Nick R Thomas - A Public Speaker's Blog

Nick R Thomas - A Public Speaker's Blog: The Great Catch-Up Part 8

Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 07:25:59 +0100

Kidlington and District Probus President's Night, Oxford

There are some bookings I really look forward to, for example, when it's a favourite type of event in an area where I know from previous experience that the audiences are very responsive and when I find myself being booked by an organiser who knows exactly what their own expectations are - and what the speaker's requirements will be - for the event.

This was the case when I was booked for the Kidlington and District Probus President's Night in Oxford last October: a Probus event with a good-sized (80 - 90), mixed audience in Oxfordshire and arranged by Mr Derek Watson who had read this blog and decided that the talk My Life as a Freelance Comedy Writer would be the right fit for this function.

And because he booked me some 20 months in adavance I had a long time to look forward to it!

It was a Friday meeting and I travelled to Oxford by train and then took a taxi to the venue, the Oxford Centre. After the excellent dinner I was introduced and, once again, enjoyed a barnstormer in Oxford, one of those talks where I find myself wondering whether I will have to omit planned material because the laughter has gone on so long.

Speaking of which... I had spent much of the day preparing for this engagement with a rolling TV news channel on in the background and the unavoidable story, one which had been building all week but which came to its conclusion that day, was whether Wayne Rooney would stay with Manchester United. As I thought about my talk for Kidlington Probus that evening I considered introducing a line about how their President Derek would be staying with them despite so many other clubs showing considerable interest in signing him. I'm sure it would have got a laugh but I decided not to go with it. I had plenty of material to include already and I didn't want to overrun.

Public Speaking Tip #388: Sometimes there just isn't room for all of your planned content and a good response, for example, the duration of the laughter at humorous material, may be the reason. You are better off editing-as-you-go and sticking as close as possible to the time limit rather than going on too long and losing the audience and perhaps even causing problems with the scheduling of the remainder of the event.

Testimonial from Mr Watson:

"Thank you for a great evening's entertainment at my Probus President's Night at Oxford. I have received many congratulations from our members for having selected such an amusing and entertaining speaker who, without exception, left them all with a broad grin upon leaving! Well done! We all had a superb evening which, in no small part, you contributed to wonderfully. Many thanks indeed, your praises will be sung in this area for quite some time".

This was my second speaking engagement that week. Two days earlier I stepped in to cover a cancellation for Merley Evening Townswomen's Guild where I had previously spoken in June 2009. My topic was Patrick Campbell and once again they were a very good audience. My thanks once again to Mary for the transport back to Bournemouth.

Nick R Thomas - A Public Speaker's Blog: The Great Catch-Up Part 7

Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 10:08:57 +0100

Hamble Valley Stick Club, Hampshire

Sometimes I find myself speaking at a club with its own fascinating traditions. This was certainly the case when I was booked for the Hamble Valley Stick Club in Hampshire last October.

This is a 41 Club. These are for ex-Round Tablers who had to retire from the organisation when they were 45 (it used to be 41, hence the name). They continue to raise large sums for a number of good causes and hold meetings where they have a dinner and listen to a speaker.

The Hamble Valley Round Table presents walking sticks to members moving on under this age rule and there is a lot of stick-related humour at this 41 Club, for example, visitors are known as 'Teflons' (non-stick) and the Chairman is addressed as Boss-Stick!

And there was plenty of humour at their meeting, with witty banter throughout the excellent meal in one of the Meeting Rooms at the Fareham-Solent Holiday Inn at Titchfield and the reading of some hilarious minutes.

Then it was my turn to speak, my topic being My Life as a Freelance Comedy Writer.

There were less than 20 in the audience but I had observed during the meal that they were a lively bunch and the talk went well.

My vote of thanks afterwards was delivered by one of their members who is a retired judge. That sounds daunting but he was very complimentary, especially about the fact that when reading out one of my unintentionally funny press cuttings, I had used the correct pronunciation of the name of Romsey, the Hampshire town he grew up in (it's 'Rum-sey').

Public Speaking Tip #387: Attention to fine detail, such as the correct pronunciation of a place name, can be much appreciated by audience members from that area.

Testimonial from David Moss, their 'Boss-stick':

"Just a quick note to thank you for your very 
entertaining talk to Hamble Valley Stick Club last Friday and to say how much we 
enjoyed your presentation.

You made a major contribution to the success of the evening".

And from Vice-Chairman Manny Martins (I know it appears under the picture of me on my Home Page but it's so great that I just had to repeat it here!):

"Nick spoke at our monthly meeting last Friday (15 
October 2010) at a joint meeting with Kingston 41 Club.  It was a brilliant 
evening.  Nick is an engaging speaker, witty, topical and very 
interesting.  He spoke for three quarters of an hour without notes, a most 
knowledgeable man, 

I cannot recommend Nick enough and assure you that engaging him for an evening is a worthwhile endeavour. I wish you a great evening like ours".

A terrific evening. My thanks to Manny for the transport from Fareham station and back.

Nick R Thomas - A Public Speaker's Blog: The Great Catch-Up Part 6

Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 10:32:45 +0100

Talks from June - September 2010

Boscombe and Southbourne Probus

In June last year I spoke for the fifth time to Boscombe and Southbourne Probus, my previous visit having been in November 2007. The club is still well-attended and I was pleased to see Mr Tony Harrington MBE again as I had another collection for the charity he founded, the Kabanana Care (Zambia) Trust.

