Cover feature - Laugh all the way to your bonus

Ever sat through a presentation that was slightly less dull thanghing all the way to the bank, says Jill Edwards, the country's leading stand-up comedy coach. watching paint dry? Ever done a presentation that was slightly less dull than, er, wel, watching paint dry? If so, read on.

Make 'em laugh. You can do it. They won't give paint drying a second thought.

If they're laughing, they're listening. Steal some simple strategies from stand-up comics and get some appropriate laughs into your presentations.

If you've ever laughed in your life then you already have all the skills you need to make someone else laugh. All you need is some tricks of the comedy trade to access your latent comedy skills.

The key to using humour in a presentation is to make it look as if you're not. If nobody laughs, it doesn't matter and nobody notices. The humour needs to be evenly paced throughout, fitting in so that it doesn't stand out or sound different. The one thing you never do is to tell actual jokes.

There's a general basic format called set-up/punch that all comics use to structure their jokes.

Within the context of a presentation, a 'punch' is a line that you put in to make people laugh. It can be a simple witty comment on a piece of information you've just relayed.

The piece of information itself, is the 'set-up'. All a set-up is, is a piece of information.

So an example of making a simple humorous comment on something you've just said in your presentation might be: "The new office is 37 storeys high. The MD's office will be on the top floor (pause), a bit closer to God."

You don't need to 'play' the funny bit. Remember to pause before it but don't make a big deal of the pause, just take a breath, as if you've just thought of this witty comment and chucked it in. Don't suddenly rush the punch - say it the same way as you said the rest of the information, to keep it natural. If people feel that you're expecting a laugh, it's the last thing they're going to do. If you don't expect one and don't get one, nobody notices and it doesn't matter.

A statistic or a headline can be used as a set-up. Take a statistic, headline or a short factual statement from your presentation and try and find a short, simple, funny comment you can make on it after you've said it. You'll come up with all the unoriginal and familiar comments first, so push yourself a bit further. If you can brainstorm with someone else then it's even easier.

Have some fun with it. The more true, accurate and observational your punch is to your audience, the better. If you find something that works, include it in your presentation. For example: "Apparently, 95% of all jokes on the Internet are Microsoft related. That may not be true (pause), but the market share sounds about right."

A set-up can also be a piece of visual information. The circumstances in the room you are doing your presentation in might provide a set-up for you. It might be something you can all see. It might be something you can all feel or you can all hear. All you need to do is make a comment as your punch on the visual or sensory set-up. This is a good way to start your presentation because it creates an initial connection with your audience. So, if the room is very hot, try: "Welcome to the (company name) sauna." You can also use this method to comment on anything that arises while you're speaking.

Another performance trick to borrow from stand-up comics is: don't rush into speaking straight away. When you're standing still and ready to start, try looking slowly round the room smiling confidently at your audience. You'll get their attention, they'll be waiting to hear what you've got to say and it establishes your authority. Take your time and start speaking once they're quiet, listening and looking at you.

Make eye contact with them throughout.

It's hard for people to chat or fiddle about when you're looking at them. The more you look at them, the more connected they stay with you and the more connected you stay with them.

As you speak, try and keep in mind the idea of a conversation between you and them. Allow them time to listen and react to each new piece of information you give them. Take your time and draw them in as you speak.

Don't just talk at them.

Stand still while you're talking, unless you're moving for a reason. They will watch every movement you make. It's very distracting if you're constantly moving about, pacing or rocking. You look nervous, so they feel tense. Nervous movement looks very different from deliberate movement. Nerves create a form of energy, your performance energy. Concentrate on harnessing it and focusing it, directing it out to your audience. If you're standing still and making eye contact with them while you speak all your energy is going towards them, which makes what you're saying more compelling. Don't dissipate your performance energy by pacing about, fidgeting and jangling the change in your pocket.

Another comedy basic is to use comparison and contrast. Compare something you're talking about to something else, using "it looks a bit like", or "it sounds a bit like", "it feels a bit like" then compare it to something that creates an amusing visual, audio or sensory image in the audience's mind. Such as: "We're updating the staff restaurant. It'll look a bit like the Groucho Club (pause), without the poseurs." Try and make a comparison that creates a strong visual image in the minds of your audience.

The visual image backs up your original point and re-enforces it in their minds. They can now picture what you are talking about. A word of warning: don't use gross, disturbing or tasteless images.

Comics use a handy format called 'the list of three'. The first two items on the list are information and the third item on the list is the funny one. For example: "Following the ban on personal email in the office, there has been a drop in communication-related expenditure, a higher level of concentration on significant tasks and less frantic screen switching when you're within a mile radius of your PA's desk."

For your punch to be really effective it should imply an intimacy between you and your audience. We all know that if someone is writing a personal email, if you approach them they will frantically switch screens to hide what they're doing. If your audience knows this too, then commenting on it creates a stronger connection between you. It's an accurate observation of shared behaviour. You're one of them. They can trust you.

Make sure you use humour that is appropriate to the people you are talking to at the time. Think about what common ground there is between you and them.

What 'in' jokes can you use? What type of people are you going to be talking to? Do your research. Know your audience. It makes all the difference.

And remember, never finish on a song, unless it's that kind of presentation!.

See also:

Is the net game for a laugh?

MSN and Festival Radio plan to launch a UK comedy portal - or chortal - by the end of September, but opinions are mixed as to why anyone would want to go online to have a laugh.  24 Jul 2000

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