Nick R Thomas - A Public Speaker's Blog

Full Marx for this speaker's timing!

Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:59:09 +0000

New Forest Past Rotarians and Associates

I gave my third talk to the New Forest Past Rotarians and Associates on 15 September, this time about Groucho Marx. They now meet at the South Lawn Hotel in Milford-on-Sea and, as I sat outside this venue on a very warm morning while they had their business meeting (a window nearby was open so I could hear when I was just about to be introduced), I found myself covered in insects. This gave me a great opportunity to open with Groucho's famous line 'Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana'. Decent laugh, good start.

I then re-used the Fred Allen story which got such a good response from the Probus Club of the New Forest a fortnight earlier. It may have been a last-minute addition which was appropriate to the microphone problem there but I could see that it's good enough to be worked into this presentation anywhere. My content often evolves like this: strong additions to an already well-honed script.

Public Speaking Tip #352: Extra material tailored to a particular audience/speaking situation may turn out to have a shelf-life beyond that engagement and become a permanent part of your script.

I had been asked to speak for an hour and when I looked at my watch as I finished, I saw that my talk had lasted for exactly 60 minutes. You develop this level of timing with experience.

This is a small club (just over 20 present) but, as with my previous bookings for them, they gave this talk a very good reception so I assumed that the time had flown like an arrow for them as well as for Groucho!

The lunch at the hotel afterwards was most enjoyable and I really must thank Mr Cauldwell for door-to-door transport from Bournemouth to the venue and back.

Can you lose a visual aid but keep your audience's attention?

Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:39:18 +0000

Bitterne Park Pensioners Club, Southampton

My fellow public speaking blogger Lisa Braithwaite recently posted about a presentation which was very successful despite some major problems with the power supply.

Her post reminded me of an evening back in the late 90s when I was booked to speak to a large group of lady diners here in Bournemouth. The hotel suffered a power cut just as the meals were being served (forunately it happened after they had been cooked!) We ate by candlelight and I was quite prepared to deliver my after dinner speech in near-darkness. I wasn't using slides and the lack of a microphone would not have been a problem because I knew the size of the room and where the audience members were sitting so I would be able to project my voice sufficiently. But I would have missed out on making eye contact with them and so it was a good thing that the lights came back on just before I was introduced.

However hard we work at preparing and rehearsing our material, we still often rely very heavily on physical objects, be they projectors, microphones or even smaller, non-technical props.

As I was setting up ready to deliver the talk My Life as a Freelance Comedy Writer for Bitterne Park Pensioners Club in Southampton on 8 September I was unable to find one of my props - an old identity badge. It's a small object but very important for this talk. It sets up a humorous observation relating back to two other props I have shown the audience earlier (any comic knows how effective this 'reincorporation' of previous material can be), it leads into the anecdote about how I came to be known as 'Nickar' Thomas and this then gives me the opportunity to mention my booklet 'Nick R's in a Twist!' This is then followed by a true, very funny story about names.

I had two choices: to omit this material altogether or include it and simply describe the prop to the audience. I certainly was not prepared to sacrifice the laughs or the opportunity to naturally introduce my booklet so I took the second option. It worked. The 35-or-so ladies enjoyed my talk and I sold a decent number of books afterwards.

As I mentioned last year when I was stranded due to travel problems caused by heavy snow, it can be possible to get through a presentation without all your usual visual aids, etc.

But I missed that prop and was really concerned about what might have happened to it. (I found it later and now take a great more care of it!)

Public Speaking Tip #351: A unique visual aid lends so much impact to a speaker's presentation. In return, we should really look after these (often irreplaceable) props.

I am speaking to you again and here's why...

Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:30:27 +0000

Lyndhurst Probus, Hampshire

On 3 September I was back at the Forest Lodge Hotel in Lyndhurst for my second talk to the town's Probus Club, this time about Patrick Campbell.

The nature of a speaker's presentations to the same organisation can vary. For example, the last time I spoke to this club was in December 2003 at their Christmas Dinner, a black tie event with members' wives and widows as guests. This time, it was a morning meeting with an all-male audience numbering around 40.

With repeat bookings, I always find it useful to remind them that they have heard me before, however long ago it might have been. For one thing, it stops audience members' minds wandering and wondering! It also reassures them that I am good enough to be re-booked!

