Preparing your speech and writing appropriate stories can be a challenge at the best of times, but the real challenge is in using and writing those stories in such a way that they really engage your audience.
First, think about how other speakers and presenters manage to grab your attention. Sure, their stories about themselves may be amusing but as with anybody who is all about “me me me”, you can find your concentration drifting. What really grabs your attention, and keeps it, is when the presenter talks about things that …

I always tell my Public Speaking Coaching Clients that it is a hell of a lot easier to be speaker who uses humor in your presentations — than it is to become a comedian who has to be funny for a straight forty-five to sixty minutes. Why is that? Because the bar is lower for you. A comic must get a certain amount of laughs per minute (and is constantly judge)

A speaker does not. You see, the beauty of public speaking is that all you have to do is add just the right amount of humor to cement your important message into the hearts and minds of your listeners for optimal effect.

As in any craft, it’s important to know the rules to “Creating the Funny” out of thin air. You cannot just blurt out humorous jokes and expect your audience to burst into laughter especially if what you were
discussing moments ago was serious. That would be a disconnect and confuse your listeners.

Regardless of their expertise, (beginner or pro) it is challenge every speaker has to overcome. I am talking of course of how to use the right amount of humor to keep your audience totally engaged with you.

Perhaps you have tried a humorous story or presented some humorous jokes only to have your audience stare back at you with that deer-in-the-headlight-look.

Number seven on the list of people’s fears is fear of stage fright. Other names it goes by are performance anxiety. Simply stated it is aroused by having to perform in front of an audience. In some varying degree or another this common (and easy to fix phobia) attacks, performers, public speakers, actors and politicians

Although some people may present a slight apprehension when performing on stage, the fear of stage fright might also be linked to deeper issues like a social anxiety disorder or fear of social events
as a whole.

In some cases, fear of stage fright also presents itself in events where the individual presumes himself or herself to be performing in public – like having to talk in front of a camera… to their fellow workers… or to your employees.

Ever drive a stick shift in a car?

If you have, then you soon discovered if you don’t use the clutch the right way (too fast or too slow — or not at all), the gears will collide and you’ll hear an annoying and scary grinding of metal. Most new teenage drivers know this hellacious sound. (And their fathers know this hellacious sound as they curse under their breath at the thought of having to get a new clutch job.)

What you (and your father) realized at that moment was that you did NOT have a smooth transition
between gears. You also can NOT jump from first gear to third either! What you DO need is a smooth transition between all the gears and in the right order.

Well, guess what? In the world of public speaking, it’s vital you also make a smooth transition between thoughts, ideas and stories. Not doing so will create a “grinding of the gears” effect with your audience.