Public Speaking - Adding Humor to Your Presentations

People who are preparing to give public presentations often worry about boring their audiences. They worry that everyone will either fall asleep or walk out of the room in disgust. While this is unlikely to happen, adding humor to your presentation can ensure a livelier event.

When used properly, humor has the power to capture the audience’s attention. It can breathe life into otherwise dull topics and increase the audience’s ability to retain important information. It can help diffuse potentially controversial situations. It can also benefit the speaker by helping to create a bond with the audience.

Effective Types of Humor

In public speaking, the most effective humor is subtle. Remember, you are a professional. Your main purpose is to communicate useful and relevant information, not to make your audience roll on the ground laughing. One well-told joke goes a long way towards creating an entertaining presentation. A string of wisecracks is likely to be considered overkill.

A lively anecdote is often best way to add humor to your presentation. For example, you may want to discuss your own issues with new computer technology if you are trying to convince your company to hire additional technical support staff. Audiences love self-deprecating humor. A willingness to take the risk of looking silly creates a bond that is difficult to duplicate with other public speaking techniques. Just do not pour it on too thick; you do not want your audience to believe you have severe self-esteem issues.

If you do not have a personal story that relates to your topic, you can still add humor to your presentation in other ways. Clever plays on words or unique pieces of trivia can be incorporated into nearly all presentations. Although it may seem like a good idea, you should never claim someone else’s anecdote as your own. Even if the person lives on the other side of the globe, it is simply too risky to pass off his or her experiences as part of your life story.

No matter what type of humor you choose, make sure it is somehow connected to your message. Comedy packs a stronger punch when it teaches the audience a lesson. In addition, relevant humor provides a safeguard against failure. If your joke flops, you can take comfort in knowing that the audience can at least see your point.

The Darker Side of Humor

If you are planning to use humor in your presentations, remember that your jokes need to be appropriate for your audience. If you are giving a speech to a room filled with retail salespeople, you can probably be more casual than you would be speaking to a group of investment bankers. However, remember that racist, sexists, or vulgar jokes are never appropriate for a business presentation. Your goal is to forge a connection with your audience. Humor that is in poor taste only serves to alienate others.

If you are speaking to an international audience, it may be best to skip the jokes entirely. American humor often does not translate properly into other languages. An international audience may also consider certain types of humor that may be inoffensive to American audiences rude. While most Americans would consider a comment about your company’s new initiative being a “sacred cow” to be harmless, people of Indian descent may fail to see your true intentions. If you do not know whether your comedy is appropriate, ask a local resident for advice or come up with another way to convey your message.
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