Lloyds TSB Retired Staff Association, Andover

I spoke about My Life as a Freelance Comedy writer for the Lloyds TSB Retired Staff Association at the Masonic Hall in Andover on 29 April. There were about 70 present and, despite a slightly dodgy microphone, the talk went very well.

One of my other talks, the Power of Humour in Everyday Life, includes an anecdote about a certain experience with this particular bank so I included it in this presentation and it was appreciated by the audience - perfect tailoring.. Material can sometimes be switched between different talks if it's appropriate (there is certainly a little overlap where my Marx Brothers and Algonquin Round Table presentations are concerned).

Public Speaking Tip #315: If you have a number of titles to offer as a speaker, the material for each does not have to be rigidly compartmentalised; you can introduce an anecdote, quotation or idea from one presentation into another if it's appropriate for that audience.

An original topical gag about former RBS boss Sir Fred Goodwin which I made a late decision to include also went down very well. Again, it was perfectly tailored for this particular audience.

During the conversation over the meal afterwards, I learned that this group had not had speakers at this type of meeting before so I was something of an experiment! This was not the first time that an organisation has piloted the idea of adding a talk with me as their first booking. It usually works well as my subjects are humorous and well-honed but if you speak on more serious topics, you might like to research whether an organisation usually books a talk at their meetings.

Public Speaking Tip #316: Are you the first person to speak to a group or the first speaker of  a certain type? If someone wants to book you, you might like to ask 'What speakers have you had recently?' The reply will let you know whether you are the first or if your presentation will fit in with what that audience is used to at their events. If you are funny/interesting/inspiring, the fact that you may be their first speaker should not put you off.

I got this booking after their Honorary Treasurer heard me last year at Andover U3A. That group has already rebooked me. During the course of the evening, I received a number of enquiries about speaking to other groups in the area. As the great after dinner speaker Blaster Bates once said (admittedly in a slightly different context!) 'It just shows how these jobs can snowball!

Public Speaking Tip #317: A successful presentation and the repeat bookings and recommendations it can bring will certainly help to keep you in work as a speaker. Nevertheless, you still also need to keep up with the mailings, calls, auditions and other forms of marketing to keep those bookings flowing!

A very nice evening and apparently not just for me, according to this email from the Hon Treasurer Glenys Hughes-Owens:

"Thank you for entertaining us on Wednesday. Everybody I spoke to at the end of the evening said they enjoyed it very much".

My thanks to another of their Committee, David, for the lift from the station and back, not to mention refreshments before the meeting.