Monday 29 June 2009
Top Speaking Tips
Nick R Thomas recently posted this interesting article on his blog. There's something there for any speaker.
Banking on a successful speech!
by Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking) on Tue 09 Jun 2009 09:26 PM BST
Lloyds TSB Retired Staff Association, Andover
I spoke about My Life as a Freelance Comedy writer for the Lloyds TSB Retired Staff Association at the Masonic Hall in Andover on 29 April. There were about 70 present and, despite a slightly dodgy microphone, the talk went very well.
One of my other talks, the Power of Humour in Everyday Life, includes an anecdote about a certain experience with this particular bank so I included it in this presentation and it was appreciated by the audience - perfect tailoring.. Material can sometimes be switched between different talks if it's appropriate (there is certainly a little overlap where my Marx Brothers and Algonquin Round Table presentations are concerned).
Public Speaking Tip #315: If you have a number of titles to offer as a speaker, the material for each does not have to be rigidly compartmentalised; you can introduce an anecdote, quotation or idea from one presentation into another if it's appropriate for that audience.
An original topical gag about former RBS boss Sir Fred Goodwin which I made a late decision to include also went down very well. Again, it was perfectly tailored for this particular audience.
During the conversation over the meal afterwards, I learned that this group had not had speakers at this type of meeting before so I was something of an experiment! This was not the first time that an organisation has piloted the idea of adding a talk with me as their first booking. It usually works well as my subjects are humorous and well-honed but if you speak on more serious topics, you might like to research whether an organisation usually books a talk at their meetings.
Public Speaking Tip #316: Are you the first person to speak to a group or the first speaker of a certain type? If someone wants to book you, you might like to ask 'What speakers have you had recently?' The reply will let you know whether you are the first or if your presentation will fit in with what that audience is used to at their events. If you are funny/interesting/inspiring, the fact that you may be their first speaker should not put you off.
I got this booking after their Honorary Treasurer heard me last year at Andover U3A. That group has already rebooked me. During the course of the evening, I received a number of enquiries about speaking to other groups in the area. As the great after dinner speaker Blaster Bates once said (admittedly in a slightly different context!) 'It just shows how these jobs can snowball!
Public Speaking Tip #317: A successful presentation and the repeat bookings and recommendations it can bring will certainly help to keep you in work as a speaker. Nevertheless, you still also need to keep up with the mailings, calls, auditions and other forms of marketing to keep those bookings flowing!
A very nice evening and apparently not just for me, according to this email from the Hon Treasurer Glenys Hughes-Owens:
"Thank you for entertaining us on Wednesday. Everybody I spoke to at the end of the evening said they enjoyed it very much".
My thanks to another of their Committee, David, for the lift from the station and back, not to mention refreshments before the meeting.
Banking on a successful speech!
by Nick R Thomas A.L.A.M. (Public Speaking) on Tue 09 Jun 2009 09:26 PM BST
Lloyds TSB Retired Staff Association, Andover
I spoke about My Life as a Freelance Comedy writer for the Lloyds TSB Retired Staff Association at the Masonic Hall in Andover on 29 April. There were about 70 present and, despite a slightly dodgy microphone, the talk went very well.
One of my other talks, the Power of Humour in Everyday Life, includes an anecdote about a certain experience with this particular bank so I included it in this presentation and it was appreciated by the audience - perfect tailoring.. Material can sometimes be switched between different talks if it's appropriate (there is certainly a little overlap where my Marx Brothers and Algonquin Round Table presentations are concerned).
Public Speaking Tip #315: If you have a number of titles to offer as a speaker, the material for each does not have to be rigidly compartmentalised; you can introduce an anecdote, quotation or idea from one presentation into another if it's appropriate for that audience.
An original topical gag about former RBS boss Sir Fred Goodwin which I made a late decision to include also went down very well. Again, it was perfectly tailored for this particular audience.
During the conversation over the meal afterwards, I learned that this group had not had speakers at this type of meeting before so I was something of an experiment! This was not the first time that an organisation has piloted the idea of adding a talk with me as their first booking. It usually works well as my subjects are humorous and well-honed but if you speak on more serious topics, you might like to research whether an organisation usually books a talk at their meetings.