Sadly, the Grange Hotel in Southbourne, where I had spoken to this club and various others on numerous occasions has been demolished but Boscombe and Southbourne Probus has found a good repacement meeting place, the Liston Hotel in Boscombe, another venue where I have spoken in the past.

My subject this time was Dorothy Parker and the Algonquin Wits and the talk went very well, with a decent question and answer session afterwards. As I chatted to members before lunch in the hotel's very good Gilbey's restaurant, there were a number of complimentary remarks about my public speaking, one of which was:

"You obviously enjoy it".

Public Speaking Tip #382: Speak with enthusiasm - your audience will notice! If you enjoy your speech then they are more likely to as well.

Staines and District Probus Club

In early July I set off for Staines to speak about My Life as a Freelance Comedy writer to the men's Probus Club who meet at the Boleyn Hotel.

Decent weather, an excellent lunch, a well-received talk in a very pleasant venue - and an immediate recommendation to another club which has since led to a number of further bookings in an area where I had never spoken before - very nice!

And my thanks for the lift from the station and back.

Gold Hill Probus Club, Shaftesbury, Dorset

Before July last year I had only ever spoken once before in Shaftesbury. This was to their men's Probus Club back in November 1997 so it was good to finally get another booking there, especially as my girlfriend Val and I love this town, having visited it as part of an August Bank Holiday weekend ritual over many years, usually after spending the afternoon at the Wimborne St Giles Open Day.

Gold Hill Probus is, like most Probus in North Dorset, a mixed club with a morning meeting. Their venue is Shaftesbury Town Hall in a room which overlooks the iconic Gold Hill, famous for its use in various movies plus, of course, the long-running Hovis commercials.

There were around 50 members at the talk and a very good audience they were too.

Afterwards I was their guest for a super lunch at the Salt Cellar restaurant, which also overlooks Gold Hill, and they were kind enough to run me back to Gillingham station again.

Bournemouth and District Tinnitus Group

Towards the end of July I spoke to the Bournemouth and District Tinnitus Group who meet at the East Cliff Church.

This was a small but very enthusiastic audience. Over the years I have spoken to a number of groups for people with various disabilities: MS, arthritis, stroke, visual impairment ranging from macular degeneration to blindness, diabetes and many more. These audiences are no different from any others. Obviously a speaker should check to make sure there are no insensitive references in their material which might cause offence - but then that's a good idea with any audience. And for audiences with visual impairment you need to concentrate especially hard on your vocal delivery and dispense with props, visual aids, etc (I blogged in 2008 about how these talks are very much like a radio broadcast).

With the tinnitus group I had wondered about my voice projection but, not surprisingly, they had an excellent PA system. It was a very enjoyable speaking engagement.

Public Speaking Tip #383: People with disabilities are the same as any other audience for a speaker: they appreciate the escapism of an entertaining presentation.

Romsey Women's Institute, Hampshire

The church where I spoke to the Tinnitus Group is just across the road from Bournemouth station which was useful as I had to catch a train to my second talk that day.

Romsey Women's Institute had also booked the talk about My Life as a Freelance Comedy Writer. Now some people might find the idea of delivering the same presentation twice within a few hours monotonous but to me it's a great blessing. Although I have been speaking about this topic since January 1996, the talk never stops evolving, in fact I have well over two hours' worth of tried and tested material to choose from for a typical 45-minute presentation - and counting! This is without including the topical jokes and observations that I include or the hours of recordings of my material that I could also draw upon if necessary. My writing career is ongoing and the next new anecdote is often just a phone call away.

The great thing about doing the same talk twice in one day is that it gives me the chance to hone any new additions very quickly, rather than wait for the next booking. 2010 was, overall, a very quiet year for me so I was pleased to have this opportunity. In fact, my five talks for July and August were all on the same topic so I was able to give it a great deal of attention.

Public Speaking Tip #384: Don't view the prospect of delivering the same presentation twice in quick succession - or even more often - as tedious; it offers you the chance to hone the material and try out and break in any new additions in a very short space of time.

I enjoyed my evening at the Crosfield Hall. I had never spoken to this particular WI before but I knew from numerous previous bookings for other groups in the area that Romsey audiences are always very responsive - and they were no exception.

Staines Ladies Probus Club

I hadn't even arrived home from speaking to the men's Probus in Staines in July before I received a call asking if I was available to speak at the ladies' club in August (many thanks to the member who recommended my talk to his wife - especially as I had no other bookings for the following month!)

The ladies' club also meets at the Boleyn Hotel in Staines. Unlike my previous visit, the weather was poor and during the talk there was heavy, distracting rain outside while I was speaking. Nevertheless, a good talk, especially as I was able to mention a chat I had with one of the ladies beforehand about her interest in astrology and this led perfectly into an unintentionally funny press cutting I often use featuring an old horoscope of mine. I always think it adds a great sense of tailoring and immediacy if you can link a conversation you have just had with a member of the organisation to some part of your prepared material.

Public Speaking Tip #385: If something that crops up in a conversation before your presentation can be linked to its content then by all means do so - it really helps to personalise your content, especially if you are able to mention the person's name.

Needless to say, with weather like that I was immensely grateful for the lift from the station and back again!

