New Forest Past Rotarians and Associates
On 22 August, I delivered a morning talk to the New Forest Past Rotarians and Associates at the East Close Country Hotel, Hinton St Michael, a venue where I have spoken on numerous occasions. As with my previous visit to this particular club in 2005, the audience of just over 20 gave me a very good reception.
One of my fellow diners at the top table afterwards was Mr Redman. We were talking about public speaking in general and he mentioned that he is a preacher. Now, a while back, I was asked to deliver my talk entitled 'Public Speaking = the Triumph of Technique Over Terror!' (the title is a tip in itself so let's call it Tip #17!) to the Wednesday Club in the Church Hall at Colbury, another part of the New Forest. I have to admit that one of the questions afterwards rather threw me; a couple of the ladies wanted to know how to make giving a reading in church easier for the speaker - and the congregation! As I have no experience of this particular type of speaking, I couldn't really help them. No speaker likes being asked a question they can't answer and this had always bugged me since then so I was glad of the opportunity to mention this to somebody like Mr Redman.
Here's what he told me:
Public Speaking Tip #18: When giving a Biblical reading, you should not be afraid to insert an 'and', a comma or a full stop if it makes the passage clearer.
Public Speaking Tip #19: If you are allowed to, use a modern translation, such as the Good News Bible for further clarity - but be aware that some modern versions are better than others!
We both agreed that it is possible to overdo Biblical readings. The maverick Labour MP Bob Marshall-Andrews (Medway) was once quoted as saying:
'I keep a video of Tony Blair reading from Corinthians at Diana's funeral and threaten to show it to anyone who is impressed by the PM's sincerity'.
Ouch!
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"This is an unusual blog; the art of public speaking is crucial to politics and yet there's not much devoted to it specifically. This blog does, with posts combining accounts of the writer's recent engagements with some handy hints. Given some of the turgid speeches we're forced to suffer in the Commons, more MPs could do with reading it". politics.co.uk
"Nick spoke at our joint meeting with Kingston 41 Club. It was a brilliant evening. Nick is an engaging speaker, witty, topical and very interesting. He spoke for three quarters of an hour without notes, a most knowledgeable man. I cannot recommend Nick enough and can assure you that engaging him is a worthwhile endeavour. I wish you a great evening like ours". Manny Martins Vice Chairman of Hamble Valley Stick Club and 41 Club Regional Councillor, Region 24.
"Your speech to our 9 Rotary Clubs in North Surrey was much appreciated by me and I have received lots of feedback which was very positive about you. It was so refreshing to hear someone who has the wit to make us laugh throughout the evening without resort to 'blue' material and swearing. I do hope many others will get the chance to experience your talents". Howard Smith, Assistant Governor Area 1 Rotary District 1140.
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Sunday, September 23
Which brings me to you, my Lord...
by
Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking)
on Sun 23 Sep 2007 11:59 PM BST
Saturday, September 22
Is this thing on...?!?
by
Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking)
on Sat 22 Sep 2007 04:27 PM BST
Speaking in Kent
I am delighted that I already have three bookings to speak in Kent next year. Any speaker will soon discover that the responsiveness of audiences, especially to humour, can vary from county to county and even within them - just a few miles on the map can make a difference. It's not that these quieter audiences aren't enjoying my material - they often come up afterwards and say how much they enjoyed it and ask for my details so they can recommend me to other organisations - but of the 25 counties in which I have spoken (and I have had some great responses across a very wide area, including Eliza Doolittle's Hertfordshire, Herefordshire and Hampshire!) the dozen or so talks that I have delivered in Kent really stand out in terms of level of attendance, immediate response to my opening lines and loud laughter throughout. Do speak there if you get the opportunity. Public Speaking Tip #16: Audiences can vary in response from region to region (and according to a number of other factors) so the trick is not to lose heart. If they seem quiet, it may be for a positive reason, for example, they may just be deep in concentration, especially if you are imparting 'how-to' information. But if you really feel you are 'losing' them, step up a gear by making your delivery even more lively, draw them back in by asking a question ('Now, does anyone remember...?') or rearrange the order of your material, if possible, by bringing forward some of the most interesting/humorous content from later on in your presentation. But you may just discover afterwards that appearances were deceptive...! Friday, September 21
How are we doing for time?
by
Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking)
on Fri 21 Sep 2007 04:41 PM BST
More about timing
My previous post was about timing humorous material, in other words, delivering it for maximum effect, but there is another type of timing that speakers need to master: simply knowing how long your speech, or a particular section of it, will take to say. English speakers deliver approximately 180-200 words per minute in conversation but this will usually reduce to around 100-120 for public speaking (unless you happen to be a cattle auctioneer!) Furthermore, the material you have carefully timed in rehearsal is bound to take longer to deliver on the day so further editing will be required. When I took my public speaking exams (I passed the LAMDA Bronze, Silver and Gold Medals and Associate Diploma in the space of a year) I had to deliver a number of short talks, starting with two prepared, four-minute presentations plus a three-minute 'impromptu' speech (just 15 minutes' preparation allowed) for the Bronze Medal. I timed the prepared talks, editing the material accordingly. I found that this experience of getting to know what four minutes 'felt like' was a huge help in working out what represented three minutes' worth for the impromptu (which, of course, was unrehearsed). The feedback from the examiner included her comment that I had 'an acute sense of timing' and I passed with Honours. Since 1994, I have run a radio comedy show prep service, in other words, I ghost-write topical jokes and observations for commercial radio DJs each day. These performers have to have an amazing sense of timing; imagine being told by your bosses that at 10.20 am you can deliver a joke just as a particular record is beginning to play, the record has a 17-second instrumental introduction, your speech must fill that time and then finish a split second before the vocals on the record begin! Sometimes even less time is allowed but good broadcasters manage this, show after show, year in, year out. Public Speaking Tip #15: Rehearse your material with the aid of a stop watch and then edit because it always takes longer on the day! The more often you speak, the sooner you will develop a sense of how long your speech (or a section of it) will take to deliver. This can be invaluable if you find yourself having to make last-minute alterations, for example, when an event is overrunning and you have been put on late and told to cut your speech down (believe me, it happens!) |
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