But with this particular talk, there is another reason. After mentioning that I have spoken to them on a previous occasion about my own career as a radio comedy writer, I add that, after delivering that presentation, I am very often asked who my own favourite humorous writers are. I then reveal that at the top of this list is...the late Patrick Campbell. This gets the talk underway but also explains why I speak about this subject.

Public Speaking Tip #350: If you have spoken to an audience before then briefly point this out. It reminds them of your last presentation, demonstrates that you are considered worthy of hearing again and may even serve as an introduction to your latest topic.

After the talk and a good question and answer session, I enjoyed a very nice lunch at the hotel, during which I chatted with Mr Alan Mecken who is himself a speaker giving talks about restoring ships' figureheads.

My thanks to John Ledger for the coffee, the transport from Brockenhurst station and back and for this email:

Testimonial: "Many thanks for your very excellent talk last week. Feedback was really good and I'm sure we will be in touch to see if we can book you again. And thanks also for the help you gave with other speakers names".

 
My pleasure!

Rescheduling a presentation

Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking) — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 15:42:09 +0000

Happy New Year to readers of this blog. I still have a number of speaking engagements from late 2009 to tell you about, starting with a repeat booking for

The Probus Club of the New Forest

On 1 September I spoke for the second time to the Probus Club of the New Forest at Shorefield Country Park near Milford-on-Sea. This engagement had actually been scheduled for November but a few days earlier I had received a call from the speaker booked for their September meeting to ask if we could swap dates as he wasn't going to be able to make it due to personal circumstances. I agreed to this and so found myself delivering my talk on Groucho Marx two months earlier than anticipated.

As with my previous booking, their business meeting was very humorous but this time it was marred by problems with their microphone. As I was listening and preparing to be introduced, I was leafing through a collection of Groucho Marx's letters and came across one from his friend the great comic Fred Allen who wrote reminding Groucho of a joke about a man saying grace inaudibly. I realised that this gag about struggling to hear a speaker would be a fantastically appropriate one to start my talk with after those PA problems - and I was right! It got a huge laugh and the rest of the presentation went really well (needless to say, I didn't use that mic!)

The vote of thanks was particularly appreciative because I had helped them out at such short notice by switching dates.

Afterwards, I enjoyed lunch with the 50-or-so members present and, like before, the conversation was very interesting, with one gentleman telling me about a dinner he had been to where a famous TV satirical quiz team captain was the guest speaker and spent the duration of that meal finding out all that he could about the organisation and those present in order to finalise his 40 minutes of tailored content - all of it on cards with just the briefest of one-line notes!

My thanks to Rod Keene for help with transportation from New Milton station and back.

Here is an extract from the letter I received afterwards from David Banks, their Speaker Secretary:

"It does not seem like a week ago when you spoke to us about Groucho Marx et al but you know how much we enjoyed your talk and how grateful we are for swopping your date....Thanks again and again for all you did for us".

They're a super club and I was glad that I could help them and the other speaker out. There was just one problem, though. I normally try and take bookings in such a way that they are distributed throughout the year. Some months are very busy, others a bit quieter, but there are usually at least a couple of engagements each month but that booking had been the only one that I had scheduled for November and, as nothing else came in at short notice, I found myself, for the first time in nearly five years, with a calendar month with no speaking engagements at all (in fact, there have only ever been four months like that throughout the whole of my 14-year speaking career).

Public Speaking Tip #349: If you help out an organisation that has booked you by switching dates at their request then, as with speaking at very short notice, they will be most appreciative. You should, however, bear in mind that this may affect the balance of your diary of engagements.

But then maybe if I had spoken to them at the later date that rogue microphone wouldn't have been playing up and so I wouldn't have used that Fred Allen story to such great effect!

Coining an anecdote!

Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:05:14 +0000

Fordingbridge 93 Club, Hampshire

On 20 August I spoke for the third time to Fordingbridge 93 Club, a men's group similar to a Probus and named after the year of its formation.

This is a popular club (they have to limit the attendance at their meetings to 80) and their morning talks are delivered from a low stage at the award-winning Sandy Balls Holiday Centre following a lively business meeting.

