THE LAWS & USE OF

HUMOR IN A SPEECH
SPEECH
Speech is a very effective way to reach to the masses. But
what makes a speech all the more effective is the way you
deliver it and its matter. If you see someone deliver a
speech in a very loose fashion then you would quickly lose
interest in it. Also, when the actual matter of the speech is
not qualitative then people fail to feel hooked on to it.
HUMOROUS SPEECH
Appropriate humor relaxes an audience and makes it feel
more comfortable with you as the speaker; humor can bring
attention to the point you are making; and humor will help
the audience better remember your point. It can break
down barriers so that the audience is more receptive to your
ideas.
HUMOROUS SPEECH
The best and most comfortable place to find humor for a
speech is from your own personal experience. Think back
on an embarrassing moment that you might have thought
not funny at the time. Now that you can laugh at the
experience, you understand the old adage "Humor is
simply tragedy separated by time and space."
LAWS OF HUMOR IN A
SPEECH
LAW NO. 1
You Do Not Have To Use Humor, Unless
You Want To Get Paid.
People will pay more to be entertained than to be educated.

Two Trends in Public Speaking:
Immediate application
More entertainment
LAW NO. 1
Incorporate the 3 Es:
Educate
Enlighten
Entertain
LAW NO. 2
Know Thy Audience
The more you know about the audience, the more
opportunities you will have to play with them.

Ways to Learn About Your Audience:
Pre-program questionnaire
The fastest way to know the inside humor of an
organization is to ask. Ask about the characters in the
group.
LAW NO. 2
Read their annual report, past newsletters, copy of the
program, web site address, Hoovers
Attend meetings and field trips before you speak. Find
humor hot buttons.
LAW NO. 3
The Shortest Distance Between You And The
Audience Is A Good Laugh

Eliminate all barriers between you and your audience. Create
the illusion of control. Approach the audience as though
everyone came to have a good time. The purpose is not to
control them, but to ask, What is it we have in common?
LAW NO. 3
Four Effective Humorous Openings Public Speaking:

Self-effacing Humor Creates a bond with the audience.
Physical surroundings. If it is on the mind of the
audience, you must mention it.
LAW NO. 3
Tap into "Inside Humor." Comment on what everyone is
chuckling about. All of a sudden you are one of them.
You immediately gain respect because you did your
homework. Always check with person you are going to
poke fun at.
Current events: What is happening in that particular city,
around the nation, or worldwide? **The purpose of your
opening is to loosen up the audience and invite them to
listen.
LAW NO. 4
Your Success As A Speaker Will Be In Direct
Proportion To The Amount Of Original
Material You Use

The harder you are to duplicate, the more in demand you will
be. Personal stories are always best, because they give the
audience a chance to get to know you. Vulnerability is your
greatest strength.
LAW NO. 5
If You Can't Find Funny Material, Change
Your Glasses

Where to find humor:
Observe life. Life is filled with funny examples if you look
through the eyes of humor. Life is just one long anecdote
waiting to be told.
Go to the library
Humor cassettes
LAW NO. 5
Comedy clubs
Become an avid reader of magazines and periodicals
Radio and television
Hear as many speakers as you possibly can
Surround yourself with funny people and those capable
of making others laugh and feel good about themselves
Subscribe to speaker's services
Humor writers
Make up your own Start a humor diary.
LAW NO. 6
Great Humor Is Not Written; It Is Rewritten

The most common mistake in using humor is people give up
too soon. - Gene Peret

5 steps to writing original material:
Recall experiences from your past that are embarrassing,
unusual, or funny.
Tell the story to friends. Make a note where they laugh.
LAW NO. 6
Re-write. Eliminate unnecessary words and shorten. Put
the biggest laugh at the end. A really good story explodes
into the punch line, which is nothing more than the
unexpected truth that twists reality slightly. In humor, less
is more.
When you're comfortable, start telling it from the
platform. The pause will dramatically improve your timing
and rhythm.
Add laugh lines. Keep editing. Tape every speech, then go
through it. Try to find and increase the laugh lines. Get a
Humor Buddy to brainstorm with.
LAW NO. 7
Spontaneity Is Always Better The Second
Time Around

Accidents do happen. When accidents take place, the audience
becomes ill-at-ease. Any comment will break the tension.
Being prepared is the key to rehearsed spontaneity. Before
making a remark, pause and look up like you are searching for
something to say. The audience will think you are creating the
humor on the spot.
LAW NO. 7
Beeper goes off: Time to take my pill!
Ambulance or any siren: Gotta go, my ride is here!
LAW NO. 8
If They Dont Laugh, It Was not Meant To
Be Funny

All humor must apply to your speech. Relevance reduces
resistance. When taking advantage of humor of the moment,
be ready with a comeback line.
LAW NO. 8
Comeback lines:
Some jokes I do just for me.
I would now like you to bow your heads and join with me
in silent prayer for that last joke that just died.
That is the last time I buy a joke from (key member of the
organization).
LAW NO. 9
The Richest Laugh Is At No One's Expense

You lose respect and credibility when you offend someone in
your audience. Listen through the ears of the audience. When
in doubt, leave it out. The reason you use humor is to enhance
your message. If your humor offends, then it interferes with
what you have to say.
LAW NO. 10
You Are Your Own Best Style

You need to uncover the style you already have and use it,
rather than use someone else's style. Select material carefully so
that it compliments your style. If your humor is too much
different from your own personality, it appears awkward and
incongruent. Be yourself!
USE OF HUMOR IN A
SPEECH
Ways To Incorporate Humor
NO. 1
Start off with light, casual jokes that are relevant to the
situation so you draw light chuckles from the crowd in order
to warm them up and show that your speech will be good-
humored. Make jokes and jibes about something all members
of the audience experienced, such as traffic or bad weather.
Then go on to the bigger jokes.
NO. 2
Use humorous quotes by well known wits. Even if the quotes
aren't entirely relevant, their authors' fame as highbrow
humorists lets them stand on their own and draws laughs from
the crowd. Try to make good on the quotes by adding
something specific to them that relates to the topic of your
speech.
NO. 3
Plan for the possibility of omitting some of your humorous
comments if you find that they're not appropriate for your
audience. You can only gauge how much your audience
tolerates racier or more daring humor once you speak to them.
Make backup comments, or plan out comments of jokes in a
way that you can smoothly omit them, in case your audience
turns out to be more conservative than you expected.
NO. 4
Try out the humor on a test audience such as a group of
friends or family. Deliver the entire speech as you plan on
giving it to your real audience and include all bits of humor
you're planning on using. After the test speech, ask your
audience what they found funny and what simply didn't work.
The more test audiences you use, the better prepared you will
be for using humor in your speech.
BENEFITS IN USING
HUMOR IN A SPEECH
BENEFITS IN USING HUMOR
Put the audience at ease.

A relaxed audience is one that will be more present
and available to take in the information you want to
present.
BENEFITS IN USING HUMOR
Create a connection.

Humor often makes the speaker more approachable
and likable. This helps them hear your message
more readily.
BENEFITS IN USING HUMOR
Keep your audience engaged.

Properly timed humor can create breaks in your
speech, thus breaking things up and helping keep
your audience awake and engaged. Also, it is hard to
laugh and fall asleep so a laughing audience is
more likely to be engaged in what you are saying.
BENEFITS IN USING HUMOR
Make key points memorable.

Humor helps people remember things better. When
you present your key points with humor, those point
will be more likely to be remembered.
BENEFITS IN USING HUMOR
Make a better impression.

Your audience will remember how you made them
feel more than anything else. If you make them feel
good make them smile and laugh that will
leave a good impression.
BENEFITS IN USING HUMOR
Lighten the load.

Sometimes topics are too heavy and need a little
humor to make them more bearable. Of course, you
need to make sure the humor is appropriate and
respectful of the topic.
THE END
Listeners appreciate a little humor, even
in a serious speech. Done incorrectly,
humor can be a disaster. Executed
correctly, humor lightens the load, eases
the burden and releases tension.