Welcome to the second edition of “Interviews with Speaking Experts”. Gene is the second expert that I’ve interviewed for this series. Gene Perret has won several Emmys for his work on The Carol Burnett Show. He was Bob Hope’s head writer for the last 12 years of Hope’s life. Gene has written several books on comedy and humor.
Marcus Smith: On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate your first speech and why?
Gene Perret: I would rate my first speech at about a nine. It was not only well received but it was the beginning of several more speeches of the same type that eventually led to my career as a comedy writer and as a humorous speaker. There were two reasons for my high opinion of this talk. First, it was well written. It was a roast of a fellow worker so the material could be aimed directly at things the audience knew about. The material was funny. Secondly, I was well prepared…more so than even I imagined. I was nervous about doing this comedy routine to begin with, so I worked hard on the material, and harder still on rehearsing it for delivery. I had rehearsed it so much that once I began one of the jokes, it automatically flowed flawlessly from me. I didn’t even realize this until one of my friends who sat up front mentioned that my hands were shaking with fright, but my voice was steady and sure. That’s when I realized the value of the preparation.
Marcus Smith :On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate your last speech and why?
Gene Perret: My last speech I would probably rate at about a 5. The reason is just the reverse of what I just mentioned about my first speech. Most of the material I’ve been doing for years so I’m a bit tired of it which takes some of my enthusiasm away from the presentation. But mostly because I feel very secure in the material and consequently don’t spend nearly as much time as I should in preparation. So, in the twilight of my career, I’m cutting corners. That’s never a good policy for a professional.
Marcus Smith: In your opinion what is the most important part of a speech and why?
Gene Perret: In keeping with what I’ve just said, I would think the most important part of a speech is the preparation. The preparation takes many forms. First of all, you should be well grounded in whatever you’re speaking about. That entails much research and organizing of your presentation. Then, of course, you need to write (or at least, outline) your presentation. You should know what you’re going to say, how you’re going to say it, and how much time you’ll give to each facet, and then have the words formed in your own head before offering them to the listeners.
Marcus Smith: In your opinion what is the least important part of a speech? Why?
Gene Perret: To me, the least important part of a speech is the mechanical part of it.
Concerning yourself unnecessarily with grammar, rehearsed gestures, avoidance of non-words and such. Not that these things aren’t important and even desirable, but not at the expense of the message and the power of the delivery. If the word “ain’t” makes your point use the word “ain’t”.
I suppose what I’m saying is here is that the speaker and the speaker’s style should be paramount. Be yourself. You and your message should captivate the audience.
For example, they advise comics not to laugh at their own jokes. Yet Phyllis Diller became a legend with that raucous laugh of hers when she gets off a good one. Red Skelton, too, would enjoy his routines as much as the audience. Will Rogers was a magnificent performer despite some grammatical innovations.
Marcus Smith: Why is public speaking such a paralyzing fear in the world today?
Gene Perret: Because you expose yourself to the audience. Some actor once said that performing is like appearing naked before your audience. We’re all afraid that we’re going to make fools of ourselves at the podium. The secret again, to me, is preparation. If you have something that you feel should be said, then you have an obligation to say it. However, you owe it to your audience and yourself to prepare before stepping to the microphone.
Know your subject, write a well-organized speech, rehearse the delivery, and then stand center stage and deliver it with confidence.
Marcus Smith: Who is the speaker you admire the most and why?
Gene Perret: I’m quite prejudiced, but my favorite speaker was Bob Hope for all the reasons I mentioned above. Hope knew each audience he faced. He had PR people do research on them and gather information. Then he and his writers would tailor material to suit that audience. That’s what made so many of his gags so powerful — they said exactly what that particular audience wanted to hear.
Bob Hope prepared well for each of his appearances. I remember one time when we were on location and we practiced a certain skit in the hotel ballroom. It played brilliantly…lots of laughs. After the rehearsal, Hope asked the writers to gather in his suite. It was about 1 o’clock in the morning. I asked why. He said, “I want to go over this sketch.”
I said, “Why? It played beautifully.” He said, “We might get a few more powerful lines. If we do, it’ll play even funnier. If we don’t, we still have a great sketch.”
He rehearsed with dedication. I can recall traveling in military vehicles and sitting in hot tents before the show. Hope would run through the cue cards time after time to make sure that he knew the phrasing of each joke. That would not only enhance his timing, but also guarantee that he wouldn’t stumble over words.
Marcus Smith: What are your thoughts on writing a speech word for word prior to delivery?
Gene Perret: Since I do mostly comedy writing and speaking, I insist on writing the speech out. Most of the people I’ve worked with insisted on the same thing. It’s interesting that comedy should look effortless and almost unrehearsed — top of the head, if you will. Yet, it’s the preparation and the rehearsal that make it look so extemporaneous.
