] even weather event. Since when does a storm become a weather event? Let's just use good old-fashioned plain English. Even Winston Churchill said, "I like short words." There's nothing wrong with them. Mm. They, they get the message across.

Mel: Love it. Well, Theresa, it's been an absolute pleasure having you on the show today, and we'll put some links in the show notes to your book and a few other bits and pieces that you've shared.

But if people want to get in touch with you, find out more about you, what is the best way for them to do that?

Theresa: So my website is Theresamiller.com.au, and Theresa is T-H-E-R-E-S-A M-I-L-L-E-R. I have an online course. I also do in-house training, and if you're in Sydney, I've got a, um, public master class in presentation and media interview skills coming up on June 30th in North Sydney.

There are four spots left. I'd love your listeners to join us. Uh, and yes, [00:35:00] so tm@theresamiller.com.au, you can email me, too.

Mel: Brilliant. Okay. We'll pop all of that information in the show notes as well. Theresa, thank you so much for coming along on Less Chatter, More Matter today.

Theresa: Thank you, Mel, for the invitation