Nick R Thomas - A Public Speaker's Blog: two years old

This blog recently passed its second anniversary and it continues to bring in bookings to speak, speechwriting and other scriptwriting commissions plus presentation skills training (even if I do occasionally have to turn down work). There are also readers who write in with queries about public speaking which I am happy to answer (even if it does take me a while; mind you, quite a few don't even bother to thank me for replying!) I am also very pleased with the increasing subscriber numbers. And you know that old saying about imitation being the sincerest form of flattery? Well, in the past few weeks, a somewhat similar tips blog seems to have appeared, albeit outside the UK (and no, I'm not going to link to them!)

I intend to continue blogging about my own engagements and some public speaking stories in the media and pass on any Public Speaking Tips arising from them - at least one in every post. But I am also planning a number of additional opinion posts, sometimes perhaps controversial, rather like this one from earlier in the year.

Public Speaking Tip #332:  Opinions about the 'correct' way of tacking various aspects of public speaking can vary enormously. You need to read as much as possible and talk to other speakers and then discover what works for you.

Thank you for reading this blog over the past two years. Onwards and upwards!

And speaking of looking ahead...

Eyesight and public speaking

Readings form part of some of my presentations. Switching from speaking directly to an audience or from brief notes to delivering a short reading varies  the style of performance and the formality of the language used. Sometimes I know the material off by heart but give the appearance of reading it; on other occasions I am genuinely reading. The text is usually much smaller than that of my notes.

By May of this year, I was struggling with small print (hardly surprising in view of how long it was since I had last had an eye test) and netbook use for scriptwriting and blogging was producing increasing numbers of typos. As for those tiny keys and screen on a Blackberry...! And I had noticed that even my large, brief notes were becoming increasingly larger!

Public Speaking Tip #333: How is your eyesight? Problems with reading your notes at a speaking engagement may not be entirely down to poor lighting in the venue!

In the past, I had always used small, independent opticians but my partner Val recommended a well-known high street chain as she had been very pleased with the service from them. I booked a test for 8 May.

My requirements were simple: a pair of reading glasses but with smaller lenses than my last ones. I always feel slightly self-conscious wearing specs for even part of a talk (mainly because my right eye needs such magnification) so I look over the top of this 'barrier' as much as possible but even doing this felt slightly uncomfortable due to the size of the lenses. Smaller ones are also fashionable at the moment so that was another a plus.

I also wanted a pair of prescription sunglasses. Many of my speaking engagements involve train journeys through the New Forest and I am often reading/writing en route. A journey through the Forest in sunlight can be a glorious experience - but not if you are too dazzled to see anything on paper or out of the window!

I took a taxi to the opticians to make sure I was there on time. I could have gone by bus; they kept me waiting. The optician was a very amiable chap and I was relieved that this test was unlike my last one years earler which had involved having some instrument actually touching each eye and also having my eyelids virtually glued together by having something which seemed to resemble Orangina squirted into them.

During the check, we chatted about how Ronald Reagan famously wore only one contact lens when he delivered his speeches (you can read more about this here).

I made an appointment to collect my new glasses a week later but when I tried them on, the sunglasses were OK but I was seeing double through the others. The young man in the shop said that they obviously hadn't added the prism which my old glasses had. At no stage did he apologise, though. I was booked in for a re-check a few days later.

When I went for this, I was kept waiting even longer than before. I saw the same optician and he also said the problem was forgetting to add the prism and that it was his fault and apologised. I told another assistant that in view of all the extra time and travelling due to their error, I would expect a discount. He said he would ask his manager but from his tone it didn't sound likely that I would get one.

I then waited nearly three weeks for the replacements to be ready, during which time I was sometimes really struggling with written materials at my presentations. As the waiting grew longer, I started doing some research in internet forums to see if others had experienced problems with this chain. They certainly had! There was also a national newspaper article exposing poor service in a branch in another town.

More than four weeks after that first test, I went to the branch again and tried on the new glasses. This time I was seeing double through both the reading glasses and the shades! The assistant who I had spoken to last time told me that 'eye tests are subjective' (surely you can either see through a pair of spectacles or you can't?) and, as he asked me to read different paragraphs on a card and I was unable to, his manner grew snappy with me, bordering on downright rude. He was getting angry with me because their product was of no use!

And then it came out: a short but highly effective speech...

Now, I'm not someone who enjoys complaining to businesses. We all mentally rehearse certain key phrases we want to include when doing so but I had often found that they didn't always come out sounding the way that I wanted. But on this occasion, exasperated by the attitude of this irritable minion, I spoke off-the-cuff. Nothing I said over the next 30 seconds or so was as I had planned - it was much better than that!

I told him that I had come to them on a recommendation, that I am self employed and my time is money and that I had now made four journeys to their branch in a month and still didn't have a pair of glasses that were useable. I said that I had never had these problems in all the years that I had used small opticians where it had been two visits: one for the test, the other to collect a pair of glasses that were fine. I told him that I wanted my deposit returned and I mentioned the name of the department at their head office which deals with complaints and then the name of the opticians' regulatory body (thank you internet!).In short, I told him that I had had enough - and why.

I surprised myself. It all came out word-perfect, angry but not shouting, assertive but not aggressive, just very firm, informed and sure of my position. And, as I have said, it was impromptu. I just wished it had more listeners but by now it was nearly closing time and there were just a few staff in the shop.

But the effect on my intended 'audience', the stroppy assistant, was immediate. His whole manner changed, he apologised, he said I could certainly have a refund there and then but they would like one more chance to put things right although this would involve yet another re-check. So I agreed.

I went back a couple of days later and saw a different optician who was very thorough. He said my old glasses had been made incorrectly (really?) and he would do some calculations to try and get everything right this time. I was told these new glasses would take another week (in view of the circumstances, I thought they might be a bit quicker!) and they would phone me when these were ready. In fact, they took nearly two weeks and they didn't call me, I had to phone them. But, on 25 June, I finally collected some new reading and sunglasses which both work and this has really helped during my talks and the journeys to them.

Oh, and I did get that discount - more than 50% off! (Mind you, during my internet research, I had discovered that the head office can fine individual franchises a sum into four figures if they get to hear about really poor customer service!) so I'm not going to name the firm. After all, the whole experience gave me rather more than some inexpensive glasses!

Public Speaking Tip #334: Regular public speaking can make a surprising difference to your communication in other arenas - some quite unexpected.