Public Speaking Tip #316: Are you the first person to speak to a group or the first speaker of a certain type? If someone wants to book you, you might like to ask 'What speakers have you had recently?' The reply will let you know whether you are the first or if your presentation will fit in with what that audience is used to at their events. If you are funny/interesting/inspiring, the fact that you may be their first speaker should not put you off.
I got this booking after their Honorary Treasurer heard me last year at Andover U3A. That group has already rebooked me. During the course of the evening, I received a number of enquiries about speaking to other groups in the area. As the great after dinner speaker Blaster Bates once said (admittedly in a slightly different context!) 'It just shows how these jobs can snowball!
Public Speaking Tip #317: A successful presentation and the repeat bookings and recommendations it can bring will certainly help to keep you in work as a speaker. Nevertheless, you still also need to keep up with the mailings, calls, auditions and other forms of marketing to keep those bookings flowing!
A very nice evening and apparently not just for me, according to this email from the Hon Treasurer Glenys Hughes-Owens:
"Thank you for entertaining us on Wednesday. Everybody I spoke to at the end of the evening said they enjoyed it very much".
My thanks to another of their Committee, David, for the lift from the station and back, not to mention refreshments before the meeting.
Saturday 20 June 2009
Saturday 13 June 2009
Wednesday 10 June 2009
Evaluating Obama
Interesting piece here from the Stanley Fish Blog in the New York Times:
June 7, 2009, 10:00 pm
Yes I Can
Last week I was driving home listening to President Obama’s speech on the General Motors bankruptcy, and I heard the full emergence of a note that had been sounded only occasionally in the two-plus years since the announcement of his candidacy. It was the note of imperial possession, the accents and cadences of a man supremely aware of his authority and more than comfortable with its exercise.
Video: Speeches Mentioned in This Article
* Presidential Announcement Feb. 10, 2007 (Youtube)
* Iowa Caucus Victory Speech Jan. 3, 2008 (Youtube.com)
* Speech on Race March 18, 2008
* Election Night Victory Speech Nov. 4, 2008
* Inaugural Address Jan. 20, 2009
* Speech to Congress Feb. 24, 2009
* President Discusses G.M. Bankruptcy June 2, 2009
I was reminded of the last scene of “Godfather I,” when Michael Corleone, who begins the film as a young idealistic patriot, ends it by striking the pose of a Roman emperor as subordinates kiss his ring. Obama is still idealistic and a patriot, but he is now also an emperor and his speech shows it. “Language,” Ben Jonson says in Discoveries, “shows a man; speak that I may see thee.”
What Obama’s language showed when he began his campaign in February 2007 was a commitment to a project larger than his personal ambitions: ”It’s humbling to see a crowd like this, but in my heart I know you didn’t come here just for me.” He acknowledges that “there is a certain presumptuousness” to his candidacy and in the body of the speech he begins sentence after sentence (the rhetorical figure is “anaphora”) with this inclusive construction “Let us be the generation”: “Let us be the generation that reshapes our economy”; “Let us be the generation that ends poverty.” Later, he insists that “this campaign can’t only be about me; it must be about us.”
When he does use the first personal pronoun, its self assertion is immediately muted. “I want to win that next battle — for justice and opportunity. I want to win that next battle — for better schools, and better jobs, and health care for all.” Both syntactically and substantively, the “I” is subordinated to the projects to which it is dedicated.
When he wins the Iowa caucus on Jan. 3, 2008, the rhetoric alters as he imagines himself (perhaps for the first time) performing in the office he aspires to. “Let us” is replaced by “I’ll”: “I’ll be a president who harnesses the ingenuity of farmers.” “I’ll be a president who finally makes health care affordable.” “I’ll be a president who ends this war in Iraq.”
A little more than two months later (March 18), in the great speech on race, the “I” is once again firmly in check. He announces a resolve — “I have asserted a firm conviction” — but it is a conviction that acknowledges and embraces others: “…that working together we can move beyond some of our old racial wounds.” After saying that, the “we” takes over: “We can come together.” “We want to talk about the crumbling schools. “We want to reject cynicism.” “We want to talk about the shuttered mills.” “We want to talk about how to bring them home from war.” And he concludes with a call to collaborative arms: This “is where we start. It is where our union grows stronger.”
