Inconsiderate performers

Much of the writing I do, whether it's original, personalised speechwriting or the daily topical humour I write for radio presenters is done in cafes. I find the atmosphere conducive to creating ideas and if I like an establishment, I may go there regularly for years, as I wrote on my other blog Freelance Comedy Writer.

I have one particular favourite. The prices, ambiance and customer service are exemplary, perhaps because the lady who runs it is North American (yes, I know there are some very good cafe owners from the UK but there are also plenty who just haven't got a clue!) Her business is open for long hours, six days a week and if you go in there just once, the chances are that the next time you visit, she will remember how you like your coffee. The only problem (for me, anyway) is that her place is now so popular that often, from mid-morning until early afternoon, it can be virtually impossible for me to get a seat! My visits, therefore, tend to be later in the afternoon.

Recently she agreed to allow some media students use her cafe as a film set. They were to film over two nights after the business had closed for the day. On the first day, at 4.15pm, a girl burst into the cafe and declared, in an accent that was meant to be Lord-knows-what, 'Hi, I'm starring in this moo-vee!' (The effect was rather lost as the only people in there were the proprietor, myself and an elderly lady customer). Then more students started arriving. The cafe owner very politely reminded them that they had agreed to turn up after 5pm when she had closed and had had a chance to tidy up. One of the students who had made this arrangement said 'Yeah, sure' but didn't leave; he just carried on talking to his friends. A young man arrived and announced that he was the director (he looked as if he had only directed himself out of his bed five minutes earlier). By now there was a large group of them there. They were all too early but few seemed to be buying coffees. The chatter and luvvie-ish greetings got louder (if their degrees include a module for practical affectation then I'm sure they will all pass that with honours). A couple of the female students started using profanities, language which is just never heard in that place. I started to get up to leave and before I had even risen to my feet, a student sat in a chair at my table, turned his back and ignorantly slung his rucksack down in front of me.

As I left the beleaguered cafe owner to it, I reflected on the fact that, as a performer, I have been a member of Equity for nine years but don't feel the need to behave like these amateurs and wannabes. As a scriptwriter, I have been privileged to work with top actors, broadcasters, comedians and even a number of internationally successful rock musicians - but I have never seen sad displays of ego like this.

Some public speakers can also be guilty of inconsiderate behaviour and even plain bad manners - and not just those politicians and celebrities who occasionally make the headlines by using totally inappropriate humour.

What about speakers who insist on using Power Point slides with long paragraphs packed with too much text - which they then insist on reading out to an audience? Or speakers who use badly-researched or out-of-date content? How about those whose style is patronising or who turn an opportunity to inform/entertain into nothing more than a blatant sales pitch?

There is an expression that describes ignorant people: we sometimes say they 'don't know how to go on'. But, of course, some speakers do know how to go on...and on...and on... I'm not talking about overrunning by a few minutes (often with permission) during a successful 45-minute presentation but those people who have to be forcibly stopped after droning on for over an hour - and  they are still nowhere near the conclusion of their material. Why? Because they didn't bother to time it and then allow for the fact that it always takes longer on the day.

Some of these people are well-intentioned but, perhaps because they never suffered from nerves, they haven't felt the need to undergo any form of presentation skills training or even read a book about public speaking. So they simply launched themselves upon an unsuspecting public.

There is really no excuse for this - especially as even the most thick-skinned speaker must be able to perceive when they are not being well-received. And it needn't cost money. Sure, there are plenty of  very good presentation skills courses, clubs and coaches around (including myself!) and thousands of useful books for public speakers but just look at all the help that's offered at no cost at all on blogs. This one has over 300 free tips (and counting!) and then there's the valuable advice passed on by Jeremy Jacobs, Lisa Braithwaite, Jason Peck and the many others listed on Andrew Dlugan's Six Minutes blog.

Public Speaking Tip #318: Presentation skills training isn't just about controlling nerves, it's about every aspect of your speech, from preparation to delivery. And there is a wealth of free training available in blogs.

I'm not claiming to have always got it right myself (relying on public transport has occasionally made punctuality a challenge over the years - but then so can driving if there's a hold-up beyond your control) but I have always tried to imagine myself swapping places with the person who has booked me and the audience that is listening to me. That's the key:

Public Speaking Tip #319: When it comes to good manners, content and delivery at a speaking engagement, simply try to imagine yourself in your listeners' shoes.

Well, the film got made, the students left the place as they had found it and the cafe owner received her copy of the DVD. I asked her what, apart from limited free advertising at a university film viewing, had made her agree to allow her premises to be used in this way for no payment at all. She said she had once been a student herself and wanted to give something back (which was extremely generous of her, bearing in mind that she hadn't even studied in the UK, let alone in this particular town).

I suppose I try to do the same with this blog; public speaking has given me a lot and I like to pass on these free tips - so do use them!