Christchurch Central Women's Institute, Dorset

My first booking for September was a short-notice talk for the Christchurch Central WI who have a morning meeting at Christchurch Baptist Church Hall. I had previously spoken to them once before in June 2007 and my subject this time was Patrick Campbell. As with my last visit, they were a very good audience. Afterwards, I chatted to popular fellow Bournemouth speaker Mrs Pauline Giles, whose humorous talk titles include 'Not Dead Again!'. Club speakers don't often get the chance to network with our peers and compare notes so it's always good to catch up.

Poole RAF Association

My second September engagement was a return visit to Poole RAFA who meet at the town's Ex-Servicemen's Club. I had previously spoken to them in September 2006 and this time they had asked for my talk about Groucho Marx. This is a very friendly club and I was delighted when they immediately rebooked me for another talk in 2011.

Jubilee Ladies Luncheon Club, Emsworth, Hampshire

September ended with another repeat booking, this time for the Jubilee Ladies' Luncheon Club in Emsworth (I blogged about my first visit to them in October 2008). Once again the venue was the Brookfield Hotel.

This was the engagement where I delivered the very successful first monologue of topical one-liners that I wrote about in this post.

But the event was not without its problems for me...

I arrived in very good time, chatted to the ladies outside in the hotel garden (it was a boiling hot day), enjoyed an excellent lunch and then went into the cloakrooms before my talk. And then I looked in the mirror...

The bottom of my right ear was caked in blood! Presumably this was the result of a rather careless shave that morning (they don't call me 'Nick' for nothing...) I hadn't noticed anyone staring at me in the street, on the bus, at the station, on the train, in the hotel garden or even during the lunch (or if any of the ladies had noticed it, they were obviously too kind to say anything!) Fortunately my shirt was OK.

I cleaned it off - which started the bleeding again, not heavily, but certainly enough to be noticeable, and it wouldn't stop. I went back into the dining room, was introduced, and had to improvise a new introduction explaining that my ear was bleeding and adding some one-liners about my talk being about writing comedy not horror movies and how it's usually loud rock concerts not talks that cause people's ears to bleed. If I hadn't said anything then obviously the audience would have been wondering why I kept dabbing my ear with tissues every couple of minutes.

Public Speaking Tip #386: If you find yourself having no option but to give an excuse for a very noticeable problem which would otherwise be a puzzling distraction for an audience, then do so briefly, using humour where possible, and then proceed with your planned material to the best of your ability.

Apart from that little matter, the talk went very well! My thanks to Moya for once again giving me a lift back to Havant, where I was amused to note that a local speaker's list was advertising one of my talks as being about 'Dorothy Parker and the Width (sic) of the Algonquin Round Table'. Well, it was Alexander Woollcott who remarked that 'All the things I really like to do are either immoral, illegal or fattening'...

Nick R Thomas - A Public Speaker's Blog: The Great Catch-Up Part 5

Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 22:48:01 +0100

Coaching for a Mayor-Making

In April 2010 I found myself coaching speakers in quite a variety of settings: a family dining room where I worked with a father and son who were speaking at a wedding, then a university lecture theatre where I coached a lecturer delivering an academic paper to colleagues and finally the impressive council chamber at a town hall where I trained a Mayor-elect in preparation for their speech at the ceremony where they would be installed.

When I accepted this booking I was told that the Mayor-elect wanted to work on their voice projection. This meant that they had a very clear idea of where they felt they needed to improve - which was excellent. Too often people will say 'I'm scared of making speeches' or 'I'm terrible at presentations', as if the whole area is problematic, when what they actually mean is that there are certain aspects of public speaking which are problematic for them, such as writing the material, controlling nerves, projecting their voice or using visual aids. But the speaker who isn't loud enough might not actually have any difficulty, for example, in writing a speech - as was the case here. Too many people think the whole business of public speaking is impossible for them and dismiss it when in fact they really need to isolate the most troublesome part of it and concentrate on that. And when they improve in that area then everything else will seem easier as well.

Public Speaking Tip #381: Very few people find the whole business of public speaking impossible - there are simply difficulties with particular elements of it which put them off. Break it down and work out what you feel is the most challenging aspect of public speaking and get some help with that. Then you will find public speaking to be generally a lot less daunting.

I spent one long session with the Mayor-elect and, weeks later, attended the ceremony where I listened to a well-written, well-rehearsed and well-paced speech delivered perfectly audibly to a three-figure audience. The Mayor had identified what they saw as a difficulty with one aspect of speechmaking, sought help, worked hard and delivered a very good speech as a result. In fact, in an email to me afterwards, they wrote:

"It was great fun and I was totally calm throughout the whole event".

Testimonial from the council that commissioned me:

"The Mayor enjoyed the session and got a lot out of it".

Nick R Thomas - A Public Speaker's Blog: The Great Catch-Up Part 4

Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 23:59:00 +0100

My speaking tips in the national press

Last year, my speaking tips appeared in one national newspaper in the UK and on the website of another. In the first case, I was one of a number of people responding to a reader's request for help and in the second I was asked to join an illustrious panel for an online discussion!

Daily Mail 'Answers to Correspondents'

The Daily Mail has a long-established feature where readers can write in asking others for answers to various queries. In April last year a letter appeared in which the writer said that he had been asked to speak at a dinner for accountants so could readers suggest any good accountancy jokes?

Over the following weeks a steady flow of gags came in, many of them very good. I replied as well - but, instead of sending jokes, I recommended that he should take a different approach.