If there is an occasion on which self-promotion would be understandable, even reasonable, it is on the night one accepts the nomination for president. But Obama signals from the beginning that he’s not going to go there: “With profound gratitude and great humility, I accept your nomination.” That’s the last “I” we see for a long time. It’s “we democrats who have a very different measure”; “We measure progress by how many people can find a job”; “We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires”; “Ours is a promise that says…”
When he comes to rehearse the changes he hopes to bring about, the use of “I” is unavoidable — “I will tap our natural gas reserves,” “I’ll help our auto-companies retool,” “I will never hesitate to defend this nation” — but these promises are obligatory and generic and so escape the taint of boasting. As the speech climaxes America, not Obama, is the exhorted agent of change: ”America, this is one of those moments.” “America, we cannot turn back.”
This restraint and modesty also mark the victory speech delivered in Grant Park, Chicago, on Nov. 4. The key note is struck early: “This is your victory.” When he promises, the promise is made not to the people, but on their behalf: “I promise you, we as a people will get there.” It is a short sentence, but by the end of it the self assertion of the “I” has been entirely dissipated. Repeatedly, agency and power are transferred to the audience. Change “cannot happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.” And, of course, the repeated refrain, “Yes we can.”
Everything alters in the inaugural address (Jan. 20, 2009). The promises are now made to an America that is asked only to stand by while they are fulfilled. “Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. “But know America” — or, in other words, “hear me” — “…they will be met.” And later, when he says, “We will build the roads and bridges… We will restore science to its rightful place… We will harness the sun and winds,” the “we” is now the royal we: just you watch, “All this we will do.”
By the time of the address to the Congress on Feb. 24, the royal we has flowered into the naked “I”: “As soon as I took office, I asked this Congress.” “I called for action.” “I pushed for quick action.” “I have told each of my cabinet.” “I’ve appointed a proven and aggressive inspector general.” “I refuse to let that happen.” “I will not spend a single penny.” “I reject the view that says our problems will simply take care of themselves.” “I held a fiscal summit where I pledged to cut the deficit in half by the end of my first term.” That last is particularly telling: it says, there’s going to be a second term, I’m already moving fast, and if you don’t want to be left in the dust, you’d better fall in line.
There’s no mistaking what’s going on in the speech delivered last week. No preliminary niceties; just a rehearsal of Obama’s actions and expectations. Eight “I”’s right off the bat: “Just over two months ago I spoke with you… and I laid out what needed to be done.” “From the beginning I made it clear that I would not put any more tax dollars on the line.” “I refused to let those companies become permanent wards of the state.” “I refused to kick the can down the road. But I also recognized the importance of a viable auto industry.” “I decided then…” (He is really the decider.)
Accompanying the “I”’s are a bevy of “my”’s, which reach out to embrace the universe. The third time he says “my auto task force,” it sounds as if he were referring to a lap dog. Ditto the mention of Karen Mills, “my Small Business Administration” chief. When he thanks Canada and Germany for doing their part, it is as if those sovereign nations were doing him a personal favor to which he was entitled. When he invokes “my administration” you might think he was talking about some prized possession. (My daughter…my ducats.) It is always “I couldn’t in good conscience,” “I became convinced,” “I wanted to ensure,” “I instructed,” “I recognized,” “I want” (three times), “I’m calling on Congress.” At least he doesn’t say “my Congress,” although that is certainly implied.
No doubt this pattern of pronouns reflects a reality. By all the evidence we have, the guy’s completely in charge, making decisions, giving instructions, deploying resources, assigning tasks — a combination point guard, quarterback and clean-up hitter. And if he gets results, as he seems to be doing, that’s O.K.
But it may not be O.K., as a matter of rhetoric and politics, to advertise it. An occasional passive construction to soften the claim of agency would be a good idea (even though the grammar books warn against it). It’s one thing to be calling the tune; it’s another to proclaim it in every sentence. Someone is going to say, “Am I the only one who thinks that Obama likes the sound of his own voice?” (Sea Urchin, here).
