Humour in Public Speaking
Effective Public Speaking Index
Humour in Public Speaking is used to lighten a moment, to serve as an opening, as bridge between two points. There is a fine line that divides an entertaining speaker and a comedian.
The following guidelines will help.
There should not be any non-vegetarian jokes from the podium, no, not even eggetarian even if there are no women. Do not risk hurting the sensibilities of your audience.
Look for CLEAN jokes.
The joke should NEVER be at the expense of any member of the audience or any person on the dais. Rather it should be complimentary, if is possible
Do not go for subtle jokes. They do not work in a crowd.
On the banana peel theory, the audience will simply love it if you make yourself the victim of the joke.
Your joke should not be complex, long.
You should not be using more than six-eight sentences to crack your joke.
Your joke should be relevant to the subject or the point you have just made or are about to make.
While it is a good idea to start with a joke, it is not strictly necessary. Likewise the ending.
When you start cracking your joke, you will observe at least one member whispering your punch line to his neighbour. This is a particularly obnoxious Indian behaviour trait. Ignore it. There will be quite a few who have not heard your joke. Even if they have, there is no harm in repeating it. Remember, "It is not the joke itself, it is HOW you relate it that makes it a hit"
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