As I was setting up for my talk, assisted by a very helpful Speaker Host, I noticed a 1p coin on the floor at the back of the stage. My presentation about Groucho Marx includes the story of the Marx Brothers unsuccessful shows in the UK before they became famous worldwide and how Groucho came out with a brilliant ad-lib when an unappreciative audience threw pennies at the stage. When it came to the point in the talk when I was about to deliver this material, I mentioned the coin, went and picked it up and then told the story. It was too good an opportunity to miss, using this to lead into the tale and transport my friendly audience from looking at a small stage in a holiday centre to imagining a large, hostile crowd glaring at performers in a London theatre some 90 years earlier.

Public Speaking Tip #348: You may have carefully planned what material to include in your presentation but sometimes on arriving at the venue you may notice something that enables you to introduce part of your content in a totally different way.

As always, the 93 Club were a great audience (when I sold booklets, they handed over their coins instead of throwing them!) and I enjoyed a very nice lunch as their guest afterwards.

My thanks for the lift from Fordingbridge town centre and back.

Public speaking: no show is a no no

Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:35:29 +0000

Yateley & District U3A, Berkshire

I spoke at a Monthly Meeting of Yateley and District U3A at the Sandhurst Community Hall on 4 August, my second booking for them,

I arrived at Bournemouth station in good time, got on the train and waited for its scheduled departure at 08.45. And waited. And waited... This happens so often but delays on the roads in my area can be even worse (accidents and road works on the A338 can leave motorists stuck there for up to several hours).

There was no way that I was going to make the connection at Basingstoke in time to be picked up from Fleet station at the arranged time so I rang my contact from the U3A and kept him informed as I made my way there. He waited for me very patiently and we reached the venue around 45 minutes later than planned.

Public Speaking Tip #347: If you experience unexpected, serious delays in getting to an engagement (and it can happen to any speaker) you may well feel tempted to cancel and turn back but, in most cases, you should continue with your journey. People are expecting you and are unlikely to be able to organise a stand-in at such notice. The time slot for your presentation may be rearranged or you could still have time to deliver a shorter speech.

After their business meeting, the U3A moved their raffle (usually held after the guest speaker has finished) to an earlier time. I did not have to cut my talk on Patrick Campbell short but I hated being late. About 150 attend these meetings and the last time I had spoken to them I had not only enjoyed a fantastic response but also excellent booklet sales and other speaking work on recommendations from them.

I began by saying that I had two words for them: 'I'm sorry'. 'Not good enough!' a lady shouted, jokingly. 'OK, then, here are two more: Virgin Trains'. That seemed to do all the explaining I needed and the talk got a great reception from this sharp audience who picked up on every nuance.

And special thanks must go that ever-patient Committee member for the lifts from Fleet and back.

Public speakers' audiences can multitask!

Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:14:53 +0000

Forever Friends, Southampton

Back in February, my return visit to Forever Friends, Southampton had to be cancelled due to the snow but they rebooked me for 4 August.

My journey from the station to the venue was made easier by the excellent free CityLink shuttle bus service and, as with my last booking, there was an audience of about 80, mainly female, at the Masonic Hall. My subject this time was Patrick Campbell.

The venue was absolutely sweltering at this time of year and warm conditions can make audiences restless. One thing a speaker must get used to during the summer months is audience members using any slips of paper they have been given before your talk, such as leaflets about future outings, as makeshift fans! The sight of dozens of papers being waved about the whole time you are speaking can give a certain 'House of Commons' feel to your speech (but hopefully more civilised!)

You soon become accustomed to this, along with other potential minor distractions. After one talk earlier this year, a lady asked me if I found it annoying that one member of her organisation always sat knitting throughout the speaker's presentation! I had certainly registered what she was doing during the talk but I paid it no heed; it's practically an autopilot activity for many and it didn't necessarily mean that she wasn't listening. And besides, I've encountered far worse...

At another talk this year, I had to compete with a lady who examined the contents of her handbag the whole time, regularly (and loudly) dropping items onto the floor. And there was one booking many years ago where my content was drowned out by Committee members counting and discussing the takings on the door - despite the fact that this was a large hall, they were right at the back of it and I was using a microphone! This put me off the idea of speaking to them again but when I was rebooked some time later, this ill-mannered obstacle seemed to have disappeared.

