We feel better when we laugh.
When you stimulate your audience to laugh, they will feel comfortable listening to you. They will be more inclined to like and trust you.
They will listen to you more intently because they don’t want to miss the next funny or poignant thought.
Laughter releases tension and relaxes people
Personal Story
The easiest and safest form of humor is to relate a personal story of something funny or embarrassing that you experienced. If it was funny or seems funny now in hindsight you don’t need to analyse the humor. Simply tell it like it happened. You are safe when you are the butt of the joke.
My new boss invited me to lunch. I wanted to make a good impression. So, when he ordered steak, I asked for the same to build rapport. When the meal arrived, I experienced my introduction to Steak Tartare. It was not what I expected. I didn’t enjoy the meal and I wonder what my boss was thinking as he witnessed me picking at the meal.
My surprise and embarrassment make the story funny. And I use that story to emphasize the danger of assuming and being afraid to ask questions.
The 1,2, 3 punch
Pleasant surprise is a form of comedy. That’s where you lead your audience in one direction then hit them with the switcheroo.
If stranded on a desert island the three books I would want: The Holy Bible, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare and The Idiot’s Guide to Sand Sculpture.
Funny Quote
You could use a funny quote.
When the lion lays down with the lamb, the lamb will not get much sleep.
Woody Allen
It’s even better when you twist a familiar phrase.
You can guess my success in the stock market. I followed that maxim, “Buy high. Sell low.”
Not everyone will laugh. All you want is for the audience to relax, trust you and listen.
When shopping for a suit, I told the salesperson what I wanted then said little while he pulled out a few jackets for me to try on. He could tell that I didn’t want idle chat. I wanted a suit. Period. Once we found what I liked, I declared that I would take it. He responded with “How many would you like?” His question caught me by surprise. I laughed and bought two suits.
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