THE HUMOR BUFFET. (The secret to on-call laughter.)
BETTER Speaking > Let the world LIVE your message!™
I’m often asked about humor in public speaking.
I always turn to Gene Wilder.
Willy Wonka knew something about humor and captivating an audience. He once observed:
“A little nonsense, now and then, is relished by the wisest men.”
That said, I’m not a fan of heavy-handed, scripted humor. Performing stand-up comedy is a heavy lift. (Google “Jerry Seinfeld” and “practice” to learn more. Example here.)
And yet, "too serious" can often mean too mind-numbing.
That’s why a recent engagement with a CEO's commencement speech included only a handful of polite, scripted — but rigorously tested — chuckles.
And yet, here’s the secret, we paired those pre-determined jokes with what I call the “humor buffet.”
You see, reading the response of your audience is an important skill. And pairing that ability with (seemingly) off-the-cuff humor is a practiced art.
If they’re laughing, it is great to have the option of keeping the fun going — or not.
Instead of stepping to stage inflexibly scripted, consider creating a selection of “humor dishes,” just in case there's an appetite. You can then read your audience and sprinkle additional chuckles in around your anticipated, tried-and-true quips that work.
As TEDster Sir Ken Robinson shared in conversation about his breakaway talk design:
“It’s important to have rapport with the room. It’s like jazz, I think, or improv... I have some notes in my pocket with just some bullet points, and it’s like a set list is how I think of it, because every audience is different and every occasion is different.”
Consider Sir Ken’s talk about schools and creativity. About 45 seconds in, he asks the audience a question and then cracks a joke about his chosen field:
I have an interest in education. Actually, what I find is, everybody has an interest in education. Don't you?
I find this very interesting. If you're at a dinner party, and you say you work in education — actually, you're not often at dinner parties, frankly.
(Laughter)
If you work in education, you're not asked.
(Laughter)
And you're never asked back, curiously. That's strange to me. But if you are, and they say, "What do you do?" and you say you work in education, you can see the blood run from their face. They're like, "Oh my God. Why me?"
(Laughter)
"My one night out all week."
(Laughter)
But if you ask about their education, they pin you to the wall, because it's one of those things that goes deep with people…
Sir Ken popped off one joke and quickly returned to the buffet three times before returning to the topic at hand!
Don’t ask the audience to gorge on comedy. Only offer more IF you find the audience is responding. Laughing. Wanting more. (Hopefully they will be.)
Otherwise, leave that array of comedy dishes untouched. Don't be a not-so-funny, wannabe comedian.
You can return to the buffet another time if the audience is still hungry.
After all... “A little nonsense, now and then, is relished.”
I am DEVIN D. MARKS. I’m writing this newsletter to share what I’ve learned from deep dives into the world of TED Talks and idea spreading. Over the years, I’ve been privileged to serve 100s of authors, executives, and researchers — from million-view TEDsters to CEOs winning 9-figure funding rounds. My public speaking and story training firm, CONNECT to COMPEL helps leaders, just like you, to maximize your message. We can connect via 617.804.6020, or you can DM me here.
THREE THINGS.
I. The Quote.
When considering whether to pause or to zip it, keep this thought from Benjamin Franklin in mind.
“Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.”
II. The Bookshelf.
Andrew Tarvin explores humor in the workplace in his 2019 book, Humor That Works: The Missing Skill for Success and Happiness at Work. It is filled with ideas on how to help you incorporate humor as a daily habit in your personal and professional life.
The title takes you through the what, why, and how of humor at the office. Andrew convinces any skeptic that humor is a must-have skill in the workplace.
III. The Learning.
Nancy Duarte’s team at Duarte Communications is always spot on. This 4-minute video by one of her staffers shares some great hacks for adding vocal variety to your next presentation.
THE m3 FRAMEWORK.
Three principles make the Marks Maximized Messaging (m3) framework so very, very connecting and compelling. Whether you're working on a keynote or a commencement address; an all-hands preso or a pitch, you will want to be:
[✔] 5Fold-Focused
(5 factors here)
[✔] Story-Wrapped
(3 factors here)
[✔] Action-Igniting
(6 factors here)
To begin a conversation about bringing the m3 framework to your next presentation, click here. After all, it is time to…
Let the world LIVE your message!™
P.S. ARE YOU A HOPEFUL TED TALK 🔴 SPEAKER? Did you know the m3 framework is the basis for my award-winning, TED Talk coaching method? Many, many million-view TEDsters have benefitted from my coaching — including Harvard's Dr. Robert Waldinger in his 47M view, TOP 10 TED Talk. Let’s connect and consider your steps to center stage.