Just before I went 'on' at Rownhams, I sent a brief, encouraging text to another speaker who I had recently been coaching and who I knew would be getting ready for their own speech at that time.
This lady was speaking at the Annual General Meeting of a branch of a large, national organisation. She was a reluctant public speaker, more used to addressing audiences about a quarter of the size of that at the AGM. There was potential for the atmosphere to be awkward, hostile even, and, just to add to her challenges, the audience would be seated along the edges of a large room, not in rows in front of her, so they would seem even more distant (I have sometimes had to speak to audiences arranged in this way and it's certainly not intimate!)
She approached me for coaching because she was determined to speak at this meeting; she didn't want to back out of it and she had things she very much wanted to say.
The first thing that struck me was the preparation she had put into her script. I have had one or two clients over the years who have booked coaching without having much in the way of material to work with and the result has been that I have then had to hurriedly put a short speech together for them (I normally like to work for many hours on every speech I write) or they have just concentrated on the delivery of odd 'bits' without my having an overview of the entire speech.
But this client had put a great deal effort into writing her speech and then sought professional help with the delivery.
Public Speaking Tip #304: If the whole business of writing a speech and delivering it throws you into a panic, the logical procedure is to first define the audience, the event and what the intended outcomes of the speech are. Then write it (with the aid of colleagues, family or a professional speechwriter if you need them).
You now know what you are going to say and this will, in itself, give you confidence. You will also have adequate material to work with if you hire a presentation skills trainer.
Obviously, as a scriptwriter, I refine the client's speech, even if they have written it themselves. Repeated rehearsal reveals material which can be edited, reworked or added to.
This client's content was very well-written and logically structured but we still went through it a number of times, making small but useful revisions. We also tried to anticipate any points where challenging questions might be asked and how best to deal with these.
We rehearsed her speech delivery in the room where the AGM would be held. She was speaking from a stage and I removed myself to the furthest corner to make sure she was still audible there.
This reminded me of the very first public speaking course I taught in 1997. A couple of students had decided to take the optional LAMDA Bronze Medal public speaking exam, one of them very talented, the other rather quieter but someone who very much relished challenges. On the last lesson before the exam, she delivered her short, prepared speeches and she still wasn't loud enough so I asked everyone else to take themselves off as far away from her as possible (I hope she didn't feel too rejected!) so she had to make herself heard all over the room. In the event, she passed the exam, several points over the pass mark and not too far behind the other, more able student.
Public Speaking Tip #305: To be audible to an entire audience with reasonable hearing, you should look at the people furthest away from you, imagine another row behind them and then make sure you speak loudly enough for those imaginary listeners to hear you. You will soon progress to being loud enough for three-figure audiences to hear you perfectly well in most types of venue and you will have the precious option of dispensing with that dodgy microphone!
My client rehearsed her material and delivery a number of times and, as I do with everyone I coach on a one-to-one basis, I got up and delivered the speech myself to show how I would tackle it. Each delivery was timed with a stop-watch - which is one way of showing that a speech only occupies a very small portion of a lifetime (although I am sure we have all heard some speakers, invariably those who have never been tempted by training, whose speeches seem to last for one...)
For a formal occasion like an AGM, it is appropriate for a speaker to deliver a scripted speech rather than extemporise around notes so I told my client to mark off odd words with a highlighter so that she could look up and make eye contact without losing her place. I also recommend using a large font, double spacing, a larger spacing between short paragraphs and not splitting a sentence at the bottom of the page (all tricks I learned when writing scripts which were delivered by performers on BBC Radio 2 and Radio 4 comedy show recordings).
Public Speaking Tip #306: If you are reading from a script, even if you know the material inside out, it should be set out in a neat, well-spaced, readable way. Clarity on paper leads to clarity in delivery!
I have sometimes wondered whether one-to-one coaching can ever be as useful as a public speaking class or club because there is no audience (I try to persuade some clients to bring one or two colleagues or family members to a session to make up a tiny 'crowd' for them to address) but individual coaching does mean that a trainer can focus entirely on that client's public speaking needs during an intensive session of, say, two hours. Even without an audience of fellow students, it can still be remarkably effective, as this testimonial email from the lady I have been writing about demonstrates:
"Hi Nick, Thank you very much for your text - I was
really nervous but it went well - people said afterwards that I sounded
fine. I came across clearly and positively
(apparently)......anyway I'm glad it's over! I could not have done it
without your help and am very grateful for all your advice and the
time you spent with me. If any of my friends
face a similar "torture" I will have them contact you instantly - you help
to get it in perspective. I felt much more confident on the night.
Besides, I couldn't let you down! All the very best and thank you
again".
Public Speaking Tip #307: Once your speech is written, a session with a public speaking coach can help you fine- tune the material and then receive constructive feedback as you rehearse and improve your delivery ready for the event.
Of course, in this case, much of the credit goes to a speaker who put so much effort into writing a good speech and was determined, despite her nervousness, to get up on that stage and deliver it!