Early in my career, I worked with Sammy Davis at a club in Atlantic city. I would listen as people would leave and they would say things like, “Boy Sammy Davis is a great ad-libber, isn’t he?” I would chuckle because since I was there for each performance I knew that Sammy did the same ad-libs in the same part of the act each and every show. Now that’s a credit to the showmanship of Sammy Davis. It takes great skill to make your show look that spontaneous. That’s why he was legendary.
Once I did a show with Lucille Ball. Bob Hope wanted to add a short “talk spot” with her. When I told Lucy that, she asked, “Where’s the script?” I said, “Bob just wants to have an informal chat. We don’t need a script.” Lucy said,”I want a script.” I said, “Why? It’s just a short, friendly talk.” Lucille Ball said, “I did one of those with Bob Hope a few years ago. He had all sorts of jokes lined up. I had nothing. I want a script.”
She got a script.
Now, the talk doesn’t always have to be written word for word, but anyone who takes the podium should have a very definite idea of what he or she is going to say and how they’re going to say it.
Marcus Smith: Why were you initially drawn to public speaking?
Gene Perret: Actually, I wasn’t drawn so much to public speaking as I was to comedy. I always admired comedy and I loved to make people laugh. So when I wrote jokes, I had to stand up in front of somebody in order to tell them.
Then after a long career as a comedy writer for TV shows and comedians, I had something to go out and talk about. I’ve traveled all over the country giving humorous talks and teaching. Once I was having a traumatic time catching planes and making connections. I called my wife from some airport and said “Honestly I don’t know why I’m going through all this.”
She wisely responded, “When you hear your first laughs, you’ll remember.”
Marcus Smith: List 3 common myths about public speaking that you hear constantly. Tell us why they aren’t true.
Gene Perret: I’m not sure how common these are, but one suggestion that I routinely ignore is “Don’t use notes.” When speaking, I always request a lighted lectern. I have a brief, keyword outline, that I leave there. Many times, I never even look at it, but its there. I worked with a comedian and they can’t have notes — it just doesn’t look professional — but he always had notes in his pocket. If he got lost during his act, he’d make some excuse to fish out a piece of paper. He’d say “I got a nice letter from a good friend of mine” then sneak out the paper and glance at his notes.
My rationale is that I’d rather have the notes before me than risk leaving out an important element of my talk.
Second, I ignore the advice to “speak from the heart.” That implies that you just get on stage and say whatever comes into our mind and your heart.
I’d rather the speaker know what he or she is going to say before taking the microphone. If then, you want to add something that comes to you while you’re speaking, fine. Be prepared before you begin.
Third, I dismiss the advice that I’ve heard often — “Demand that everything be perfect before you take the podium.” It’s certainly commendable to be aware of your setting. Try to be sure that the room is arranged properly, that the lighting is correct, that the sound system works, and so on and so on. HOWEVER, rarely will everything be perfect. When it isn’t, a good speaker can adjust to the situation.
Besides, its good PR to be willing to accept some imperfections in the room setup. The people who hire you appreciate your consideration and your professionalism in being willing to work with them.
Once I did a show with Glen Campbell. It was a command performance that was being televised from Sweden. At rehearsal, they told Glen that they couldn’t get connections to his electric guitar. I don’t know what the problem was, but Glen said, “That’s all right. I’ll use my acoustic guitar. For some reason they couldn’t get the sound right on that, either.
Rather than fly into a tantrum as some performers might do, Glen Campbell said, “Then I’ll sing without a guitar.” That’s adjusting to the situation.
Marcus Smith: What advice would you give someone who was about to deliver their first real speech before an audience?
Gene Perret: First, I would tell beginning speakers to prepare. Know your audience, know your subject, know your speech, and rehearse it.
Second, I would advise them to take command of the stage. Great performers like Sinatra, Hope, and Bobby Darin all pranced onto the stage as if they owned it. People watching just knew from the way they walked on to the stage that they were in for a fabulous evening of entertainment. Those are the vibes you should project as you approach the lectern.
Third, speak with confidence. Even if you’re a raw beginner, act and speak like an experienced professional. There’s a great story told about the very cocky entertainer, Bobby Darin. He came on for a performance one time and some gentleman in the audience, who was probably only there because his wife dragged him there, shouted out, “You’d better be good tonight, Bobby.” Bobby Darin said, “Sir, you don’t have to tell me that. I spend a half hour before every performance telling myself that same thing.
So my advice is, like Bobby Darin, convince yourself that you will be outstanding. Then go out and convince your listeners of the same thing.
For more information from Gene Perret visit www.writingcomedy.com.
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