Humour in a speech: 5 reasons you need it; 10 tips for using it

Using humour is a great way for speakers to connect with their audiences. Victor Hugo said, “Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.” When you speak to an audience of dozens, hundreds or thousands, the effect is multiplied. THE BENEFITS OF HUMOUR When used properly, humour is a powerful tool in […]
Quotes for Public Speakers (No. 279) – Dave Barry

“All of us are born with a set of instinctive fears—of falling, of the dark, of lobsters, of falling on lobsters in the dark, of speaking before a Rotary Club, and of the words ‘Some Assembly Required’.” Dave Barry Photo courtesy of Amazur
The benefits of humour and 10 tips for using it in a speech

I am one of the co-founders of Presentation Guru, a digital magazine for public speaking professionals.This post is part of a series designed to share the great content on Presentation Guru with the Manner of Speaking community. benefits of humour ——— French author Victor Hugo said, “Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.” When speaking to […]
Quotes for Public Speakers (No. 257) – Dorothy Parker

“Of course I talk to myself. I like a good speaker, and I appreciate an intelligent audience.” Dorothy Parker
Quotes for Public Speakers (No. 227) – Boris Johnson

“My speaking style was criticised by no less an authority than Arnold Schwarzenegger. It was a low moment, my friends, to have my rhetorical skills denounced by a monosyllabic Austrian cyborg.” Boris Johnson
Quotes for Public Speakers (No. 131) – John Cleese

“If I can get you to laugh with me, you like me better, which makes you more open to my ideas. And if I can persuade you to laugh at the particular point I make, by laughing at it, you acknowledge its truth.” John Cleese Photo courtesy of Bruce Baker
Using Humour When Speaking to a Foreign Audience

My last post about delivering a speech or presentation via an interpreter has generated a lot of discussion. One of the tips that I mentioned in that post was the importance of using humour carefully when addressing an audience of non-native speakers. A few people have asked whether I had an example of a situation when […]
Every Presentation Ever?

Here’s a clever video that rings true on many levels when it comes to boring presentations. And, as is so often the case with humour, there are lessons to be learned.
Quotes for Public Speakers (No. 109) – Mark Twain

“A successful book is not made of what is in it, but what is left out of it.” Mark Twain
Rhetorical Devices: Paraprosdokian

This post is part of a series on rhetorical devices. For other posts in the series, please click this link. For a comprehensive, step-by-step overview of how to write a speech outline, please see this post. Device: Paraprosdokian Origin: From the Greek παρά (para), meaning “beyond” and προσδοκία (prosthokhia), meaning “expectation”; thus, “beyond expectation”. In plain […]
Tagged Bill CasselmanDorothy ParkerGroucho MarxhumorHumourMitch HedbergParaprosdokianrhetoricRhetorical DevicesWinston Churchill