Uncategorized

Tips to Injecting Humour In Your Speech – Part 2

This is Part 2 of Tricks to Injecting Humour In Your Speech…

Previously, we talked about the 5 of the 8 frequently asked questions about humour. In this article, we will continue to answer the remaining 3 questions:

When to use humour?
What happens if there is no laughter?
Where can you find humour?

How to Use Humour?

If you are in doubt about your humour, don’t use it. Please remember that not every speech requires humour. It is also not necessary to use humour to break the ice with the audience. However, if you wish to use humour, then follow the guidelines below.

The guildelines are:

Write down the humourous piece and memories it, When you present it, speak naturally in a conversational tone. If you are nervous and you have trouble remembering it, then it is better to forgo the humour.

Try to find a suitable place in your speech to fit in the humour. The humour must tie in with the point you are emphasizing or link with the next comment. Do not make a joke or give a humourous comment just because you like it. Humour has to be relevant. You are not there to be a stand-up comic but to present a speech.

Customise your humour for the event or occasion is most appropriate. For example, if the event is for salespersons, then your humour or joke is evolved around sales and salespersons.

Personalize your humour to poke fun at yourself or someone who is popular or well-known in the event.

Find the “in” jokes for the audience. You will instantly receive warm response for that.

Especially, when you are a foreign speaker, please check with the organizer and research for the “in” things or jokes.

Avoid ethnic or cultural jokes, try to be sensitive about this segment of the people. Humour has to be clean and understood by all.

Tell short humourous story is more effective than a long story. Speak slowly and clearly, and make sure it is loud enough to be heard.

Use The Right Humour Targets

Humour is laughing at something or someone (like the speaker). It must have a target. InAmerica, politicians and celebrities are the most popular targets. The more popular they are and the more people target them. Be careful in the selection of targets. Sometimes it can misfire. Avoid using the audience, females and the sacred cows like religion and sex. If you aim at someone among the audience whom you know and is happy to take a punch, then the audience will laugh and your target is correct.

The Best Humour Targets

1. You, The Speaker

You are the best target because you are responsible for yourself. If you can accept the feeling that the audience is laughing with you, then you have managed to put the audience at ease. This is called self-deprecating humour.

Here is a classic example:

Just before my turn to speak; I was pacing to and from in a room. Suddenly a lady came behind me and said, “ Are you nervous before your speech?”

I said, “No, not me, I don’t get nervous.”

“Then, what are you doing in the ladies room?” she said.

2.Superiority Figures

Anyone who holds a position of authority, such as bosses, government officials, teachers, or rich people are perceived as leaders.Americahas a culture against authority and therefore speakers use humour to target at authority. In the Asian context, they respect the elders and authority, therefore not many Asian speakers dare to use humour to target at the authority.

Here is an example:

In 1990 when Goh Chok Tong was sworn in as Prime Minister; the next day I called him on the direct line to congratulate him. He picked up the phone.

I said, “Congratulations. Mr Prime Minister.”

He replied, “Oh, I think you’ve got the wrong extension.”

3. People Related To The Speaker

People such as wives, children, in-laws, neighbours, and business associates.

Here are a few examples:

Take my wife for instance, she always asks questions.

Usually when I come home late, she will say, “ What time is it?. Why are you back so late.”

One evening when I returned home at 9 .00pm. She said, “ What time is it? Why are you back so early?”

My wife is a woman of few words. In the morning before I leave for work, she would say: “ Come home early.”

In the evening when I return home, she would say: “Lock the door.”

How To Tell A Humourous Story Effectively

Here are the rules for the amateur to tell jokes or humourous stories

Memorise the punch line. It is the punch line that gets the laughter. The lunch line must be delivered smoothly and without hesitation.
Tell a story in the fewest words possible. Remember more words are not better. In fact, more words can be more cumbersome and verbose. Remember KISS – keep it short and sweet.
Rehearse the story until it becomes second nature. It means that you have to practice and practice to ensure smooth delivery.
Don’t laugh at your own jokes. It is like applauding yourself.
Don’t blame the audience if you do not get a response. You may have to change the punch line or the setup. Fine tune the story.
Personalise your story and put yourself in the story. It sounds real and the audience will believe you.

If you like to further hone your public speaking skills, don’t forget to check out Ernest’s highly acclaimed public speaking courses in Singapore:

Want to learn the proper techniques of public speaking, the tricks and tips to easily changing your style of delivery according to the times and needs of your listeners?

Every speaker is different, so is your audience. Great public speakers not only know how to tell wonderful and convincing stories, they are also great artist in painting images into the hearts of their listeners. And they precisely know how to adjust their speaking styles to suit their audience from different cultures and nations.

In his book, Earnestly Speaking, Ernest will show you how you can hone your public speaking skills to aid your progress in both your professional and personal life.

Earnestly Speaking is the child of Singapore’s best public speaking coach, Ernest Chen. In his book of twenty independent chapters, Ernest will hold you by your hand and walk you through the six different aspects of public speaking -ranging from preparing your speech, deciding on the most appropriate type of speech to deliver to your audience to the different modes of communication and more….

To start your dream of becoming a persuasive and entertaining public speaking without having butterflies in your stomach, visit your local bookstore and get Ernest’s public speaking bestseller, Earnestly Speaking today!