Imagine if you were a non-golfer who was asked to speak at a golf club so you rushed out and bought a book of golfing jokes. What do you think the result would be? That's right: an audience who had heard them all before, some exchanging knowing looks, others raising their eyes to the heavens, perhaps even one or two of the more inebriated ones shouting out the punchline or 'Heard it!' And this would have been the case years ago, long before gags were exchanged so rapidly by text, email or on social networking sites.

And a speech cannot consist of nothing but gags - that's a stand-up routine.

I suggested that he should concentrate instead on any (short) humorous anecdotes and observations from his own field which might still be of interest to accountants (for example, relating to business, banks, insurance, marketing, etc) and amusing material with a general appeal, including one or two well-chosen quotations.

My answer was published on 11 May. Thinking about it some more since then, I could also have suggested that he could make humorous observations about any similarities or differences between his profession and theirs.

Public Speaking Tip #380: If you are an outsider delivering a humorous speech to a specialist audience, try to avoid using non-original material about their particular profession or interest. It is very likely that they will have heard it before and your delivery may not sound convincing anyway. Instead, try to find common ground by drawing upon your own relevant humorous experiences and observations.

Guardian Careers Website

On my way back from the talk at Burwell I received an email asking if I would be intersted in being a member of the panel for a Live Q&A on improving your presentation skills for the Careers Blog of the Guardian newspaper and I readily agreed.

The session took place on 25 May and the three hours seemed to fly by. Many aspects of public speaking were covered for readers, some of whom were posting questions the day before it was due to start!. I concentrated on the benefits of joining a public speaking class, controlling nerves, writing introductions, inclusion of humour, using notes, speakers' bad habits and favourite, inspiring speakers.

There really was a great wealth of decent advice on so many aspects of public speaking. You can read the whole Q&A here, a fantastic resource, especially for workplace presentations.

And here is a brief summary of some of the points from the panel.

This was my first live online event and, in some ways, it was like public speaking in that I was delivering my thoughts for a large group of people. A little easier though - I didn't have to choose suitable attire, travel to a distant town for the gig, focus on my voice or worry about the quality of the microphone. Plus, of course, I had the opportunity to edit!

Nick R Thomas - A Public Speaker's Blog: The Great Catch-Up Part 3

Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:44:22 +0100

Talks April - May 2010

New Forest/Waterside U3A

In April 2010 I spoke for third time at the New Forest/Waterside U3A in the St Andrew's Centre in Dibden Purlieu, Hampshire. There were around 60 there for my talk about Groucho Marx.

I struggled with this one a bit due to a lingering cough and during the questions afterwards I was asked one that I just didn't know the answer to. Obviously when I got home I made a point of looking it up!

Public Speaking Tip #375: If you are asked a question and you do not know the answer then look it up at the first opportunity. It's not just that you might be asked again, it may turn out to be some vital piece of information that needs to be included in the main body of your presentation, not left for possible inclusion in the Q&A afterwards.

Shirley Women's Institute, Southampton

The following morning I was back in the Southampton area again, this time for a talk about The Power of Humour in Everday Life for Shirley WI. This was originally supposed to be my first talk of the year back in January but severe weather conditions had caused massive disruption on the railways. I did actually travel as far as Bournemouth station but a quick look at the electronic displays revealed just how hopeless the situation appeared to be. I telephoned the Speaker Secretary who agreed and thought that very few would be turning up to the meeting that day anyway. I was very pleased to get a replacement booking for their April meeting.

Public Speaking Tip #376: If some event makes it seem unlikely that a speaking engagement will go ahead, you should assume that there is an outside chance that it may still happen until you hear otherwise. It shows willing!

As I was preparing to set off for the April booking I listened to the news on the radio and it was just as well that I did. The previous night there had been a terrible fire at a block of flats called Shirley Towers, little more than half a mile from the Pirrie Park Bowling Club where I was due to speak. Two heroic firefighters, James Shears and Alan Bannon, lost their lives tackling the blaze.

I was very aware that I had been booked to deliver a talk - and a humorous one at that - in an area where this tragic event had just occurred. I thought about the material I had prepared. Among my collection of unintentionally funny press clippings there is one about a fire at a Bournemouth shop back in the 1980s. No-one was hurt in it but, nevertheless, I knew that here was one part of my talk that definitely needed to be scrapped for this booking. To have made any reference to a fire would have seemed crass and insensitive. I had plenty of other material to replace it.

Public Speaking Tip #377: It is most useful to find out if there is any news item relating to an area or organization where you will be speaking which might affect your choice of material. You are there to win an audience over, not cause offence. If in doubt - edit!

The meeting was very well-attended - about 70 - and my talk went really well. My thanks for the lift back to the centre of Southampton.

National Trust Portsmouth & District Centre

It's always a pleasure to speak to the Portsmouth National Trust and I went back there for a third visit (I blogged about the previous one here). It had been a very busy period - three talks plus a coaching session in three days, as well as daily topical gag-writing for radio - but it was no hardship to speak once again to this decent-sized, friendly and receptive audience in the Discovery Centre at Portsmouth Cathedral, this time on the subject of Groucho Marx.

Sainsbury's Retirement Association, Bournemouth

Later in April I paid a second visit to Bournemouth's Sainsbury's Retirement Association at St Saviour's Church Hall in Iford. My subject was The Power of Humour in Everyday Life and I made sure I worked in references to Bournemouth, supermarkets and loyalty cards!

Another good audience; thanks for the cheesecake!