Yes, interuptions and distractions can come in many forms besides loud noises outside the venue, people's mobiles going off or latecomers but you have to be careful in trying to allow for them. I once turned up for a talk in a village hall and immediately noticed that one of the audience had brought a baby (not something I'm used to seeing considering the age group I so often speak to!) I politely asked whether he was likely to cry (as if anyone except the child could predict that!) and was assured that he didn't usually. In the event, he behaved perfectly; it was the only occasion when I have been relieved that somebody slept through one of my talks - and, unlike pensioners after a heavy dinner, he didn't snore! But I got the distinct impression that my concerns about his possible behaviour weren't appreciated and I hope it is just a coincidence that they have never asked me back.

Public Speaking Tip #345: Although you should try to predict any possible interruption that might affect the smooth delivery of your presentation you should also try not to be over-cautious - it may never happen! You don't want to alienate the people booking you or be distracted throughout by expecting the worst.

(Of course, if the baby had started bawling then I would have expected the mother to quickly take him outside).

As a speaker, you need to get used to the sight of one or two audience members taking notes for their vote of thanks or in their capacity as press officer for their report about your talk for a newsletter, website, parish magazine or, if you're really lucky, a local newspaper. This is to be welcomed; it's better than yawns, watches being looked at, coins jingling in pockets, etc...

And on the subject of audiences doing something else while you speak, there used to be a club in my area (it may still exist) where members sewed while listening to a guest speaker.( I have a feeling that my late mother once spoke to them). They were listening to taks, certainly - but stitching all the way through. I wonder what proponents of the Mehrabian Myth who believe that communication is 55% about facial expression would make of that one! For the speaker, addressing such a group would be very much like that of giving a radio interview or speaking to a visually-impaired audience: emphasis on content and voice - and definitely no PowerPoint!

Or, perhaps, like talking on the phone. And speaking of phones, something else which many speakers are having to get used to is audience members posting comments on Twitter during a presentation! Olivia Mitchell has blogged extensively about this.

Public Speaking Tip #346: Audience members may sometimes appear to be doing something else while you're speaking but this doesn't necessarily mean that they are not listening - so don't you become distracted!

I was pleased that I had another chance to speak to the lovely people at Forever Friends after that February cancellation - even if the venue was a lot warmer than it would have been back then!

Some public speaking requires you to sit and deliver!

Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:29:43 +0000

Southbourne Ladies Group, Bournemouth

I had an evening booking on 22 July, the day after my three-talk marathon. It was for Southbourne Ladies Group who meet in one of their member's houses in Bournemouth.

I have occasionally spoken in private homes over the years including talks for writers' circles and one group which was part of the National Women's Register. Even a fairly large lounge can seem a little 'cosy' with a dozen or more people sitting there and in these .circumstances, I really would recommend that the speaker sits down as well; the alternative is to stand and have everyone's eyes fixed on your nether regions or your audience craning their necks to look up at you.

Delivering your material from a sitting position demands a different, less formal style, ideal for storytelling, and anecdotes are a speciality of mine so I very much enjoy these rare opportunities to present in this way.

There are other circumstances where it may be better for speaker and audience alike for you to stay seated, such as sometimes when the chairs are all arranged in a semicircle around you or if you are speaking to a very tiny audience, whatever the size of the room (I once sat while I delivered an entire talk for a writers' group in a community centre because there were only three of them at the table - or four if you counted the man who slept through most of it!)

There were about 16 ladies - plus a dog! - in a fairly small lounge when I delivered My Life as a Freelance Comedy Writer for the Southbourne Ladies and my very well-received talk was followed by some delicious home-made cake. After all the rushing around the previous day, it was good to deliver 'sit-down comedy' in this relaxed, intimate setting.

Public Speaking Tip #344: The traditional image of a public speaker is of someone who stands to deliver their material but there may be some occasions when it is preferable to sit. Obviously much depends upon the formality of the occasion and content, ease of access to visual aids, etc, but for storytellers it really does add an extra element. Your audience must be your primary consideration; if you think it's best for them then give it a try.

3 talks, 3 topics, 3 towns - in one day?

Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:42:30 +0000

Morning, afternoon and evening presentations on different subjects on the same day

Two years ago I blogged about how I was offered a choice of two dates for a booking, one of which would have meant my having three engagements in one day so I chose the alternative. But I was left with a curiosity about what this would be like so when a similar opportunity arose for July 21 this year I took it. The venues were all in Hampshire and Dorset and within fairly easy reach of each other - even by public transport - but I did have the challenge that three different topics were involved, each with a different set of props to take with me, and I would not have time to get back and change these over between talks.

If you are offered bookings in quick succession, you have to be realistic about whether you can get to them by whatever means of transport you are using. I have managed to complete a morning talk in Christchurch and then make it to a lunch near Wimborne Minster the same day and in 2000 I was guest after dinner speaker at an event run by the Glass National Training Organisation in Sutton Coldfield and got up at 6am the next morning to be on a train from Birmingham New Street to Southampton where I changed for Pulborough in West Sussex in good time to speak to a WI group that afternoon.

Public Speaking Tip #339: It may well be possible to undertake two or three speaking engagements in a short space of time - possibly even on the same day - as long as you are sure you can get to each one without cutting it too fine. In other words: be realistic about the logistics!

New Milton RAF Association, Hampshire

My morning talk was about the Algonquin Round Table for around 25 members of the New Milton branch of the Royal Air Forces Association - my fourth booking for this group since 2001.

This one didn't seem to be as well received as my three previous presentations for them. That's sometimes just the way it goes: you do your best but not every subject you speak about will necessarily have the same appeal as others for a particular audience.

Public Speaking Tip #340: You can play safe and only ever have one tried and tested presentation and keep searching further afield for audiences to hear it - or introduce new topics for repeat bookings from organisations you have spoken to before. These titles may occasionally not go down as well with these audiences but they increase your experience and versatility as a speaker. And, for some organisations, they may actually be the most appealing choice out of the talks that you are offering.

Afterwards I enjoyed chatting, as always, to Mr Ray Russell, who I have met so many times over the years at this organisation and others within the New Forest area.

Then, after a quick lunch in a cafe in New Milton, it was back by train to Bournemouth from where I would be setting off for my second talk that day.

Britiah Gas Retired Employees Association, Poole

Maybe I should have had an even quicker lunch or extended my rail ticket to Branksome because I missed the connecting bus from Bournemouth Square to Newtown and had to take a taxi which knocked a slightly bigger hole in the budget than I had expected! Traffic was really heavy that rainy afternoon but I arrived at Newtown Conservative Club in time to speak about the Power of Humour in Everyday Life for around 45 members of the Poole British Gas Retired Employees Association.

This talk, my fifth for them, went really well with this lovely society. They always want to book me again and I am running out of topics for them to choose from so it's time to think about working on some new talks.

Public Speaking Tip #341: The prospect of revisiting an organisation whose members really enjoy your presentations is a good incentive to introduce further topics.

After my talk, I chatted to members who included a lady with some fascinating stories about appearing on the Weakest Link. Then I travelled by bus to Bournemouth railway station to set off for my third booking that day.

Woodley and Crampmoor Women's Insitute, Hampshire

I arrived at Romsey station at around 7pm but my talk wasn't at a venue in the town but in a village a couple of miles outside it called Woodley. Usually when a venue is some distance from the station, I get a lift and somebody from the organisation booking me phones to confirm the times a week or so beforehand. But no-one had called and when I tried ringing the contact number a couple of days before the engagement I got no answer meaning they were probably on holiday. My own fault: I should have tried to call them much sooner when I hadn't heard anything.

There were phone numbers for taxi companies at the station but I didn't see any point in adding extrra expense. I wasn't due to speak until about an hour's time and I wasn't feeling especially tired yet so I thought I'd walk. True, there had been heavy rain throughout most of that day but it wasn't too bad at this point...

I had to pass through the town. I came to a bus stop where none of the friendly locals seemed too sure whether there was a service due which would be heading where I wanted to go. I checked with an elderly gentleman whether I was walking in the right direction for Woodley. 'It's a long way', he said. Well, maybe for him, I thought - and carried on walking.

The rain was falling quite hard now and as I headed up the hill along Winchester Road it turned into an absolute downpour. And now it did seem like a long way!

