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May 2010

How to Inject Humor in Your Presentations.

Joey Asher
President's Perspective

Several years ago, an accountant came into my office for help with a speech. His voice was so soft that I had trouble hearing him. He also never smiled and had trouble with eye contact. I was thinking, "This is going to be a challenge."

Then he said, "I’d like to learn how to be funny. Can you help me with that?"

A lot of people want to learn to be funny. And I can understand why. Humor can be a great communication tool. But it’s not for everyone. And if you want to use humor in business presentations, you need to keep a few ideas in mind.

Humor Isn’t For Everyone

Few things are more painful to watch than someone trying in vain to be funny during a speech.

That’s why, when someone tells me they want to be funny, I ask, "Are you funny? Have you ever shown any skill at making your friends laugh?" I ask those questions because funny speakers usually leverage their existing humorous personality.

When the accountant, admitted that he just wasn’t funny, I gently suggested that he focus on learning to execute the fundamentals of great speaking. You can be an effective speaker without humor.

What If You Don’t Know the Answer to a Question?

If you give enough presentations, it’s going to happen. Someone’s going to ask a question during a presentation and you’re not going to know the answer.

Maybe you just need a moment to think about it. Or maybe you just have no clue what to say.

So what do you?

Here’s what not to do. Don't fake it! Your credibility with the audience can be lost in an instant if you are caught bluffing. Instead, you can do one of two things.

It Takes Desire to Become a Great Speaker.

Question: How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb?

Answer: Just one. But the light bulb has to want to change.

That’s what we tell people when they ask if they can really improve their communication skills. Of course you can improve. But, like the light bulb, only if you want to. So if you have the desire, here are a few ideas on how to improve.

Public Speaking Tip from Mark Twain.

Mark Twain said, "No word was ever as effective as the rightly timed pause."

In fact, the pause may be one of the most useful tools in the communicator’s tool kit. Pausing helps you gather your thoughts, adds drama, and shows confidence, all at once.

In our Persuasive Speaker workshops, we not only coach our clients in how pause effectively, we coach in how to stand up and deliver presentations with passion and in a way that connects and motivates.

In our two day program, you will deliver five presentations in front of a small group all with the help of our expert coaches.

Why Do We Get Nervous When Speaking?
Maybe Public Speaking is Unnatural.

Public speaking is the number one fear of the average person. It’s a statistic that is repeated constantly. But the question remains:
"Why?"

There are plenty of psychologists that will give you a theory. But here’s another thought. Could it be that we fear public speaking because it is an unnatural act for the human species? Put another way, if you look at the evidence, humans were not designed to stand in front of large groups and speak. As a result, most of us feel uncomfortable doing it.

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