Hayling Island Horticultural Society, Hampshire

My last talk that month was for the Hayling Island Horticultural Society in the United Reform Church Centre where I had such an enjoyable time speaking to Mengham WI in July 2009. Same talk (My Life As A Freelance Comedy Writer), same great response. This very long-established Society (1886 so a happy 125th anniversary to them!) is a great example of a specialist group that can appreciate a good talk on a non-gardening topic.

My thanks for the transport from the station and back.

Hartley Wintney U3A, Hampshire

My first talk after the Spring Bank Holiday was for Hartley Wintney U3A at the V and A Centre.
The meeting was very well-attended and I had a feeling that the talk on My Life as a Freelance Comedy Writer would go well enough anyway but I was lucky enough to have a number of interruptions!

Yes, you read that correctly.

Interruptions can often be a pain for a speaker but in this case the car that had to be moved because it was causing an obstruction, the driver having to come back into the hall because she'd forgotten her keys, the mobile phone that went off, all of these events occurred at highly appropriate points of my talk where I was easily able to work in ad-libs around them - and that made the talk even funnier. A great morning.

Public Speaking Tip #378: Interruptions can occasionally be the humorous speaker's friend if you can work ad-libs or your existing material around them - preferably without embarrassing the unfortunate audience member responsible. Heckling is another matter...

Thank you to Rosie for running me back to the station.

Wallingford U3A, Oxfordshire

The following day, 5 May, I was speaking to another U3A, this time in Wallingford. It was the day before the General Election so before launching into My Life as a Freelance Comedy Writer I mentioned that it would make a change for them to listen to a public speaker who wan't trying to solicit their vote. It got me off to a good start with this audience of around 90 members. Oxfordshire audiences are always good, I find.

My thanks for the lifts all the way through the lovely Oxfordshire countryside from Goring & Streatley station and back.

Ulwell Women's Institute, Swanage, Dorset

On 11 May, while the UK was still without a government some five days after the election, I set off for an afternoon talk for Ulwell WI in Swanage. A small but extremely receptive audience for My Life as a Freelance Comedy Writer. Afterwards, following my usual walk up to Peveril Point, I called into the New, Secondhand & Antiquarian Bookshop in Station Road just before closing time and was delighted to find an old, inexpensive anthology of American humour which has provided some very useful insights for my talk about Dorothy Parker & the Wits of the Algonquin Round Table.

When I arrived home that evening I watched the TV coverage of outgoing Prime Minister Gordon Brown's moving farewell speech.

Bottisham Women's Institute Group, Burwell, Cambridgeshire

The furthest I travelled for a talk last year was to the annual Bottisham WI Group meeting at the Gardiner Memorial Hall in Burwell, thus adding Cambridge to the list of Women's Institute Federations that I have spoken to (19 so far!)

This one involved an overnight stay. I was able to find accommodation in nearby Newmarket (luckily there were no horseraces or sales that day otherwise it might have been tricky). I stayed in a nice hotel, the Ashley House, which was very reasonably-priced. I was delighted to discover on arrival that I had been upgraded to a suite at no extra charge.

One of the members' husbands drove me to the very charming hall in Burwell. I had bought local papers to see if I could link any part of My Life as a Freelance Comedy Writer to anything in the news or come up with a topical gag but there was nothing inspiring. What I did notice, however, was that one of my former fellow BBC radio comedy writers, now a very well-known TV comedian, was appearing at a local theatre so when I came to the part of the talk where I list some of the soon-to-be-famous comedy people I encountered in the Writers' Room at 16 Langham Street (part of Broadcasting House), I was able to menttion that he was performing in their locality.

Which brings me on to the business of name-dropping in talks. Audiences seem to like famous people cropping up among the content but this has to be done naturally; there needs to be some justification for the mention of some well-known figure who you may have encountered. I never exaggerate how well I have known the comedians,writers, producers, rock stars and other famous people I have come across. In some cases I have worked closely with them but there are others who I only had a nodding acquaintanceship with and some I just observed from a distance.

Public Speaking Tip #379: It can certainly add colour to a presentation if you can mention a personal connection with someone famous but don't overdo it and always be honest about the extent of your involvement with them - audiences deserve the truth.

A guest speaker's involvement at a WI meeting seldom ends with the talk! I was asked to judge the competition. Members had knitted more than 30 woollen hats for the local homeless shelter and the winning entry I chose had luminous bands which I thought would be the most visible on anyone out on a dark street at night.

I also had the very pleasant task of judging the entries for the Inter-Institute Competition: three comedy performances. One was a monologue, the others were two-handed sketches. As a comedy writer, I have to say that these were very impressive, both in terms of writing and performance, and the audience certainly enjoyed them. They were hitting the target of 5 - 6 laughs per minute that a comedian aims for in a stand-up routine or sketch (it tends to be less for a speaker) and it was difficult to make a choice but in the end I went with the monologue, especially as the performer had stood in at short notice in place of a member who couldn't attend. So she got the engraved silver dish!

It was a terrific evening, well worth making the journey for. My thanks to Sandra for the lift back to Newmarket.

Staunton Women's Institute Group, Hampshire

I spoke, once again, on My Life as a Freelance Comedy Writer at another WI Group meeting in May 2010, this time for the Staunton Group at the St John's Parish Centre, Rowlands Castle. The talk went fine but afterwards I was little dismayed to hear that the rather scathing blog entry I wrote about the objectionable 'vote of thanks' I had received at a certain men's dinner months before seemed to be putting pressure on the lady who was thanking me at this meeting! I must stress that I posted it in response to one unusually unpleasant short speech. The vast majority of votes of thanks I am given are thoughtful, amusing and appreciative; hers certainly was!

