How To Tell A Joke

Humour is an important tool in public speaking and we've had two Education Sessions on the theme of "How To Tell A Joke". The following is a summary of the information covered at those sessions.

THE CONTENT

1. Know Your Intent - Why are you speaking and why do you want to say something funny? Be sure the occasion is appropriate and your comments are relevant. Never tell a joke just for the sake of getting a laugh. Consider it from the audience's point of view; it must make sense.

2. Personal Stories Are The Funniest - Before you go to the internet to find a joke, think about your life and whether you've experienced a funny situation that is related to your topic. It will make a more sincere connection with the audience and you don't have to memorize something you've experienced. If you must resort to a canned story consider making it sound personal by presenting the characters as you and your pals.

3. Know The Joke - Stopping halfway through to correct details or forgetting the punch line will lead to disaster. 

4. Forget the Introduction, Just Tell the Joke - Never tell the audience, "This is the funniest story..." or "You're going to laugh at this one..."  You're just setting yourself up for trouble.  Also, don't distract them by starting with irrelevant comments like, "I found this on Google."

5. The Only Person You Can Make Fun Of Is...You - Not matter what you say, you have risk the potential for offending someone. No racial jokes, no sexist put downs, no religious humour.

THE DELIVERY

6. Take Your Time - Sometimes the most important part of a funny story is the pauses. Give your audience time to digest each step of the story. Never interrupt yourself in the middle of a funny story with sidebar comments, as it ruins the flow.

7. Make Eye Contact, With Everyone - Eye contact suggests sincerity and engages your audience, but don't focus on ONE person as that will make them feel uncomfortable and the others will feel left out.

8. Choose Your Voice Wisely - Unless you can do an accent perfectly, don't try. If the joke requires an accent, check it for ethnic suitability. Funny voices need to be used with caution.

9. Don't Laugh At Your Own Joke - A deadpan presentation often adds to the humour, while laughing will detract.

10. Believe in Yourself - Once you have screened the joke for the criteria above, have confidence in the humour and your ability to communicate it. Tell it with confidence.