Brad Montgomery Denver, Colorado email@bradmontgomery.com 303.691.0726
Great public speakers have some things in common. They’re concise, emphatic and, of course, funny. Of all these qualities, perhaps being humorous is the most notable. Humor draws listeners in; it brings everyone together, which is why it’s become an important element in public speaking. Using humor in speeches, however, is not as simple as cracking a dirty joke. It needs to be contextual, light and politically correct. Here’s a simple guide for public speaking newbies if they want to incorporate humor into their discourses. The Audience A public speaker should perform his due diligence before agreeing to an engagement. Knowing the audience helps him identify which type of speech or style of humor to use. One can’t simply tell a joke about politicians if he’s speaking to kids. In turn, it spares him from making any offense.
Using Anecdotes Some jokes are tired, and they need to retire (pun intended). To not run the risk of using any of these trites, the speaker should share a personal anecdote. This, however, should still be related to the subject matter. More importantly, the speaker should not give “too much information.”
The Delivery Some banters are good, but they lose their novelty and fun when the speaker fails at delivery. As they say, “It’s not what you say, but how you say it.” Good delivery is timely; banters should not be thrown when the situation doesn’t call for it.
Separating Humor from the Speaker When the speaker uses humor too much, the essence of the subject matter gets lost. He himself becomes the story. This shouldn’t be the case, unless otherwise the speaker is a comedian or an entertainer. If not, it’s always wise to resort to 25-75 ratio: 25% for humor and 75% for the real thing.
Using humor in speech is not always easy. It requires practice, interaction with people and most importantly, experience. Those who want to learn more about it should listen to humorous public and keynote speaker.
SOURCES:
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jun/19/how-tell-jokes-like-pro-leah-green http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200606/whats-your-humor-style http://www.montgomerypresents.com/