And I must thank the lady who waited patiently for me at the station and returned me there after the talk.

Trinity United Reform Church, Bournemouth

The following evening I was speaking back in my home town of Bournemouth, delivering a second talk - on Patrick Campbell this time - at the Trinity United Reformed Church in Charminster to a small but appreciative audience which turned out to include a lady who was a neighbour of mine for 14 years. As I have written before, sometimes public speaking can be like Friends Reunited!

Nick R Thomas - A Public Speaker's Blog: The Great Catch-Up Part 2

Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 02:36:36 +0100

Tilsworth & Stanbridge Women's Institute Group, Bedfordshire, March 2010

One of last year's most far-flung - and enjoyable - speaking engagements was for a WI Group meeting held at the Village Hall in Billington near Leighton Buzzard.

I was met at Leighton Buzzard station by John and Sandie Rowland (who organises the Group Meetings) and treated to a wonderful dinner at their home, a meal that was on a par with any I have had as a luncheon or after dinner speaker and I really did appreciate their hospitality.

Then it was on to the hall for the meeting. As always at WI Groups, there were a number of reports from speakers representing the various Institutes that make up the Group and also from the County Headquarters and the Group's Committee. Whenever I speak at a function where there are various speakers at the business meeting I never tire of observing their different approaches to and styles of presenting. The audience response to these earlier speakers is also a useful guide for me, for example, in noting their response to humour.

Public Speaking Tip #373: The response to the speakers who are on before you can be most helpful for guaging the general mood of an audience.

I certainly had nothing to worry about where the 50-or-so ladies at this meeting were concerned - My Life As A Freelance Comedy Writer was extremely well received.

I had a copy of a local paper and even though there were no stories that inspired jokes in their own right, there was one concerning a 99p store which I was able to use a 'bridge' to lead me into some other observations so this ended up as a bit of 'local news tailoring' of my material after all.

Public Speaking Tip #374: The latest issue of a local paper - even a weekly freesheet advertiser - can have many uses in terms of tailoring your content for an audience from that area. A front-page story will obviously be most familiar to them.

My thanks to the lady who ran me back to the station after a very enjoyable talk, my first in Bedfordshire (but I have two more booked for later this year).

Testimonial from Mrs Rowland:

"We all enjoyed your visit very much – the feedback was excellent".

And this from the County Chairman of the Bedfordshire Federation of Women's Institutes:

"The speaker was great and is to be recommended".

One of last year's best short speeches - and it came from Masterchef!

Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 20:09:55 +0100

Saying it in a different way

In recent years I have become a big fan of Masterchef, whether in its amateur, Celebrity or Professional versions.

Unlike so many TV talent contests, the judges do not make snide comments; their criticism is always constructive (rather like the feedback from teacher of a public speaking class should be!)

But, sadly, there are some aspects of its production which have been edging towards X Factor-levels, especially during the current (rather disappointing) series which finishes tonight. Many of the contestants are needy and tearful (not appealing viewing as far as I am concerned).

Then there are the cliches: contestants will always be 'absolutely devastated' or (appropriately for a cookery programme) 'gutted' to be sent home. They usually trot out the same reasons for wanting to appear on the show as well: reaching a certain age, wanting a change of career, being interested in food, having an ambition to work in a Michelin-starred kitchen or open their own cafe/restaurant/delicatessan, etc. It's not that there's anything wrong with this, of course; it's just that the wording is so often the same.

But last year's amateur Masterchef was exceptionally good and its quarter-final stages produced a brilliant short speech from one of the contestants, something profound and refreshingly different which had me clicking on the BBC iPlayer at the first opportunity to hear it again.

Tim Kinnaird, was a children's doctor who also wanted a career change but when one of the judges, Gregg Wallace, asked him why he should be a semi-finalist, here's what he replied:

"Food is the framework of my life. I can taste the pink wafers I had when I went to see an aunt in Lowestoft when I was eight. I can remember the grilled sardines on a beach in Corfu with my mates when we'd finished med school. And I can remember the tea and toast I had when my little girl was born. I can win this competition. Just put me through".

Isn't that great? It was probably too detailed to have been delivered off-the-cuff - there must have been some preparation involved - but, at the same time, it wasn't put across in a manner that sounded too scripted. And it was said in a way that was passionate but not over-emotional (despite including such significant personal memories).

Public Speaking Tip #372: Even the shortest speech can have a major impact if enough thought is put into making it unique - especially if it is delivered in a totally unexpected setting.

Tim didn't win but he did get through to the final where he narrowly lost out to the brilliant Dhruv Baker. But by the time that programme was broadcast, some six months after its recording, plans for his own business as a high-end cakemaker were well underway.

Of course, if that doesn't work out he'd make a great public speaker!

Nick R Thomas - A Public Speaker's Blog: The Great Catch-Up Part 1

Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 09:00:29 +0100

Speaking engagements December 2009 - March 2010

Sharp-eyed readers may just have noticed something missing from this blog of late: namely accounts of 16 months' worth of speaking engagements!

