A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Podium
The audience that laughs with you will stay with you. Learn how to effectively add humor to your speech.

It is in our nature to pay attention to people and subjects that entertain us. If you can successfully infuse your speech with humor, you will win your audience over very quickly. Love of laughter is a common thread that runs through all of humanity; all over the world people have an inherent tendency to like those who make them laugh. And if your audience likes you, they will trust you and will want to learn from you.

Making the decision to put humor into your speech can be daunting. Public speaking is nerve wracking enough for most people without adding the potential for embarrassment. There is nothing worse than attempting to tell a joke or funny story and having it fall horribly flat. If you were expecting laughter and all you get is stunned silence, the rest of your speech will not work. To avoid this, try testing the story out on friends beforehand to see if they laugh and if they “get” the joke. Practice telling the story out loud a few times so that you can get your comedic timing down and will be able to deliver the story in a natural, conversational tone. You may want to videotape or audio record yourself telling the story so that you can hear your vocal inflections for yourself.

The intention to entertain can also go horribly awry if your story is thought to be inappropriate or offensive. Knowing your audience is essential – know what may or may not offend them. Stick to stories that are safe; for example cute stories about children or animals will usually go over well. People will relate them to their own children or pets and there is very little room to offend in these subject areas. If you choose to tell a story about a business experience you’ve had, be diplomatic in describing colleagues or clients. Don’t use people’s real names.

If you want to use an anecdote but don’t have one from your own life to share, search the Internet for examples. You can find celebrities’ commencement speeches, CEOs’ addresses to their employees, and web sites devoted to anecdotes and humorous stories. Just be sure that if you borrow a story from another source, you credit it properly. Never claim something happened to you when it didn’t. The point of telling a funny story is to help you credibility, not hurt it. People will trust you if you give them a reason to enjoy themselves, but if they immediately recognize the story you’re telling and know it didn’t happen to you personally, you will be undermining yourself right out of the gate.

Audiences love to be entertained – we all do! Knowing exactly how and when to use humor in your speeches will put you in high demand. In very little time you will establish yourself as a speaker who can reach, educate and persuade audiences. There is no more powerful talent to have in today’s marketplace.