Main Training Menu > Public Speaking Articles On Using Humor

Presentation Humor - 5 Ways to Lighten Up Your Speech

Using humor in your public speaking is always a good idea because humor dissolves the differences between us.

Everyone loves a good laugh, but humor can be risky because a poorly placed comment that you intended to be funny could backfire on you. One way to avoid that is to ask the hosts if there are any topics that should be off limits.

If you use non-offensive, non-sexual humor you should generally be in safe territory.

Here are 5 easy ways you can inject humor into your presentation and public speaking engagements.

1. Funny Quotes:
Funny quotes are the #1 best way to use humor in a presentation because funny quotes are brief, and you can easily memorize several quotes that you can toss out when you think it's time for some humor.

Plus, when you quote someone else, you're somewhat in safe territory because if it bombs, it was that other person that actually said it, not you, so you gain some distance there. But if the quote gets a great reaction, then you get the credit for making them laugh.

2. Funny Props:
I once saw a presenter give a talk about how to deal with problems, and he had a couple of stuffed animals on stage with him - one was a guppy to represent small problems and the other was a whale to represent big problems. Whenever he talked about a big problem and held up the whale, the group would laugh.

Think about your topic and if there are any props you could use to lighten things up and inject some humor in your speech.

3. Funny Cartoons:
If you're using an overhead projector or a PowerPoint presentation, it's very easy to insert a funny one-panel cartoon into your presentation. The funniest cartoons will be ones that have something to do with the topic of your presentation.

4. Funny Stories:
There are funny stories everywhere, and like funny quotes, you can tell a funny story that did not even happen to you or you weren't even involved in. Depending on time constraints, you might want to look for shorter stories that are easy to remember.

5. Funny Jokes:
Last on the list are funny jokes. Some people are good joke tellers, others are not. If you're not, stick to funny quotes. But if you're a good joke teller, a well-placed joke can have them rolling in the aisles.

Summary & Bonus Tip:
Humor loosens people up and everyone loves to be entertained, so figuring out how to inject humor into your presentation is always a good idea. My #1 suggestion for the fastest easiest and safest way to use humor is to memorize a few funny quotes. Bonus tip: try funny jokes, quotes or stories out on some friends first to see if you get a laugh and to practice a smooth delivery.