Nick R Thomas - A Public Speaker's Blog

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Sunday, March 22

A safe Haven for a public speaker!

by Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking) on Sun 22 Mar 2009 06:10 PM GMT

Brendoncare Haven Club, Mudeford

On March 5, I gave my fourth talk this year for a Brendoncare Club Dorset meeting, this time for the Haven Club which meets at All Saints Church, Mudeford in Dorset, a venue where I have often enjoyed speaking. My topic was Patrick Campbell and I wondered how this, one of my more literary talks, would be received at a pensioners' club of this nature where I had never spoken before (I usually tend to give this presentation on my second or third booking for any group, after delivering my own experiences, anecdotes and observations in My Life as a Freelance Comedy Writer or The Power of Humour in Everyday Life for earlier visits) but I was given a great build-up in the introduction and I was really pleased with the response from the 40 or so members and helpers present.

So, to summarise my talks for this organisation this year:

1. Alpha Club, subject Patrick Campbell (return visit), well-received.
2. Juniper Jumpers Club, subject The Power of Humour in Everyday Life, a struggle!
3. Castle Club, subject The Power of Humour in Everyday Life, a great response!
4. Haven Club, subject Patrick Campbell, very good.

On this basis, I would be happy to speak to other clubs run by this organisation (perhaps after asking a few questions about each) and to accept bookings to return to most of these clubs.

Public Speaking Tip #294: If you speak to a number of groups run by the same organisation, you cannot assume that the audience response will be the same in each case. You need to try a few and then decide what questions to ask if you approached about speaking to more.

What I have observed is that Brendoncare and its volunteer helpers do a fantastic job in running these clubs for OAPs, providing transport and refreshments and entertainment for people, many of whom might otherwise be totally isolated in our increasingly ageist society.

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Friday, March 20

Goodbye to one of my heroes of humour

by Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking) on Fri 20 Mar 2009 04:40 PM GMT

RIP Geoffrey Smith

The gardening broadcaster and writer Geoffrey Smith passed away recently. Readers of my Radio Magazine column and my other blog Freelance Comedy Writer may know that I was a great fan of Mr Smith's use of humour: dry wit delivered with perfect timing in a broad, Yorkshire accent.

He proved that there are few subjects which cannot be rendered more interesting by an injection of humour from a speaker. Back in 1987, I heard a BBC Radio 4 documentary which featured a public speaker whose subject was flower arranging. They played a clip where he was talking to a large audience about aesthetics and how even a simple dish like baked beans on toast could be made to look inviting if it was presented in a certain way with perhaps a sprig of parsley on top instead of just tipping the beans out of the saucepan onto the plate 'Like this...' (He then made a disgusting, squelching sound). The crowd roared with laughter and the narrator stated that this speaker was booked up solidly two years in advance.

I sometimes wonder if this documentary planted the seed, so to speak, of an ambition to speak to clubs and societies nearly a decade later, albeit about rather different subject matter.

Public Speaking Tip #293: Think how you can add appropriate, naturally-introduced humour to the subject of your presentation, whether in the form of a short anecdote, observation or quotation, just as the late Geoffrey Smith did. It's a garnish that can only make you more effective and memorable as a public speaker.

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Tuesday, March 17

A speaker well-suited for his audience!

by Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking) on Tue 17 Mar 2009 10:15 PM GMT

Bournemouth Ladies' Probus

My last talk of February 2009 was The Power of Humour in Everyday Life for Bournemouth Ladies' Probus and the hours leading up to it were a little stressful but not because of nerves.

I'd put the suit I was planning to wear into a dry cleaner's and had arranged to pick it up the evening before the engagement but when I got there, the shop had closed early! I thought what I would say to the audience to explain in a humorous way the fact that I would be wearing rather too casual attire for a ladies' luncheon club booking (I had even worked out how it would segue nicely into another anecdote) but just after 8 the following morning, a very apologetic proprietor of the dry cleaner's was on the phone in response to my angry note through his door, by 9.30 he had delivered the suit and by 10.45 I was at the Hotel Miramar

I have spoken so many times at this venue, starting with my first- ever (and rather disastrous!) after dinner speech in March 1996 through a number of far more enjoyable bookings, including the last time I addressed Bournemouth Ladies Probus back in April 2000.

There were 58 present this time and after a short business meeting which included some very funny stories from the ladies and some specially-composed comic verse about Pancake Day from a member called Margot, it was my turn to speak.

There was a slight problem with the room in that wherever I stood, I would be obscured to a minority of the audience by pillars (well, I hope they felt it was a problem!) so I moved around a bit behind my table as I told some of my stories. As I have mentioned here before, I'm not a great fan of speakers wandering about all over the place as they address an audience but I felt that in this case a certain amount of mobility was necessary.

Public Speaking Tip #291: If the layout of a room dictates that some of your audience will not be able to see you then there is a case for occasionally moving into their view if you can. Pillars are the enemies of public speakers!

As it was nine years since since I last spoke to this group, I had a number of anecdotes which were new to them. Thinking about how I deliver stories which I have told hundreds of times over the years, I have come to realise that there is a jazz-like quality to this. Certain parts, certain themes remain the same every time but other phrases, timing and pauses are experimented with, even improvised, so that the anecdotes are never exactly the same twice in a row.

Public Speaking Tip #292: You can still experiment within established, proven material in a presentation. Never stop looking for the optimum version, both in terms of content and delivery.

All in all, a very well-received 40 minutes (lots of compliments and very respectable booklet sales) followed by an enjoyable lunch with the ladies afterwards so I ended February on a high note after the cancellations and disappointment earlier in the month.

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