Bloggers often fall behind on their postings. Many give up their blogs altogether; others just restart and carry on from that point without including any retrospective material and I could do this - just write about my most recent engagements - but then readers would miss out on useful public speaking tips from many of my bookings since the end of 2009 (plus other speaker-related news and activities from this period). And I think that some followers of this blog like to read about all the various different types of audiences I speak to. Also, I have received some very nice unsolicited testimonials which I am keen to include on this site after blogging about the bookings which led to them!

I had even thought of writing about current bookings and then adding a 'and this time last year'-type entry after each but this would mean that so many warm and hospitable organisations who have booked me would have to wait even longer to be mentioned.

So I have decided to devote the next postings to all my bookings over the past 16 months. These accounts will be a little briefer than usual and there will not be public speaking tips to pass on from every one of them but there will still be plenty of advice so all I can say is look at the details - not the dates! And the advice I do pass on will be timeless.

I hope to be up-to-date within a month. Let's begin...

The Purbeck Society

I spoke to this very long-established society in December 2009 on My Life As A Freelance Comedy Writer and the afternoon talk was really well received by the 50-or-so members attending at Swanage's Mowlem Theatre. The society is concerned with preservation and planning, etc, in Swanage and what really interested me was how, during the business part of the meeting, their Chairman Mike Stollery managed to deliver what could have been in other hands some very dry, possibly even boring information in a lively, interesting and humorous fashion - an impressive speaker!

Public Speaking Tip #364: It is up to a speaker to make their content come alive. Even statistics or technical details can become interesting/entertaining if presented in the right manner.

Bournemouth Tangent Club

My last booking for 2009 was the Christmas luncheon for Bournemouth Tangent Club (Tangent are the wives and partners of 41 Club members). This was held at the Hermitage Hotel, a super venue which I have sometimes used for meetings with scriptwriting clients. My partner Val and I also enjoyed a super tea there a couple of days ago. I arrived early and was chatting to one of the members when I mentioned about using topical material. She said that jokes about Tiger Woods must be old hat now and I realised that she was right. Less than a fortnight earlier, I had received a round of applause for a topical gag about him at the Highcliffe Ladies Luncheon Club but the story had carried on being featured heavily in the media since then and many people were probably tiring of it.

In the event, I didn't use any topical material on that occasion as there wasn't time once the (very good) lunch was over but it was useful to have had that audience member's opinion.

Public Speaking Tip #365: It is often very helpful to have audience feedback before you speak as well as afterwards! This can give you some very useful insights concerning the nature of the audience, aspects of the venue plus, of course, what content to include.

Bransgore Townswomen's Guild, Hampshire

My first booking of 2010 wasn't until nearly the end of January as I lost an earler one due to the chaos caused by the snow. (I was rebooked for April - details of that talk in due course). The weather was still very cold and I wondered how many of the usual audience of around 25 would turn up to the Resource Centre to hear my Patrick Campbell talk. It turned out that pretty much all of them did.

Public Speaking Tip #366: Don't be discouraged if the audience appears smaller than usual when you turn up to speak. Many people will arrive at the very last minute - sometimes in cars containing three or four of them!

This was actually easier than my previous talk to this group at the same venue in October 2005 when the percussion of continuous heavy rain on its glass roof seemed to cause almost as much hilarity as my talk!

Tarrant Ladies Group, Dorset

I lost this talk due to the snow in February 2009 and I thought I was going to lose it again for a different reason a year later! I was in agony due to what I assumed was some sort of food poisoning. After lying in bed for hours (but only sleeping for around one of them) I finally dragged myself out of bed in the afternoon, moving so slowly that it took me two hours to get dressed, ready, etc! Obviously I thought about cancelling but having lost this one a year earlier, I didn't want the audience to be disappointed a second time so I decided to get ready and try to travel out to Wimborne Minster where I was being met. I was going to take it a step at a time and see how far I could get.

John and Angie Collings are a lovely couple who were very understanding and we decided to play it by ear in terms of how long I was able to speak.

In her excellent speaking blog Speak Schmeak, Lisa Braithwaite wrote a post last year titled The audience doesn't need to know which advised against telling them all about your health concerns, making excuses to them, etc. I usually agree with Lisa but on this particular occasion I did inform the audience about my fragile state, simply because I felt they would be puzzled if I suddenly went charging out of the room!

But then that wonderful character 'Dr Theatre', who I have posted about before, did his stuff. I had been asked to speak on My Life As A Freelance Comedy Writer for anything from 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes and I gave them the maximum amount - plus questions afterwards - and from a standing position, not sitting!

Public Speaking Tip #367: In extreme circumstances it may be a good idea to forewarn your audience about any factors which might interrupt your presentation.

There were 35 attending that evening and all I can say is that although the Anne Biddlecombe Hall in Tarrant Keyneston may not have been the warmest venue where I have ever spoken, that audience certainly could not have been warmer in their response to me!

My thanks to John Collings for running me all the way back to Bournemouth. John shares my interest in classic radio comedy and I enjoyed discussing this with him.

West Parley Women's Institute

My second talk that month was on My Life As A Freelance Comedy Writer for West Parley WI, at the village's Memorial Hall.

I didn't mention it but I had actually spoken on a previous occasion, many, many years earlier, to this Institute and it had not been very successful. All I can say is that the response this time was excellent - but then I am no longer a novice speaker!

Public Speaking Tip #368: It can be a positive experience to revisit an organisation where a previous speaking engagement has not gone well. You can improve on your past performance.

