A Speaker's Lesson Learned

How the set-up of the hall can impact on the quality of your presentation.

How to Avoid Audience Saturation

The elements of an effecive speech and how to deliver it.

Anxiety in Public Speaking

“I can’t believe I agreed to do this speech. Look at all those people out there! My knees are shaking, and my stomach feels like I just went over the top of a roller coaster. My heart is beating so fast and hard my tie is jumping. I just want to scream and run away!”

Public Speaking: Cool Color Commentary

Flip Chart Color... Permanent markers give the most vivid color but dry out faster if you leave the cap off. They also frequently...

Public Speaking: Rule of Three

One of the most pervasive principles in the construction of humorous situations is the Rule of Three. You will see it used over and over because it is simple. It is powerful and it works (see I just used it there in a non-funny situation). Most of the time in humor the Rule of Three is used in the following fashion: The first comment names the topic, the second sets a pattern, and the third unexpectedly switches the pattern which is funny. Here's a few examples from brochures advertising my seminars:

Public Speaking: To Laugh or Not to Laugh... that is the Question

Some humor 'experts' say that you should not laugh at your own jokes and stories when you are speaking in public. This may work for some, but it is definitely not my style. When I'm in front of an audience, I'm having a great time. I'm there because I love humor and laughter and I love sharing it with the audience. I can't help laughing sometimes. I laugh at what I say. I laugh at what they say. I laugh at unexpected occurrences during the presentation. That's my style. I believe that to fully connect with an audience, you must be accepted as one of them. If I expect them to laugh, then I should laugh too.

Public Speaking: Finding Humor for Specific Industries

If you are looking for stories and humor in a specific industry, you must work a little harder than you would have to find general humor. Certain professions like medicine and law have many individual books, newsletters, and articles written about them. But if you are a plumbing executive, or you are speaking to the plumbing industry it is unlikely you could go down to your local public bookstore and find a plumbing joke book.

Public Speaking: Ads

You can concoct fake ads, or use real ads that are funny in your public speaking engagements. They can be read aloud, projected, or distributed as handouts.

Public Speaking: Caricature, Cartoons, and Comic Strips

When certain prominent features of something or someone are highlighted and other features are diminished, that is called caricature. Studies have found that it is easier to identify a political leader from a caricature than from a real photograph.

Public Speaking: Definitions

You can use a quick comical definition to liven up a public speaking engagement. As always, make sure the word defined is relevant to the point you are trying to make. Here are some definitions I like:

Public Speaking: Malaprops

A malaprop is an absurd misuse of words. It can be from words that sound alike (sadistic and statistic) or from explanations that don't make any sense. You can use these on purpose as a humor technique during your public speaking engagements. Consider some of the classic examples below:

Public Speaking: Numbers are Funny

Most businesses have numerous uses for numbers, both written and oral. Some numbers are funnier and more interesting than others. A number like zero has other names that are funny that aren't even numbers.

Public Speaking: Places are Funny

Some places are simply funnier than others. Cleveland is funny. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is funny. I live just off Goodluck Road. That's funny. My computer consultant used to live on Easy Street in Temple Hills, Maryland. That's funny. It was hard to find him because people were always stealing the sign, and it's not easy to steal an Easy Street sign.

Public Speaking:Toasts

Toasting is not nearly as common as it once was. However, the polished public speaker should have a few short toasts ready to go if and when the occasion arises. Here are a few fun toasts and a few touching ones too: