CASS

London, UK

My co-presenter at LSQ TV, Claire Bueno was in the Square last night for the Premiere of CASS.

Popular TV Presenters

London, UK

French TV news reporter Melissa Theuriau has been an internet phenomenon for some time.
She's had millions of hits on You Tube and elsewhere and is considered by some to be the world's most beautiful woman.

Working an Audience

London, UK

Last year I posted this over at Jeremy Jacobs.com The article highlights some of the methods you can use to "work your audience". Quite often when I'm speaking at my Toastmasters Club, I get members of the audience to get involved in one way or another.

Dealing with the Audience

• Here are some rules of thumb:

1. For everything from questions to eliciting comments to getting volunteers for crazy group activities, don’t spend time dragging someone who is clearly more comfortable not being in the limelight.

2. When crafting interactive exercises or activities for a seminar or presentation, consider the audience:

* have they seen this kind of thing before?
* Is it too advanced? Too juvenile? ? Too creative? Not creative enough?
* Too verbal? ? Does it require special skills?
* Will it embarrass people beyond where the audience will be comfortable?

3. Interact with your audience through elicit responses to questions you pose. To get answers, don’t merely say, for example, “Can anybody tell me something about their negative experiences in public speaking?” A more sure way to get responses might be to be more specific: “has anyone here ever had terrible speaking experience when called upon to?” Inevitably someone will nod. Gently ask someone who nods if they will elaborate and the conversation will begin. Others will be glad to give their comments if someone starts the ball rolling.

4. Bring people into your world. Ask them to help you by reading lists, or points you have pre-printed, or ask them to write on a flip chart. Give them prizes.

Keep your eyes peeled for more tips.

Know your Audience

London, UK

This was posted over on my other site last year. As a speaker, corporate host or presenter, it's so important to know your audience and to be tactful.

2 things not to do when public-speaking
Posted in Public Speaking, 2007, UK
Trevor Phillips, who chairs the Commission for Racial Equality was left with egg on his face after making a terrible gaffe whilst attending a function on the Queen’s official birthday on Saturday. His was a guest speaker at the Imperial College London’s Centenary Ball when he made a joke about the Queen Mother and her colostomy bag. Guests were shocked and disgusted at his ill-considered joke.
I’ve heard Trevor Phillips speak before and he doesn’t strike me as someone who would make such a basic error. If you are asked to entertain an audience with a joke or funny story then make absolutely sure you won’t offend anybody. Ask beforehand if necessary and if in doubt cut it out. The other golden rule is KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE.

Presenting under pressure

London, UK

These American presenters really know how to lose it!

H/T Last of the Few

Sex and the City - World Premiere (2)

London, UK

Presenting part two of the footage brought to you by LSQ TV

Leicester Square Television - the first six months

London, UK

If you've been following LSQ TV's red-carpet "adventures", you'll probably agree that our first six months of operations has been very successful.

My co-presenters and I have been able to chat with a number of stars of the screen - Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman, Sir Michael Caine, Will Smith and Gwyneth Paltrow to name just a few. LSQ TV's "fan-cam" team headed up by Elizabethtoni have now clocked up over one million hits on You Tube. This figure is in addition to the tens of thousands of you who have dipped into the LSQ TV website.

So, a huge thank-you from everybody at Leicester Square Television!

How to make it as a Public Speaker (revisited)

London, UK

Some of you would have seen this from here in 2006:

Friday, September 01, 2006
How to make it as a public speaker

Flushed with success from last night's London Corinthians meeting, I was asked afterwards by a couple of new members as to how one becomes a professional public speaker.

1. Learn how to speak. Joining London Corinthians or other Toastmaster International clubs is a first great stepping stone. After a period of time, you can join the PSA

2. Get a website

3. Learn how to market yourself. My colleague at the PSA, Graham Jones, has some great advice.

4. Start blogging!

Posted by Jeremy Jacobs at Friday, September 01, 2006

By the way, my Google Ranking at http://www.jeremyjacobs.com is now rated at 4. Regular blogging works!

Sex and the City

London, UK

LSQ TV will be in Leicester Square on Monday night for the World Premiere of "Sex and the City". You can read about it here and you'll be able to see the footage early on Tuesday morning.

Interviewing Specialists

London, UK

It hardly seems possible given our early summer but just a couple of weeks ago it was cold, windy and raining in London's Leicester Square. My co-presenters at LSQ TV, Polly & Russell were there for the UK Premiere of Speed Racer which stars Jung Ji Hoon, otherwise known as Rain.

The K-Pop star gave some great interviews and just a few days ago, caricaturist, Simon Ellinas, drew him. Here's the result:



Simon has his own blog too. It's here

Public Speaking to a TV Audience

London, UK

Many of you would have seen the City Salute which was presented by Jeremy Clarkson and broadcast on BBC One earlier this evening. During the hour long programme, actor Ross Kemp narrated a piece written by Field Marshall The Viscount Slim on the attributes of a British soldier. Kemp's delivery was superb and full of passion. It's worth seeing again. It may appear on BBCiPlayer.

Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert Downey Jr.

London, UK

Earlier on, Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert Downey Jr. were on BBC TV with Jonathan Ross. You may have seen the LSQ TV footage here of both of them on the red carpet last week. Also on Jonathan's show was Michael Aspel. He also appears on my other site presenting a promotional video from 1970.

Presenting and Speaking with Clarity

London,UK

You know the routine. You're on a train, you pull into a station. You remain there for a few minutes before you hear an announcement. A couple of years ago, I heard this, whilst travelling on one of those fast sooper-dooper red and silver thingies, back from Manchester. I'm paraphrasing a bit but here goes "This is your train manager speakin', we will be stuck here at Stoke for about forty-five minutes". Uproar ensued amongst my fellow passengers. What was actually said was f-o-u-r t-o f-i-v-e minutes. A much shorter duration of course.
Earlier today, whilst returning from Norwich, my train was held at Colchester station for around ten minutes. The problem? A lightning bolt had put paid the signalling at a place I've never heard of before. I think the train manager said it was Attfeelpevril. I then twigged. He was, of course, referring to that well-known Essex village near Chelmsford called, Hatfield Peverel.

You see, unless you present yourself correctly by speaking so that you can be properly understood, you'll run into problems of one kind or another. Both of the gentlemen I've mentioned, or rather their employers, would be wise to send them on a "speaking with clarity" or a "talk with conviction" course. I've found that by speaking more slowly, one tends to enunciate better. Try it in front of your mirror at home. But if you are still struggling, try a course run by professionally qualified voice-trainers

Presenting Successful Web Television

London, UK

Just a couple of days after the LSQ TV "fan-can" team hit their first million on "You Tube", the Leicester Square TV channel on You Tube had nearly 11,000 hits in the first 24 hours and was awarded no less than 21 You Tube honours!! Fantastic. Much of the success was probably due to the appearance of Korean pop star Rain

Newbie presenters Polly and Russell hosted the show and despite the wet, they got some great sound bites.



LSQ TV has done really well in it's first few months. Join in the fun here

Business Presentations

London, UK

Andy Lopata - remember him from his recent interview with me on the radio?

Last night, Andy gave an excellent workshop-style talk on business networking. The event was organised by the Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK and held at the offices of SEB in Cannon Street.

Andy explained to the audience about the importance of having the courage to "step out of your comfort zone" and go and actually talk to new people at an event rather than chat to those you already know. He then asked those gathered to try it out for themselves. They did with some amazing results.

For me the most important point raised all evening was this one - what networking group should one join? Whichever one you choose, be patient and don't expect business to come your way before you've built-up strong business relationships.

There's more at Andy's Blog here

Celebrity Sound Bites

London, UK

A full LSQ TV presenting team were at the Square last night for the Premiere of Ironman which stars Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow.

BTW, Elizabethtoni(our fan-cam lady) has just clocked her one-millionth hit on You Tube

Interviewing Celebrities

London, UK

Interviewing celebrities for LSQ TV or the BBC is really no different to interviewing a member of the public. If you're an experienced journalist, tv presenter, a doctor with a great bedside manner or a salesperson, you'll appreciate the importance of asking "open" questions.

They normally commence with "who", "what", "how", "why", "where" and "when". Once you've got the other person talking, you can then dip into "closed" questions (those that provoke a YES or NO answer).

On occasions, I like to ask something like this - "If you had you time again, would you.............." Another favourite of mine is "suppose". Not used so much in everyday parlance but it's a great word to slip in before a question. For example, one could ask this of a celebrity on the red-carpet, "suppose you were on a desert island, who would you most like to be rescued by"? As you'll see in the clip on the post below, I never really had the chance to ask Ashton Kutcher that question. Just as well, wife Demi Moore may have baulked at the answer!

I Keep Six Honest..

I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.
I send them over land and sea,
I send them east and west;
But after they have worked for me,
I give them all a rest...

Rudyard Kipling (1865 - 1936)

Ashton Kutcher on Leicester Square TV

London, UK

On the red carpet earlier this evening was Ashton Kutcher. He was here for the World Premiere of "What Happens in Vegas". My gorgeous co-presenter, Catherine Whale is still recovering! Here's the footage from the Leicester Square Television site

Joe Craig talks about Jimmy Coates

London, UK

Author Joe Craig chats to me for LSQ TV about his latest Jimmy Coates novel.

Political Speeches

London, UK

Boris Johnson, the Conservative Party candidate in the London Mayoral Election on May 1st, made a surprise visit to St John's Wood yesterday afternoon. After alighting from the Boris Bus he made a bee-line towards the gathering crowds outside a well-known tea room/restauarant. After shaking hands with a few hardy souls, including mine, he started making a speech "on-the-hoof".

In broad terms, I think he held the audiences attention, seemed to have good eye contact and re-emphasised a couple of points in his short speech of around five minutes and all without much "Ken bashing" too.








Yes, that's me at the back on the right, checking a text message!