I arrived at Woodley Village Hall at around 7.40pm. My raincoat was now just that: a coat full of rain. My tie, new on that day, was like a wet piece of string around my neck (luckily it was the washproof type).

Fortunately I had packed my books and leaflets securely so there was very little runny ink.

After their business meeting had finished, I explained why I was in such a state. The ladies were very apologetic about my not getting a lift but, as I have said, it was my fault - I should have contacted the Speaker Secretary myself.

The talk, My Life as a Freelance Comedy Writer, got a fantastic response. There were only 17 there but this was another of those small WIs whose warmth and laughter more than makes up for their low numbers. And a decent number bought copies of 'Nick R's in a Twist!' afterwards..

Public Speaking Tip #342: If an audience knows that you have gone through a great deal to get to them, they will usually be especially receptive.

And when you get that level of appreciation for your presentation, the trials and tribulations involved in getting to the venue suddenly don't seem so important. (Not that I'm planning to make a habit of getting completely drenched before every booking!)

Following my talk, I enjoyed some excellent refreshments, judged the competition and chatted. The ladies bagged up my sodden coat and I really must thank one of them, Sylvia, who drove me all the way back to Southampton Central station where I was able to immediately leap onto a train (OK, so maybe I wasn't quite up to 'leaping' by that stage!) which meant that I was back in Bournemouth far earlier than expected after such a hectic day.

Overall, I think I pulled it off. Things could have run more somoothly with a little more attention to public transport details but I do thnk that driving to all those venues would have been far more stressful. I proved to myself that three talks on three topics in three towns in one day is achievable and, despite the challenges, I look back on the day with affection - although doing this every day would be a bit much, however lucrative!

Public Speaking Tip #343: Days when you stretch yourself as a speaker can become treasured memories.

Your presentations are their own best advert

Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:12:44 +0000

Totton South U3A, Hampshire

On 16 July I delivered my talk My Life as a Freelance Comedy Writer for around 45 members of Totton South U3A in the town's Masonic Hall. It was a successful talk and was followed by a good question and answer session.

My thanks to Dr John Dracass for the lift from Southampton Central and back to Totton station afterwards.

In Totton, I picked up a copy of a local weekly magazine and noticed that its classified section had a section for Speakers. A few were using this to advertise their titles.

I hope they got some bookings (it certainly doesn't cost a great deal to appear in there) but I am not sure that press ads are generally the most cost-effective way for speakers to get bookings. I have had mixed results over the years.

An ad in the national magazine of one of the women's organisations I speak to brought immediate results with some very enjoyable bookings in far-flung locations but what I found was that, unlike with mail order advertising where the response can grow the more often ad appears and the readers get used to it, diminishing returns immediately set in after this first advert for my speaking services!

Another classified ad in a rather posh national magazine didn't bring any enquiries but a 'windfall gain' was that the telephone conversation when I booked it with their classified advertising department resulted in an amusing anecdote which I incorporated into my talks for several years afterwards!

I advertised myself as a speaker, speechwriter and public speaking trainer in many issues of the national magazine of one of the service organisations I speak to and I doubt if I even broke even.

But, over fifteen years, plenty of bookings have come from auditions, the web and mailshots - which are even more effective when they include genuine, unsolicited testimonials, such as this one from Totton South U3A's website:

"We were pleased to welcome Nick R Thomas who gave us a very professional and amusing talk about the trials and tribulations he has experienced while writing for BBC radio and television comedy shows. It was most interesting to hear about the vagaries of the recording studio and how comedy writing is used in various shows. He had us all laughing at his very funny anecdotes and in particular at a sketch he had written about Boris Yeltsin for the now sadly discontinued 'News Huddlines'".

Or from this email from Speaker Coordinator Merrilyn Dracass:

"Thank you very much for your most entertaining talk yesterday at the Totton South U3A. It was interesting to have some behind the scenes information about programme making on the BBC... Everyone enjoyed your talk and it was good to hear so much laughter in these rather difficult times".

But a huge number of bookings come from the recommendations and repeat bookings that result from delivering successful presentations.

Public Speaking Tip #338: Whatever means of advertising you use to attract bookings as a public speaker, you will find that the most effective way is to deliver a speech or talk that goes so well that you are booked again by that organisation and recommended to others. This means that you are actually being paid to advertise yourself! Good, isn't it?