Bournemouth Central Probus

Also in February 2010, I gave my fifth talk, this time on Groucho Marx, to Bournemouth Central Probus, who had now moved their meetings to the Woodcroft Hotel.

Inspecting the stage area as I was setting up, I noticed that it wasn't very well-lit and I needed to see my notes, etc. The problem was soon solved, my talk went well and, as always, I enjoyed the lunch with the gentlemen afterwards.

Public Speaking Tip #369: If there is a noticeable problem before you speak (poor lighting, etc) then simply mention it. Organisations and (usually) venues want a presentation to be a positive experience for speaker and audience alike and will do their best to resolve the issue.

In March 2010 I spoke on My Life As A Freelance Comedy Writer following a buffet lunch at Sarisbury Green Community Centre for Locks Heath Probus (my thanks to Mr Spokes for transportation from the station and back) and on Patrick 'Call My Bluff' Campbell for Lymington WI at the town's Community Centre. Both of these talks went well.

Ashurst Probus

I delivered two more talks in Hampshire that month. The first was a fourth booking for Ashurst Probus who had now moved to The Crown Hotel in Lyndhurst. The lunch was great but my talk on The Power Of Humour In Everyday Life didn't go as well as I had hoped. I'm not really sure why. My three previous talks for this club were all really well-received. The circumstance were a little different - they used to have a pub lunch and then move to a nearby hall for the talk rather than remaining in the hotel dining room but that shouldn't have affected anything much.

I even began to wonder if clubs have a sort of 'speaker fatigue' after a certain number of visits but then there are some where I have spoken successfully six or seven times.

Maybe I just wasn't firing on all cylinders that day. Whatever the reason, I was disappointed, as I really like this club. My thanks for the transport from Brockenhurst and back.

Public Speaking Tip #370: Some presentations just don't go as well as expected and this keeps public speaking exciting and interesting and means you keep striving for improvement. All you can do is learn and move on.

Woodley and Crampmoor Women's Institute

The following week I returned to Woodley and Crampmoor WI at Woodley Village Hall near Romsey, the scene of the finale for my unforgettable 3 talks, 3 topics, 3 towns - in one day? marathon the previous August.

At this time of year they meet in the afternoon instead of in the evening and there were more members present. My talk this time was on Patrick Campbell and they were a great audience for it. I actually delivered this talk wearing vinyl gloves as the eczema on my hands was particularly bad that day and looked too unsightly to try and hide. I had explained why I was doing this (extreme circumstances again, Lisa!) but soon felt even more self-conscious about the gloves and so I kept my hands behind my back. And this had some interesting consequences...

I started noticing just what a gesticulating and generally rather animated speaker I must be because not having my hands to move around in front of me seemed to result in my shoulders dancing away merrily instead throughout the talk, as if trying to illustrate various points themselves!

It was a weird experience which didn't seem to affect the audience's enjoyment (who knows - it may even have added to the comedy!) I am certainly in no hurry to repeat it.

And, just to add to that, I also found myself competing with the sounds of an activity called Kindermusik in an adjoining room! I couldn't complain though - I found it rather charming and everyone sounded as if they were working jolly hard.

Public Speaking Tip #371: Venues often host more than one event at the same time and sometimes it's unavoidable that sounds from one may affect another. It's not ideal but you just have to do your best - at least it's a sign that it's a popular meeting place and therefore one that stands a good chance of staying in business!

One thing is certain though: whenever I visit this particular WI it's never dull!

As with my previous booking, I must thank Sylvia for the lifts.

(I did deliver one more talk in March 2010 but I'm giving that one an entry all to itself...)

'Seasoning' your presentation

Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 04:31:49 +0100

A further form of 'timing' for speakers

Regular readers will know that I am always suggesting ways to make at least part of your presentation or speech seem unique - even if it is one that you frequently deliver. This could be through such additions as topical humour or content relating to your connections with or previous visits to that venue or general vicinity.

Another way is to bring in something about the time of year. A good example of this was when I delivered my Patrick Campbell talk for Andover U3A in December 2009. This was a return booking and I wanted to make it special, not only because they had been a great audience on my previous visit but also because, well, I try to make all my talks special (as any speaker should!) But there was also the fact that this was a break from tradition as this U3A had been used to other entertainments, such as carol singing, at their December meetings. It's often a challenge for spoken word to replace music and I was also determined to make this talk at least a little seasonal.

My Patrick Campbell talk always includes one story about an event that affected his family one Christmas but I wanted to add more. Fortunately he wrote a great deal about his experiences at that time of year so I had plenty to choose from. This helped to make this presentation, which followed a remarkably well-organised buffet lunch for the audience of over 100 in the Fairground Hall, near Weyhill, very successful. My thanks once again for the transport from Andover station and back.

But remember: this seasonal tailoring, like a dog, isn't just for Christmas! At the Rotary dinner where I spoke last week, I mentioned the (true) fact that a school anecdote which I use a lot had actually occurred just before the Easter holidays.

Christmas and Easter may have passed but we still have the Spring Bank Holiday, summer academic term, Whitsun, exams, the Summer Solstice, Wimbledon, summer holidays, the new school year, autumn, Harvest Festival...the list goes on. Could you mention any of these (even briefly) in relation to your content at those times of the year in order to make your existing presentation seem especially timely?

Public Speaking Tip #363: A seasonal link to part of the content of your speech or talk is another way to make it seem topical and tailored to the audience.