KOCHI: Dave Eager’s mantra for effective communication is simple - ‘Start from the truth and be reliable’. The golden rule has apparently worked wonders for those who have entrusted him with their public relation exercises - Margaret Thatcher, Elton John and David Bowie, to name a few.The internationally-acclaimed communication consultant and PR expert is curt about why communication is increasingly identified as a problem area, especially in the corporate world - “because people have made an industry out of it”, he smiles. Eager is every inch the self-assured and sanguine PR personnel who surprises you by greeting you in chaste Malayalam at the hotel lobby.“Namaskaram, sukhamano?” When you return the query, he throws back both hands in the air and says, “Parama sukham”.He is in the city to hold one-day workshops on corporate communications and media relations hosted by an Indo-British Communication Training venture based in Thiruvananthapuram and of which he is a co-founder.The ease with Malayalam was cultivated in the years since he fell in love with Kerala on his first visit in 1996. Says the biology teacher-turned-Disc Jokey-turned-TV presenter, “I was on the production team of a cookery show on BBC and was in charge of inviting chefs from all over the world to the show. I happened to talk to this lady from India, who told me of Kerala. So when the British Airways had an inexpensive holiday package for Kerala, I was interested. But, this was on a Wednesday and the flight was on Sunday and there was no way I could manage to get a visa. I rang up the lady from India I met on the TV show and she said, ‘book your tickets Dave, I’ll take care of the visa’. I met the Indian High Commissioner in Britain the next day and my visa was through and I was off to Kerala that Sunday,” he laughs.Eager has spent all his winters in Kerala ever since. “For the last two years, I am involved in a non-profit project which assists international democratic charity organisations. I have been travelling around the world and have not been able to fly to Kerala for the last two winters,” he says and pulls a long face.He was also part of the pop band led by Sir Jimmy Saville at the time. “They said it is not conducive to be in a pop band and training to be teacher at the same time,” he says feigning mock seriousness. “But I was earning 25 pounds as the secretary of Saville and another 40 pounds from DJying. That was a lot more than the 10 pounds I would earn as a teacher!” he exclaims.As a supporter of the Conservative Party, Dave, was invited to develop media training for the party’s Parliamentary Constituency agents when Margaret Thatcher was the party leader. “That was way back when nobody did media coaching. And I went on to become a full-time agent of the Conservative Party,” he says.Among the politicians he uses as illustrations in his talks, Shashi Tharoor was a favourite though he was introduced to the diplomat-turned-politician only recently. “Once, while I was attending a service at the Christ Church Palayam, I noticed this gentleman who spoke in English. When he referred to Britain in his speech, somebody pointed at me standing right behind him. But, we did not talk to each other. I have frequently referred to Tharoor as a politician who has successfully used social networking for PR. At the Dominican Republic, I was suddenly asked if I would like to be introduced to Tharoor. I had a long chat on the phone with Tharoor who was on a visit there,” he laughs.Eager has noticed that Kerala has changed from being a place rooted in tradition to a place poised for ambitious growth over the years. “But, it is normal to have ambitions. I notice that people have started to move to distant places. When you go away from a family with values, you tend to carry those values with you. So you are never really away from home. And if you appreciate your own culture and are willing to understand another’s, there cannot be any problem in communication between people.”Eager will address gatherings in Kochi on January 15 and Thiruvananthapuram at the Technopark on January 17.
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