[color=#006600][/color]Set the scene for laughter.
If you want to lighten up your program,you might want to let the audience know
this, even before you say one word. Project some lighthearted visuals as the
audience is entering the room. Play some uplifting music as they enter. Or, add
some humor to your presentation title or program description. Your bio, for
example, can have a list of accomplishments, playfully followed by “His mother
is very proud.”
Facial expression is a big part.
In a funny situation where everyone is laughing, try hard to look blank, like you
don’t know what’s happening. You get laughs, and all eyes are on YOU. Don’t
be scared. Some people like staring at other people unexpectedly- that cracks
up laughs.
Poke fun at yourself.
Again, even before you open your mouth, you can show the audience that you
don’t take yourself too seriously by adding some playful things about you in
your introduction. For example, have the announcer tell the audience that you
are the author of seven books which have sold well over 3 copies. Then the
person corrects their mistake and says, “Oops, that’s 300,000 copies.” Or go
wild, put it the other way around.
Get some laughs with a prop.
It has been said that learning is enhanced with visual aids. If this is true, then
speakers need to enhance their talks with something to visually illustrate what
they are saying. A prop is a great way to do this because it not only makes your
message memorable but it can also get a laugh. Use balloons to illustrate how
people can let go of their stress or an inflatable globe to illustrate how we often
carry the world around on our shoulders. All make a point and all get a laugh.
Tell your humorous stories.
Open your humor eyes and ears and look and listen for the funny things that
happen all around you. Families are an especially good resource for finding
humorous stories. One such story involves the author’s 93-year-old mother.
Every time she goes to the doctor, she hires a van service to take her there and
back. One late afternoon, it didn’t show up to take her home. Since the doctor
had to close the office for the day, he suggested that she wait for the van in the
pizza parlor next door. After waiting a long time without the van arriving, she
went up to the counter and asked, “Do you deliver?” When the man behind the
counter replied, “Of course, we do. We’re a pizza place.” She said, “Great. Then
I’d like a pepperoni pizza and I’d like to go with it.”
Borrow some witty words.
While waiting for your own humor-related stories to appear, you might want to
borrow some funny short quotes from famous people to lighten up your talks.
Quotation books, the TV, newspapers, and magazines such as Reader’s Digest
are great resources for locating great quotes. For instance, if you frequently
speak to hospice groups, Woody Allen’s comments about death and dying are
appropriate (e.g., “There are worse things in life than death. Have you ever
spent an evening with an insurance salesman?”) Quotes and one-liners from
movies and TV shows often work, but make sure they are not too dramatic or
well known. Studying sitcom characters like Chandler Bing from Friends will get
you in the mentality of a naturally funny person.
Collect audience anecdotes.
Sometimes audiences say the funniest things. When they do, write it down. It
could be a big laugh in your next presentation.
Remember the bottom line.
For non-humorists, some of the ideas presented here may seem too frivolous for
your subject matter. Nevertheless, you are still encouraged to seek some way of
upping the entertainment value of your talks because it might also increase
what you can charge. As Steve Allen once noted, “People will pay more to be
entertained than educated”.
Fake stories.
Usually real comedians use fake stories to make a cheap laugh. Kind of like
Brian Regan uses the “Stupid in school” joke. Even though it’s a fake story, he
made it up and the audience still laughed at it.
Make it relevant.
One final word about using humor in your presentations—make sure it is
relevant. Amusing an audience for the sake of getting a laugh might be ideal for
a stand-up comedian or an after-dinner humorist but it’s probably not good for
most speakers. If your humor doesn’t make a point or have a purpose, don’t use
it.
Don’t laugh at your own joke.
As funny the joke might be, never laugh at your own joke. It will make your
audience bored.