After the presentation, he mentioned that the audience enjoyed the story and it put him also at great ease when he saw their eyes glitter up with smiles and chuckles.<\/p>\n
Whether you are making a presentation\u00a0or delivering a speech, humour serves as a powerful tool for engaging the audience. It helps in inviting their attention, facilitate better learning, and invite appreciation. It ensures that the audience remembers you and the message delivered by you for a longer time. After all, who does not enjoy\u00a0lighter moments!?<\/span><\/p>\n What to include and exclude?<\/b><\/p>\n Including humour in presentations and speeches can be a tricky\u00a0situation<\/p>\n Following pointers can help you understand what to pick and what not to go for.<\/p>\n Use Anecdotes: <\/i><\/b>Research suggests that humorous anecdotes \u00a0and stories tend to have a more meaningful impact than jokes. They provide scope for smoother delivery in comparison to jokes because not every professional is a comedian.<\/span><\/p>\n Play safe: <\/i><\/b>Include humour from your own area of work and expertise. In case the audience is not from your field of expertise, then try to be careful while including humour. Don’t include something too technically related to their field as it might not be well received. This also applies to presentations where humor might not be much of application. So, don\u2019t try to fit it in when it isn\u2019t relevant and required.<\/span><\/p>\n Laugh at yourself: <\/i><\/b>Including humorous life incidents helps in setting a good rapport with the audience. It helps the audience to\u00a0know you and also provides an impression of an openness in your personality as you are initiating with a humour about yourself. The tricky part about this kind of humour is to choose what your audience would relate to\u00a0as this helps them build an empathetic connection with you and makes them more receptive to what you speak.<\/span><\/p>\n “I say here that I am a man who is used to stress.\u00a0\u00a0My wife… \u00a0She has a credit card (pause and look away, then look back) ….In MY name.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Be professional: <\/i><\/b>Remember that you are not a comedian but a professional including humour to engage his audience! Try to include humour that has a standard suited to your audience. Use words, phrases, jargon, appropriately. Make sure it does not become shallow or vulgar in any way. Avoid double meanings, as they might come across as indelicate.<\/span><\/p>\n Learn about the technicalities:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Try to learn about different styles of injecting humour. These could be exaggerations, puns, playing with words, laughing about yourself, etc. Use them wisely to reap their benefits.<\/p>\n How to position humour in your presentation<\/b><\/p>\n Another tricky question you might face when you think of including humour is \u2013 whether to start the presentation with humour or include it in the flow, or end it with humour?<\/span><\/p>\n Research suggests that humour can be a good tool to start off with as it helps build a connection with the audience, and also gives them that feeling of, \u201cThis is going to be nice!\u201d , \u201cHe is witty!\u201d , \u201cwhat an amazing start!\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201c At the very start, let me say that we both have something in common. You don\u2019t know what I\u2019m going to say\u2026 and neither do I.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>-Robert Orben,\u00a0Speaker\u2019s Handbook of Humour<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n If you are given a terrible introduction:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cSometimes I wish I was one of those men (women) who need no introduction.<\/em>\u201d <\/strong>-Roger Langley<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n It can also be used at points during the presentation with relation to particular aspects being discussed. Here it helps break the monotony, invites attention and can be a good way of facilitating better learning of concepts too.<\/p>\n A speaker talking about eliminating those people who won\u2019t subscribe to the team spirit said<\/strong>\u2026<\/em> You can also certainly end on a humorous note. If placing humour towards the end, do ensure that it has a clear point and take away message for the audience and leaves your mark on their minds.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cLadies and gentlemen you\u2019ve no idea how it feels to come to the end of another brilliantly written and impeccably delivered speech. Actually\u2026 neither do\u00a0I.<\/em>\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Some useful Tips:<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n![\"public](\"http:\/\/yourdost-blog-images.s3-ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/13163939\/public-speaking.png\")
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\u201c We used to say on the farm that you can\u2019t teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time \u2013 and it irritates the hell out of the pig.”\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>-Gene Perret,\u00a0How to Hold your Audience with Humour<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
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