Speaking in a Speakeasy

Could a researcher placed centre stage – without props or notes – be relied on to tell a fluent and captivating story? Read the feedback to this New Researchers event.

Chloe Fowler, Razor Research:
We bang on and on about storytelling in this industry of ours but, with our reliance on plasma screens and ‘the deck’, are we really that good at getting up and telling a story with just a simple beginning, middle and end?

Our AQR Speakeasy was a chance to hear some great storytellers who stood up and did just that. No charts. Almost no notes. They included screenplay writer and planner Jonathan Wakeham, Guy Jones (Spinach), Alex Steeden (Mintel), James Diggle (Criteria), Leeat Racs (Sundance), Rachel Simmons (Nunwood) and Richard Brown (Drummond Madell). And our MC on the night was Andy Cooper from Thinktank. So what was it like for them?

Rachel Simmons, Nunwood:
Socialising on a Monday is never a good idea, particularly when it’s with industry peers. I’d had an unsettling feeling in my stomach all day – and lots of doubts. Was my story in line with the brief? Would I be entertaining enough? Would people be interested? Having never been to a Speakeasy event, I didn’t know what to expect.

After walking into the dark basement, the nerves set in. The room layout looked more like a wedding venue than an evening with Travelodge aqua-tinted quallies. Through the starters I was panicking. No charts to fall back on meant I had to rely on my skills as a presenter. Once I stood up, though, I realised it wasn’t that bad. After getting my first laugh, I relaxed a bit. I saw some smiling faces and knew I’d be ok.

This event gave me a truly interesting experience. I guess – more than anything – it was the feeling of being among peers, potential friends and, more importantly, people who would truly understand where I was coming from.

All in all, the night was a huge success, well planned and very entertaining. I wouldn’t miss the next event for anything. Even if it was on a Monday night!

Richard Brown, Drummond Madell:
I’ve long been boring my colleagues with dubious ‘insights’ about the industry, so this was a chance for a wider audience to enjoy/suffer my thoughts. Qual research is something we might all expect to be able to talk about smoothly, regardless of format or situation. The task of telling a story, however, meant I could feel my nerves start to jangle.

We usually tackle de-briefs and the like with confidence, with a trusted structure and a deck of slides to fall back on. Telling a story was something rather different though. Indeed, it was a welcome reminder as to the importance of focusing on the manner in which you convey your thoughts to generate audience engagement and do your research justice. Clients will almost never allow us to present without a PowerPoint document – the very thought generally has them scrambling to cancel PO numbers. Nevertheless, the AQR Speakeasy Event highlighted that while it’s important to get the inevitable document right, it’s also essential to allow yourself to really tell the tale of the research. My thanks go out to the organisers, attendees, fellow storytellers and the chef who roasted the beef we ate with such obvious skill.

Julie Muttiallu, River Research:
The AQR speakeasy event organised by Chloe and Elle made for a very enjoyable evening. It was a small and intimate group, and this allowed us to mingle comfortably and informally with other fellow researchers. The stories offered perspective on a variety of topics and were funny yet reassuring and filled with moral at the same time. Overall, the format of the evening worked brilliantly. If they ever decide to run it again I would thoroughly recommend it.