Of course we all like the sound of our own voices. The trick , which Obama will probably learn down the road, is to avoid making it too obvious.
June 7, 2009, 10:00 pm
Yes I Can
Last week I was driving home listening to President Obama’s speech on the General Motors bankruptcy, and I heard the full emergence of a note that had been sounded only occasionally in the two-plus years since the announcement of his candidacy. It was the note of imperial possession, the accents and cadences of a man supremely aware of his authority and more than comfortable with its exercise.
Video: Speeches Mentioned in This Article
* Presidential Announcement Feb. 10, 2007 (Youtube)
* Iowa Caucus Victory Speech Jan. 3, 2008 (Youtube.com)
* Speech on Race March 18, 2008
* Election Night Victory Speech Nov. 4, 2008
* Inaugural Address Jan. 20, 2009
* Speech to Congress Feb. 24, 2009
* President Discusses G.M. Bankruptcy June 2, 2009
I was reminded of the last scene of “Godfather I,” when Michael Corleone, who begins the film as a young idealistic patriot, ends it by striking the pose of a Roman emperor as subordinates kiss his ring. Obama is still idealistic and a patriot, but he is now also an emperor and his speech shows it. “Language,” Ben Jonson says in Discoveries, “shows a man; speak that I may see thee.”
What Obama’s language showed when he began his campaign in February 2007 was a commitment to a project larger than his personal ambitions: ”It’s humbling to see a crowd like this, but in my heart I know you didn’t come here just for me.” He acknowledges that “there is a certain presumptuousness” to his candidacy and in the body of the speech he begins sentence after sentence (the rhetorical figure is “anaphora”) with this inclusive construction “Let us be the generation”: “Let us be the generation that reshapes our economy”; “Let us be the generation that ends poverty.” Later, he insists that “this campaign can’t only be about me; it must be about us.”
When he does use the first personal pronoun, its self assertion is immediately muted. “I want to win that next battle — for justice and opportunity. I want to win that next battle — for better schools, and better jobs, and health care for all.” Both syntactically and substantively, the “I” is subordinated to the projects to which it is dedicated.
When he wins the Iowa caucus on Jan. 3, 2008, the rhetoric alters as he imagines himself (perhaps for the first time) performing in the office he aspires to. “Let us” is replaced by “I’ll”: “I’ll be a president who harnesses the ingenuity of farmers.” “I’ll be a president who finally makes health care affordable.” “I’ll be a president who ends this war in Iraq.”
A little more than two months later (March 18), in the great speech on race, the “I” is once again firmly in check. He announces a resolve — “I have asserted a firm conviction” — but it is a conviction that acknowledges and embraces others: “…that working together we can move beyond some of our old racial wounds.” After saying that, the “we” takes over: “We can come together.” “We want to talk about the crumbling schools. “We want to reject cynicism.” “We want to talk about the shuttered mills.” “We want to talk about how to bring them home from war.” And he concludes with a call to collaborative arms: This “is where we start. It is where our union grows stronger.”
If there is an occasion on which self-promotion would be understandable, even reasonable, it is on the night one accepts the nomination for president. But Obama signals from the beginning that he’s not going to go there: “With profound gratitude and great humility, I accept your nomination.” That’s the last “I” we see for a long time. It’s “we democrats who have a very different measure”; “We measure progress by how many people can find a job”; “We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires”; “Ours is a promise that says…”
When he comes to rehearse the changes he hopes to bring about, the use of “I” is unavoidable — “I will tap our natural gas reserves,” “I’ll help our auto-companies retool,” “I will never hesitate to defend this nation” — but these promises are obligatory and generic and so escape the taint of boasting. As the speech climaxes America, not Obama, is the exhorted agent of change: ”America, this is one of those moments.” “America, we cannot turn back.”
This restraint and modesty also mark the victory speech delivered in Grant Park, Chicago, on Nov. 4. The key note is struck early: “This is your victory.” When he promises, the promise is made not to the people, but on their behalf: “I promise you, we as a people will get there.” It is a short sentence, but by the end of it the self assertion of the “I” has been entirely dissipated. Repeatedly, agency and power are transferred to the audience. Change “cannot happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.” And, of course, the repeated refrain, “Yes we can.”
