Humor Me: Does Your Keynote Need a Laugh?
You could be laughing all the way to the bank 🏦
Welcome to the February edition of the MYM Newsletter.
This month, we’re talking about humor.
I have to be honest, this is an area where I have struggled in the past.
Out of 465 keynotes, I tried telling jokes in the first 82 and the audience would look at me like this…
So, I stopped. 😂
The Pros and Cons of Sprinkling Humor into Your Keynote
Pros
Audience Engagement: Let’s start here. Humor (when done well) can get an audience's attention. A well-timed joke can break the ice, establish rapport, and create a connection between you and the audience.
Relatability: When people find something in your speech funny, they feel a sense of camaraderie with you. You’re their new bestie. And this is a good thing because the more relatable you are the more referable you become.
Stress Relief: Ever taken the stage and immediately felt tension in the room? And the tension wasn’t coming from you?
Yep, I’ve been there. I’ve addressed companies who were going through reorgs, layoffs and bad sales quarters.
Memorability: I’m not the kind of guy who remembers lines from movies. I can’t even cite many lines from the movies that I love (Shout out to: Coming to America and Blues Brothers and Animal House and Pulp Fiction…ok, I’ll stop). The only lines, I do remember, however, are the funny one-liners or jokes.
Why? Because humor sticks.
Cons
Cultural Sensitivity: Listen….this is a biggie. Humor is subjective and can vary significantly across cultures. What may be funny to you, may not be funny to someone else in a different demographic.
Distractibility: Do you have a buddy who jokes too much? Well, don’t be that speaker unless your last name is Chappelle. Too many jokes or inappropriate humor can undercut your message.
Risk of Misinterpretation: Humor can be a double-edged sword. A well-intentioned joke might be misinterpreted, leading to unintended consequences. This is not what you want to be remembered for.
A Solution: Your Life is the Best Joke
[Note: I’m not saying that you’re a joke. 😂]
Regardless of your keynote’s subject matter, you must incorporate the funniest parts of your personal journey into the narrative.
Let me let you in on a little secret…
No one is saying anything new.
No one is reinventing leadership.
No one is reinventing time management.
The best speakers:
Combine their life narratives with
Sticky language to
Stand out from the pack
So, find the funniest parts of your life and weave them into your keynote.
Test them out with different audiences
Alter the pacing
Switch up your hand gestures
In short, see what works.
Here’s an example: People love it when I make the “Beep. Beep. Beep.” noise of a UHaul as I tell the story of getting fired multiple times.
Notice: I’m talking about getting fired (and it’s not so funny to me 😂), and people still laugh.
The Mic Drop 🎤
In short, go have some fun.
Sprinkle funny episodes from your life into your keynote and see what makes your audience laugh.
Then, tell those stories again, and again, and again…trust me. These episodes are your most valuable form of intellectual property.
Ready to invest in your speaking business? Here are ways we can help:
Our “Get Paid to Speak” course shows you, step-by-step, how to build a speaking business. These seven modules will put you in position to monetize your message.
Looking for 1-on-1 coaching? Schedule a discovery call with our co-founder, Will Baggett.
If you liked today’s newsletter, be sure to like, share, and comment below.👇
Take the Stage.
Get Paid.
Buy Your Freedom.
 | A guest post by
|