December 2, 2015 by VPPR Uncategorized 0

Tips to Injecting Humour In Your Speech – Part 1

Have you heard this maxim – laughter is the best medicine? Everybody loves to laugh but, not everybody can make others laugh. It’s because telling jokes or funny stories is not easy and it takes special skill to render this part of the speech.

Researchers have found that having fun and laughter is good for your health. Norman Cousin, the author of the book: “Anatomy of an illness” confirmed that laughing has a remedial effect on illness. He was suffering from a terminal illness and he turned to humour and laughter such as watching cartoons and shows like “ The Three Stooges Shows” and “the Lucy Shows.”

It was the laughter that nursed him back to health. His doctor found laughter reduced the inflammation and infection in his body.

Since then there are reports that many terminally ill patients turned to laughter such as cartoons and comedies to get them better. Humour bridges and builds rapport with the audience instantly.

It is not easy but not impossible to inject humour into your speech. Many speakers avoid humour in their speeches because humour can sound like a faux pas when delivered by them.

Great values in using humour in speeches

It connects you immediately to the audience. The audience loves humour and enjoys great laughter. If you can make it laugh, it will like you more.
It eases your approach to sensitive subjects. The strategy is to make the audience your ally. When you touch on sensitive subjects, it would not be so sensitive any more. In a way, you have desensitized it.
Humour is a quick way to disarm a hostile audience. If you can make it laugh, then it would not be hostile.
People remember a humourous story than a simple story.
Humour motivates the audience and it will want more.
At the end of the day, the audience remembers you because of the joke and your illustrations are more memorable.

Frequently Asked Questions About Humour

What is humour?
Why do people laugh?
How do we use humour?
Who are the best targets?
How to create humour?
When to use humour?
What happens if there is no laughter?
Where can you find humour?

What is Humour?

If you ask ten people “What is humour?” Most probably, you would receive ten different answers.

Some of the answers are:

“Humour is exaggeration or surprise.” – Mark Mayfield.

“Rebellion against the status quo creates humour.” – Grady Jim Robinson

“A humour is the ability to see absurdity in our greatest fears.” – George Valliant.

“Humour helps us to shift perspective on our lives. It is a creative alternative to coping with stress.” – Lorrie Bard

“Humour is an art. As with any other art, the increasing awareness of humour enables you to appreciate it more. It also improves your skills and talents.” – Roger Bates

“Humour is emotional chaos remembered in tranquility.” – James Thurber.

“Humour is laughing at what you haven’t got when you ought to have one.” – Langston Hughes.

“Humour is affirmation of dignity, a declaration of man’s superiority to all that befalls him.” – Ramon Gary.

And here are my versions of explaining what is humour:

“Humour is a serious thing that becomes funny.”
“Humour is better if it is unprepared and impromptu.”
“An effective humour has no cultural barriers.”
“Humour has magic if it explodes at the right time.”

The Common Forms of Verbal Humour

An Anecdote is a short account of a true or not-so-true account of an interesting and entertaining incident.

A Riddle is a puzzling question or statement that needs to be solved.

A One-Liner is a single brief incident, a comic tale that creates laughter.

A Joke is a single brief incident, a comic tale that creates laughter.

A Story or a humourous story is a longer version of joke. It has a beginning, body and ending.

Why Do We Laugh?

Much research has been done to determine the reasons behind the laugh.

The following are some of the reasons why people laugh.

1. Surprise

Remember the occasion when you were caught in a situation when someone surprised you with something, such as a birthday party. You started roaring with laughter because you did not expect it to happen. In a story, a surprise ending will bring laughter to the listeners. The listeners are unaware of the unexpected ending. The speaker has to use witty words to build up the story and end with a punch (the punch line) that triggers the laughter.

2. Superiority

Human being like to be treated as superior and even though we are not superior; we like to feel superior. In jokes we like to play on the superiors, the authority, the rich and famous and the stronger ones (like the politicians.) As we cannot beat them on level terms, at least, we can joke about them. Sometimes, the jokes can lead to witty insult.humour can be social criticism, and inAmerica, there are blatant thrusts at the ethnic minority. The object is to deflate. According to a famous comedian, Melvin Helitzer, “As individuals, our humour is generally directed upwards against authoritative figures. In a group setting, our humour is directed downward towards groups that don’t conform to our social, religious or national norm.”

3. Incongruity

People laugh at incongruity because of its absurdity . For example, a company Chairman delivered his new year’s address thus: “I wish everyone of you to have a New Year resolution like this – I shall support the company’s policy of restructuring and agree to leave the company peacefully.”

For instance, an experienced speaker was asked to say a few words at a company diner. He got up and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, good evening to you. I am happy to be here to say a few words. I have done it and now I shall shut up.”

4. Ambivalence

This is similar to incongruity except that ambivalence stresses conflicting emotions whereas incongruity stresses clashing ideas and perceptions. For example, Bill Crosby to his troublesome son: “Listen, son, I am telling you, damn it. I brought you into this world, and I can take you out of it.”

In Part 2 of “Humour – Tips to Injecting It Into Your Speech, I shall tell you more about how to use humour and how to develop humour for your speech. Until then… 🙂