5 Tips on How to Use Humor in Public Speaking

Telling a joke is never easy. Or should it be? Some people, the fortunate few, like stand-up comedians, seem to have a natural instinct or gift to deliver the punchline without stumbling upon words and without any further complications. But what about the rest of us? Humor can be a useful tool to enhance your public speaking abilities and they are not as detached from each other as you'd assume.  

You are pretty much on the safe side if you’re an amateur or a semi-professional comedian in a club at your first open microphone night because the worst thing that can happen is that you are booed off the stage. But don’t learn it the hard way that cracking a bad joke during a presentation at work can actually get you fired. There’s a hidden code for this as well and it is certainly something that you can learn. Public speakers and stand-up comedians are more alike than you'd actually think. 

Forget about the topic, forget about the delivery, there are certain things that are common and need to be studied by either party in order to become outstanding in public speaking. These tips will help you mix humor successfully into your public speaking techniques either you’re the next Jerry Seinfeld or the person suffering from HDD – Humor Deficit Disorder.

1 - Work the room before hitting the stage! 

Being funny is key to crack an awful lot of situations. Though in every situation there is a specific atmosphere that you need to read before using humor as a successful icebreaker. You cannot fall out of context just because you are stuck with the same old joke since 8th grade. There’s no guarantee that it will work this time. Read your audience, adapt your strategy and never underestimate the power of delivering a fitting punchline to get closer to your audience. Make a joke, send your message deeper, engage them differently but always be aware of the context you’re weighing into.

2 - Be original, tell your own jokes! 

There’s a certain ring to a borrowed joke. Try experimenting first on a wide variety of people but firstly only in small groups. For example ask your friends or relatives to be your guinea pigs and create focus groups to test different audiences. This doesn't have to be a highly orchestrated thing that you need to schedule. Look for spontaneous opportunities to test your theory.

3 - Story vs random joke – go for the story! 

Humor doesn't always mean jokes. An exaggerated version of a situation you’d experienced that unfolds like an illuminating analogy will help your message to sink in. Sharing personal experience with a tinge of self-criticism and sarcasm will always play out well. 

4 - Do your homework in advance! 

Try getting to that stage where you’re perfectly comfortable with your speech and your topic because that’s what gives you the opportunity and the confidence to incorporate humor. 

5 - Feel the context! 

There's always a certain context you need to be aware of every time you think about joking during a presentation. It can just as easily divert your audience's focus off your topic or leave you uncomfortable and awkward in front of your boss as it can open new pathways to implement the message. Never tell a joke only for the sake of telling one. Connect it, build it into the context so you can maximize its impact.

As a professional public speaker, Scott Ginsberg, the ”Name-tag Guy”, always says ”Humor is your audience’s digestive system. It’s what makes the message a lot easier to swallow.” And never forget that laughter is a non-verbal agreement to your message.