Honoured guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Now that my blog is finally up and running, I have decided to make my first entries a round-up of my public speaking experiences and observations from the past few weeks...
Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards 2007
On 2 July I was invited to the Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, Hyde Park as a guest of the Radio Magazine. Highlights of the day included a fabulous lunch, an acoustic gig by Travis, a long conversation about the BBC and American comedy with Adrian Juste plus a chance to finally meet the magazine's editor Paul Boon and his assistant Collette Hillier after writing for them for such a long time.
From a public speaking point of view, I was hugely impressed by the compere, Virgin Radio's breakfast presenter Christian O'Connell, who used some excellent, well-prepared radio industry humour to great effect in front of 700 of his peers.
Public Speaking Tip #1: Tailored humour can help win over even the most daunting of audiences.
Gentlemen's Lunch at the Mansion House, Poole
The following day I went to Poole to speak at the Mansion House. This is a lovely old building and its wood-panelled dining room is an attractive setting for a talk. Unfortunately, we learned that the hotel may be sold to a chain who seem unlikely to carry on with its various dining clubs (despite their membership of 4,000!) so this was the last meeting of that particular gentlemen's luncheon.
The members were charming and fascinating company over lunch and, despite being small in number (18), very appreciative of my talk and quiz. It's a real shame that I probably won't be speaking there again.
Public Speaking Tip #2: Even seemingly thriving clubs, societies and festivals can suddenly disappear for a variety of reasons. A speaker should always be looking for new audiences.
Cherie Blair Documentary
On 4 July I watched the documentary about Cherie Blair. Being a barrister, Mrs Blair is a highly experienced speaker but there was one part of the programme where she was addressing an audience and found herself struggling to inform them that the event was about 'Rwandan women's resourcefulness'. You try saying it; even if you slow right down, you can end up sounding like a cross between Bugs Bunny and his arch enemy Elmer Fudd!
Did Mrs Blair - or her speechwriters if she used any - try saying it out loud or was she just handed a speech to deliver unrehearsed? A better phrase might have been 'the resourcefulness of the women of Rwanda'. I know it looks as if it will take longer to say but it's a lot less time-consuming than slowing right down or trying to repeat something correctly several times!
Public Speaking Tip #3: A phrase might look good written down but can you actually say it? Read your speech aloud to make sure there are no hidden tongue-twisters in there.
Finchampstead Women's Institute, Berkshire
Thursday of that week found me speaking to nearly 50 ladies from Finchampstead WI about 'My Life as a Freelance Comedy Writer'. If I mention that I enjoyed their strawberries and cream and home-made cakes afterwards, it will unfortunately reinforce some readers' cliched ideas about Women's Institutes everywhere.
Having spoken to WIs in some 16 different Federations, from village halls with 9 present to a Council meeting with an audience of 500+ drawn from across a county, I find the stereotyping of them almost as irritating as they do. Their membership is drawn from all walks of life, from business and professional women to homemakers. You have to pass an audition to get on their recommended speakers list and their standards are high - as many with perceived notions about this organisation have discovered to their cost (including the husband of a certain tongue-tied barrister!)
I gave their Speaker Secretary details of my other talks before leaving.
Public Speaking Tip #4: To remain busy as a speaker, you need return bookings. Work on a selection of further talks to offer where you have been well received.
George Melly R.I.P.
On the way back from Finchampstead, I was sorry to learn of the death of the legendary jazz singer, art critic and bon viveur George Melly.
In February 1996 I appeared on stage with him at Poole Arts Centre (now Poole Lighthouse). The show was being recorded for the 'Radio 2 Arts Programme' and featured George singing with John Chilton's Feetwarmers and interviewing local performers. A comedy club had just started at the venue and I had done a short 'open mic' spot there the previous month. The organiser decided that because I had a great deal of experience writing comedy for Radio 2, I would also be the right person to represent his club on the programme. This would involve doing a few minutes of topical/observational stand-up and then being interviewed, along with the club organiser, by George.
But it was only my third ever stand-up gig!
A few months earlier, I had been asked to appear as a 'mystery contestant' for a blindfolded Roy Hudd and June Whitfield on a Meridian TV revival of 'What's My Line?' (I was a writer for their BBC Radio 2 show the 'News Huddlines'). I had always hated public speaking but I agreed to go on the show because I thought it would be good publicity for me. There was a lot of pressure and I had to wait around for many hours becoming increasingly nervous before filming with the result that I absolutely froze in front of the cameras. I decided that night to enrol on a public speaking course in an attempt to overcome my fears.
It was the best birthday gift my late mother ever bought me! There were 12 2-hour lessons, during which each member of the (small) class got up and gave short presentations, some prepared, some off-the-cuff. There was an option at the end of the course to take the LAMDA Bronze Medal in Public Speaking. I passed with honours.
My tutor, the late Angela Brennan, got me my first booking for a talk, I obtained another plus the odd stand-up spot and I was very pleased with how well these went - but they were all in front of audiences no larger than 60 people.
And here I was being introduced by George Melly to a crowd of 600 - who were nearly all there to see him - and being recorded for a radio show which probably had a 6-figure listenership!
I walked across the stage to the mic. My knees didn't shake. I took it off its stand. My hand didn't tremble. I delivered the first gag. My voice didn't quaver - and the audience laughed, in fact they even applauded one of my jokes. And when I'd finished, George was kind enough to say - on air - 'That was wonderful, Nick!'
And that was a wonderful thing to be able to put on my publicity material so early in my career!
So thank you, George. Rest in peace.
Public Speaking Tip #5: If you are nervous - even petrified - of public speaking, enrol in a class or workshop or join a speakers' club. You might be as astounded as I was by the difference it can make.