Everything alters in the inaugural address (Jan. 20, 2009). The promises are now made to an America that is asked only to stand by while they are fulfilled. “Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. “But know America” — or, in other words, “hear me” — “…they will be met.” And later, when he says, “We will build the roads and bridges… We will restore science to its rightful place… We will harness the sun and winds,” the “we” is now the royal we: just you watch, “All this we will do.”
By the time of the address to the Congress on Feb. 24, the royal we has flowered into the naked “I”: “As soon as I took office, I asked this Congress.” “I called for action.” “I pushed for quick action.” “I have told each of my cabinet.” “I’ve appointed a proven and aggressive inspector general.” “I refuse to let that happen.” “I will not spend a single penny.” “I reject the view that says our problems will simply take care of themselves.” “I held a fiscal summit where I pledged to cut the deficit in half by the end of my first term.” That last is particularly telling: it says, there’s going to be a second term, I’m already moving fast, and if you don’t want to be left in the dust, you’d better fall in line.
There’s no mistaking what’s going on in the speech delivered last week. No preliminary niceties; just a rehearsal of Obama’s actions and expectations. Eight “I”’s right off the bat: “Just over two months ago I spoke with you… and I laid out what needed to be done.” “From the beginning I made it clear that I would not put any more tax dollars on the line.” “I refused to let those companies become permanent wards of the state.” “I refused to kick the can down the road. But I also recognized the importance of a viable auto industry.” “I decided then…” (He is really the decider.)
Accompanying the “I”’s are a bevy of “my”’s, which reach out to embrace the universe. The third time he says “my auto task force,” it sounds as if he were referring to a lap dog. Ditto the mention of Karen Mills, “my Small Business Administration” chief. When he thanks Canada and Germany for doing their part, it is as if those sovereign nations were doing him a personal favor to which he was entitled. When he invokes “my administration” you might think he was talking about some prized possession. (My daughter…my ducats.) It is always “I couldn’t in good conscience,” “I became convinced,” “I wanted to ensure,” “I instructed,” “I recognized,” “I want” (three times), “I’m calling on Congress.” At least he doesn’t say “my Congress,” although that is certainly implied.
No doubt this pattern of pronouns reflects a reality. By all the evidence we have, the guy’s completely in charge, making decisions, giving instructions, deploying resources, assigning tasks — a combination point guard, quarterback and clean-up hitter. And if he gets results, as he seems to be doing, that’s O.K.
But it may not be O.K., as a matter of rhetoric and politics, to advertise it. An occasional passive construction to soften the claim of agency would be a good idea (even though the grammar books warn against it). It’s one thing to be calling the tune; it’s another to proclaim it in every sentence. Someone is going to say, “Am I the only one who thinks that Obama likes the sound of his own voice?” (Sea Urchin, here).
Of course we all like the sound of our own voices. The trick , which Obama will probably learn down the road, is to avoid making it too obvious.
Monday 8 June 2009
Friday 5 June 2009
Iain Dale Election Special
Iain Dale has been very busy with local and EU elections. Here's his latest blog piece:
So What Did You Think of the Show?
Getting up at 5.15am, whizzing down to College Green to do Sky News Sunrise and then driving for two hours to Arundel was perhaps not the ideal preparation to present what turned out to be a nine hour marathon election programme. And due to traffic I was late.
However, we got started at 9am on time and despite some people having difficulty in accessing the site in the first hour it was clear that we were building up quite a substantial audience. In the first hour I interviewed LibDem leader Nick Clegg who was about to board a train to visit his victorious LibDem councillors in Bristol. This was followed by a chat with Conservative MP Paul Goodman who had announced that he was standing down at the next election. Throughout the rest of the day we talked to all sorts of political luminaries including Boris Johnson, Tom Harris, Andrew MacKinlay, Kerry McCarthy, Nick Palmer, Chris Rennard, Jonathan Isaby, Paul Waugh and Keith Simpson.
