1. Use humor to relax and warm up your audience
The opening of your speech must grab the attention of your audience immediately. It must increase the interest of your audience and lead right into your topic. One way to begin is with a humorous story. There is a catch to this...the humorous bit must fit in with your topic. It can't be way out in left field completely cut off from the rest of your speech.
A story is more than a joke. It is longer than a joke and it has to have some background. It needs a punch line which will sashay right into your speech, but be sure to pause and wait for the laugh.
2. Know your audience
You should know several things about your audience:
- the age range - if you are speaking to an audience of older members, they will have different experiences than college students and will find different things amusing.
- the male and female ratio - gym locker room humor might be fine for a male audience, but might not go over so well to an audience of women or even a mixed group of men and women.
- an audience of a particular occupational group - you may be speaking to a group of lawyers, doctors, nurses, accountants or sales people. You could use a story or an anecdote having to do with this special group.
- a political group - if you speak to a political group, tread lightly. If your anecdote or story is offensive to someone or if the topic is controversial to someone, you will usually lose the attention of these listeners
the education level of your audience - their education level will affect the kind of story you tell, the words you use and the way you tell the story. Don't use offensive stories, including those involving inappropriate language or that involve sex, religion, ethnicity or racism. No speaker can become a success by using an off- color presentation. There is a large supply of words that can be selected so there is no need to choose off- color material that you think might get a laugh. Remember you are not a comedian or a clown - you are a public speaker. Such material is bound to offend some of your audience, but if you use appropriate language, it is unlikely to offend anyone.
3. Your story must be funny to you.
Don't tell the story as it is written or the way you have heard it - put it in your own words. Personalize it as though it is something that happened to you. Tell it the way you would tell it in a conversation with a friend. You can embellish it,dress it up. You can insert one-liners here and there making fun of yourself like something that happened to you during exercise or the size of your feet and people will be amused. Be careful not to make fun or put down someone in your audience or of someone, some place or company that listeners admire or you are likely to alienate your audience.
Timely Tips - You have heard "location, location, location" about real estate. With speaking, it is "rehearse, rehearse,rehearse". Tell your story to family and friends. Rehearse your speech in front of a mirror. You will probably get tired of the joke, but if you thought it was funny when you first heard it, chances are that your audience will enjoy it too. Don't laugh at your own story. If your listeners don't think the story is funny, your laughter won't change their minds. Don't introduce your story with "have you heard about..." or "here's a funny story...". A good story will sell itself and it should have an element of surprise. Don't eliminate the surprise. It's important to keep a straight face so you don't give away the punch line. Be confident and keep eye contact with your listeners straight through to the surprise punch line.
Some stories fail. Sometimes a speaker stumbles in telling the story or maybe the story chosen was not suited to the audience. If there are several speakers or a long program, the audience may be tired and inattentive or the sound system acts up and the story loses its tension. After you deliver the punch line, pause, and scan your audience. If you don't get a smile, a chuckle or a laugh, go on with your speech as though the story is meant to be serious. Your audience may accept it as serious and won't notice.
Don't give up. Keep a file of funny things that happen to you or those you see and hear. Draw on them as you prepare your speeches. Your speeches will be enhanced when you learn how to dress them up with humor.
The opening of your speech must grab the attention of your audience immediately. It must increase the interest of your audience and lead right into your topic. One way to begin is with a humorous story. There is a catch to this...the humorous bit must fit in with your topic. It can't be way out in left field completely cut off from the rest of your speech.
A story is more than a joke. It is longer than a joke and it has to have some background. It needs a punch line which will sashay right into your speech, but be sure to pause and wait for the laugh.
2. Know your audience
You should know several things about your audience:
- the age range - if you are speaking to an audience of older members, they will have different experiences than college students and will find different things amusing.
- the male and female ratio - gym locker room humor might be fine for a male audience, but might not go over so well to an audience of women or even a mixed group of men and women.
- an audience of a particular occupational group - you may be speaking to a group of lawyers, doctors, nurses, accountants or sales people. You could use a story or an anecdote having to do with this special group.
- a political group - if you speak to a political group, tread lightly. If your anecdote or story is offensive to someone or if the topic is controversial to someone, you will usually lose the attention of these listeners
the education level of your audience - their education level will affect the kind of story you tell, the words you use and the way you tell the story. Don't use offensive stories, including those involving inappropriate language or that involve sex, religion, ethnicity or racism. No speaker can become a success by using an off- color presentation. There is a large supply of words that can be selected so there is no need to choose off- color material that you think might get a laugh. Remember you are not a comedian or a clown - you are a public speaker. Such material is bound to offend some of your audience, but if you use appropriate language, it is unlikely to offend anyone.
3. Your story must be funny to you.
Don't tell the story as it is written or the way you have heard it - put it in your own words. Personalize it as though it is something that happened to you. Tell it the way you would tell it in a conversation with a friend. You can embellish it,dress it up. You can insert one-liners here and there making fun of yourself like something that happened to you during exercise or the size of your feet and people will be amused. Be careful not to make fun or put down someone in your audience or of someone, some place or company that listeners admire or you are likely to alienate your audience.
Timely Tips - You have heard "location, location, location" about real estate. With speaking, it is "rehearse, rehearse,rehearse". Tell your story to family and friends. Rehearse your speech in front of a mirror. You will probably get tired of the joke, but if you thought it was funny when you first heard it, chances are that your audience will enjoy it too. Don't laugh at your own story. If your listeners don't think the story is funny, your laughter won't change their minds. Don't introduce your story with "have you heard about..." or "here's a funny story...". A good story will sell itself and it should have an element of surprise. Don't eliminate the surprise. It's important to keep a straight face so you don't give away the punch line. Be confident and keep eye contact with your listeners straight through to the surprise punch line.
Some stories fail. Sometimes a speaker stumbles in telling the story or maybe the story chosen was not suited to the audience. If there are several speakers or a long program, the audience may be tired and inattentive or the sound system acts up and the story loses its tension. After you deliver the punch line, pause, and scan your audience. If you don't get a smile, a chuckle or a laugh, go on with your speech as though the story is meant to be serious. Your audience may accept it as serious and won't notice.
Don't give up. Keep a file of funny things that happen to you or those you see and hear. Draw on them as you prepare your speeches. Your speeches will be enhanced when you learn how to dress them up with humor.
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