5 Quick Tips for Using Humor in Presentations
We’ve all sat through speeches that felt like an eternity… but what about the ones that kept us engaged, entertained, and actually laughing? Humor isn’t just for comedians—it’s a powerful tool for connection, persuasion, and making your message memorable. Below are 5 quick tips you can incorporate into an upcoming presentation. 1️⃣ Find the Funny […]
The Best Plan Ever (Humorous Speech)
Call me weird, but I’ve always been fascinated by natural disasters.
My favorite movie as a kid was a disaster movie… The Wizard of Oz. Hey, there was a tornado!
Turns out, I didn’t need a tornado to land in strange places. I’ve lived through disasters in three states: California, Minnesota, and Texas.
“Perfect. Just Perfect.” Twisting a Serious Subject into a Tall Tale
Can death and drugs be funny? That was my question as I created a tall tales speech for a recent Toastmasters Tall Tale Contest. Tall Tales Contest speeches are 3-5 minute speeches in which the subject “must be of a highly exaggerated, improbable nature and have a theme or plot.” My Tall Tales speech (video below), […]
How a World Champion of Public Speaking Uses Humor
Do you want to incorporate humor in your presentations? The recent Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking, Cyril Dim Junior, from Zimbabwe cleverly incorporated humor in his speech. You can see a short clip of his speech, and my analysis of his humor in the video below, which is part of a longer workshop I […]
100 Tips & Tricks to Appear Confident in Presentations: Video Summary
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The 100 Tips and Tricks in this book are techniques and strategies I learned through my years of presenting and coaching speakers, and now through May 8, 2020, you can get the ebook for only $0.99. Here’s a sample tip (screen shot):
Book Launch Special $0.99 thru May 8, 2020
Get your confidence on!Get my latest book, 100 Tips & Tricks to Appear Confident in Presentations: Public Speaking Success in 5 Minutes or Less! for only $0.99 for the ebook on Amazon. The paperback is $9.99. Practical, Illustrated tips, one to a page, will boost your skills and confidence! Editorial Review: An easy to read, […]
Top-Rated Kindle Book on Public Speaking FREE until 7/11/19
For just a few days, I’m offering the Kindle version of my top-rated book on public speaking FREE–yours for the taking, but you have to nab it by 7/11/19!
9 Confessions of a Virtual Presentation Coach
Things are not always what they seem, a light-hearted look at a few “true confessions” that I’ll admit as a virtual presentation coach . . . Fake outfits. Sometimes (actually, usually), I don’t dress up as much for video calls as I would in-person. You might think I do, because the part you see is […]
10 Signs of Toastmasters Addiction
I am the Immediate Past District Director for District 6, and the incoming Public Relations Manager for newly formed District 106. Clearly, I’m addicted to Toastmasters. You just might be an addict, too. Here are . . . 10 signs you have a Toastmasters addiction: 1. Inability to stop or cut back. “Just one more […]
How to Make a Boring Topic More Interesting
“You can talk about ‘Succession Planning’” said the person in charge of the conference. My first thought was Ugh! That sounds boring! Fortunately, the allotted time for the topic was only 5-7 minutes early in the morning and the audience was a couple hundred positive Toastmaster club officers. I challenged myself to deliver useful content, […]
The Call-Back: A Comedy Technique for Speeches
Would you like a simple speech technique that will create a closer connection with your audience, help them remember your material, and possibly get a laugh? Try using the “call-back.” The call-back is a stand-up comedy term that means to refer to an earlier joke that got a laugh. For example, at a recent Humor […]
Free ebook for Summer Reading: 12 Ways to Be a Confident Speaker
Learn some public speaking skills this summer! This week your free ebook is 12 Ways to Be a Confident Speaker. Get your free Kindle version (US link, Canadian link, UK link) It’s free on Kindle through Saturday, June 21, 2014. You will learn how to: –Speak with Passion –Focus on the Audience –Know Your Material –Use Notes Sparingly –Speak Conversationally […]
Free ebook for Summer Reading: Public Speaking Lessons from TED Talks
Learn some public speaking skills this summer! This week and next, I am giving you free ebooks on public speaking (next week is “12 Ways to Be a Confident Speaker”). Get your free Kindle version (US link, Canadian link, UK link) of the short e-book, Public Speaking Lessons from TED Talks: The Good and the Bad from the 10 Most-Viewed […]
The Pause that Refreshes
Don’tyouhateitwhenspeakersneverpause? Pausing is to speaking as punctuation is to writing. Both enhance comprehension. Pausing is perhaps even more important because a live audience can’t go back and re-listen the same way a reader can go back and re-read. Pausing increases comprehension in several ways. Pausing: Reduces the overall rate of speaking Gives the audience time […]
My Purse Stand Up Comedy
Can you find humor in your everyday possessions? Last week I shared my Stand-Up comedy routine about my iPhone. This week, it’s my purse. This stand up routine was performed in January at Humor Mill Toastmasters‘ Annual Stand Up Comedy Night. Below are the video (4:58) and a rough transcript. I wrote it out and then […]
iPhone Stand-Up Comedy
It’s summer, so let’s have some fun this week and next with Stand Up Comedy (If I can do it, so can you!). This week and next, I will share my stand up comedy routines that I did at the last two Annual Humor Mill Toastmasters Stand Up Comedy Nights (11/2011 and 01/2013). Below is the video […]
Humor Lessons from Stand Up Comedy
Do you want to add some punch to your presentations? Do you want to leave your audience laughing?Or at least keep them awake? Add some humor! People are more receptive when they are laughing. I know what some of you are thinking. “But I’m not funny! I can’t even tell a joke!” Forget about trying to […]
Opening and Closing your Speech with Jokes
Wouldn’t you love to get your audience laughing at the start of your speech or leave them laughing at the end? Jokes can do the job, but use them with caution! If you are using someone else’s material, you need to give credit. The joke needs to be relevant to your presentation (I hate it […]
How to Develop Your Own Humorous Material
Have you ever tried to think of something funny to say and drawn a blank? Have you ever wanted to incorporate humor into a presentation, but didn’t know how? There is a simple tool: Self-deprecating humor. Put yourself down to bring the laughter up! In addition to being funny, self-deprecating humor makes you seem: more […]