We also interviewed the deputy leader of the British National Party, Simon Darby. If I am completely honest, I wasn't looking forward to this, but I firmly believe they need to be taken on and that a no platform policy is counter productive. My fellow presenter, Hopi Sen, refused to take part in the interview, which I think was a mistake, as Donal Blaney and I took Darby to task for his wholly objectionable views. Indeed, I thought he tied himself up in knots. My interviewing style is not ideal for people like Simon Darby. I am not confrontational, but maybe in retrospect that was a good thing. Judge for yourself. The podcast is HERE.
We had some very good calls from listeners - no nutters! And we also gleaned a lot of information from all around the country which meant that we could talk about individual results with some authority and 'call' an authority way before the BBC or Sky could announce a final result. I think we came into our own discussing the Ian Gibson by election announcement as Morus from Political Betting is a friend of the Norwich North Tory candidate and I know the seat well from my political work there in the 1980s.
I have to admit that I completely lost it during the Gordon Brown press conference, which we carried live. Brown's announcement that Glenys Kinnock was replacing Caroline Flint was just too much. If you saw it, you'll know what I mean.
So, was it as polished as a BBC production? No, but it wasn't meant to be. Was it professional? I hope so. Wa sit informative, entertaining and analytical? I think so, but those who listened must be the judges. We're doing it all over again on Sunday night from 6pm to midnight, so if you have any tips for improvements, do feel free to tell us.
I want to thank Hopi Sen, Morus, Donal Blaney, Alan Douglas and Gareth Knight for making it work, and also to PlayRadioUK.com for allowing us to make the programme. I hope everyone felt it was worth it.
So What Did You Think of the Show?
Getting up at 5.15am, whizzing down to College Green to do Sky News Sunrise and then driving for two hours to Arundel was perhaps not the ideal preparation to present what turned out to be a nine hour marathon election programme. And due to traffic I was late.
However, we got started at 9am on time and despite some people having difficulty in accessing the site in the first hour it was clear that we were building up quite a substantial audience. In the first hour I interviewed LibDem leader Nick Clegg who was about to board a train to visit his victorious LibDem councillors in Bristol. This was followed by a chat with Conservative MP Paul Goodman who had announced that he was standing down at the next election. Throughout the rest of the day we talked to all sorts of political luminaries including Boris Johnson, Tom Harris, Andrew MacKinlay, Kerry McCarthy, Nick Palmer, Chris Rennard, Jonathan Isaby, Paul Waugh and Keith Simpson.
We also interviewed the deputy leader of the British National Party, Simon Darby. If I am completely honest, I wasn't looking forward to this, but I firmly believe they need to be taken on and that a no platform policy is counter productive. My fellow presenter, Hopi Sen, refused to take part in the interview, which I think was a mistake, as Donal Blaney and I took Darby to task for his wholly objectionable views. Indeed, I thought he tied himself up in knots. My interviewing style is not ideal for people like Simon Darby. I am not confrontational, but maybe in retrospect that was a good thing. Judge for yourself. The podcast is HERE.
We had some very good calls from listeners - no nutters! And we also gleaned a lot of information from all around the country which meant that we could talk about individual results with some authority and 'call' an authority way before the BBC or Sky could announce a final result. I think we came into our own discussing the Ian Gibson by election announcement as Morus from Political Betting is a friend of the Norwich North Tory candidate and I know the seat well from my political work there in the 1980s.
I have to admit that I completely lost it during the Gordon Brown press conference, which we carried live. Brown's announcement that Glenys Kinnock was replacing Caroline Flint was just too much. If you saw it, you'll know what I mean.
So, was it as polished as a BBC production? No, but it wasn't meant to be. Was it professional? I hope so. Wa sit informative, entertaining and analytical? I think so, but those who listened must be the judges. We're doing it all over again on Sunday night from 6pm to midnight, so if you have any tips for improvements, do feel free to tell us.
I want to thank Hopi Sen, Morus, Donal Blaney, Alan Douglas and Gareth Knight for making it work, and also to PlayRadioUK.com for allowing us to make the programme. I hope everyone felt it was worth it.
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