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.

Frustrating, right? Well, you’re not alone, so don’t be discouraged. Writing and developing the right humorous material is a skill anyone can learn if you have a funny bone. Learning this vital skill can
undoubtedly help you deliver your humorous speeches to the right audience and hit it out of the ballpark (or any other sports metaphor you can think of.)

One important caveat you should take to heart: Before venturing to write and deliver your own sense of humor — fit  your comedic material to your important message or content, not the other way around.

Doing a joke or theme that has nothing to do with your message or content will NOT work. It’s a disconnect with your audience who will think, “Why did they tell that joke, it doesn’t make sense?

That said, I’ve outlines some ideas for you to use that’ll help you compose  humorous jokes that your fan base will enjoy.

Know Your Audience – Right off the bat, you should do your due diligence and really know the type of audience you will be in front of so you can deliver a successful presentation, speech or seminar. One sure-fire way it so your audiences age bracket and general interests for you to hit a homerun with your  humorous jokes. Is your material really applicable for them. In other words, is your audience going to understand your  joke’s content? Or , will they find the material offensive?

For instance, in politics I find fault with both parties.  If I want to get edgy, I can write material for both groups. However, know this: If you’re performing for democrats you should poke fun of Republicans and vice a versa. Rule of thumb: find a common enemy and your audiences will undoubtedly laugh at your humorous material.

2. Stick to the Theme – Common sense dictates that different occasions require different kinds of humorous speeches. Even if you think the humorous speech is funny, when it goes out of context, delete or edit it properly.  Do a questionable joke or use questionable material will invariably become very risky especially when you just blurted out an epic punch line, which  was followed by hearty laughter from the audience.

In comedy, you are  judged from joke to joke. Wrong joke, and your sudden laughter will instantly die down and it could affect your  next humorous speech or joke on that given topic..

3. Drop the Introductions – Once you are introduced as the speaker of the night,    there’s no need to keep saying introductions like “this is going to make you laugh  till you drop.” It’s very important to show
that it’s funny, do NOT tell your audience they will laugh at it. Remember, the most potent humorous joke are spoken to your audience that get to the point of what you’re trying to say.

   4. Don’t Make Fun of The Audience – If you are in front of teenage crowds, you       can make fun of senior citizens. If your audience is middle-aged people, you can make fun of young adults. But never make fun of your audience. In order to be a sought-out speaker (or comedian) be sensitive with audiences emotions. If you break this rule, you will have trouble risking your audiences’ approval. Of Course, your material can’t please everybody, but your goal is to create the material that has  the most impact on  winning every audience over.

5 Rehearse – Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes prefer. You must rehearse your material especially if you’re a beginning speaker or humorist. Gather some friends, family or foes you know and practice telling your humorous jokes to them. Afterwards, ask them to give honest feedbacks about your performance. Listen to what they have to say. Accept any criticisms about your punch lines and take time to alter them if needed. Work on the delivery of humorous speeches to be familiar with how it must be spoken, what is the right facial expression, what accent to use and if there’s a need for additional physical actions.

Take A-way: When your humorous speeches hit their target, your audience will feel more relaxed at your presence.  You’ll be able to get their undivided attention and capture their interest.  They’ll listen to every humorous speech you convey more eager anticipation. Disappoint them?  And you can lose them. Thankfully, once the tension is released, you’ll be able to be more comfortable with the audience. When this happens, you’ll notice how smoothly you can deliver your humorous speeches like a real pro without even pausing to think of what to say next.

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Before Peter reinvented himself from a successful stand-up comic into an in-demand speaker, freelance advertising copywriter/problem solver, he worked on many TV shows, including Married With Children, Hope and Faith, and Whoopi.

He is the author of the critically acclaimed book If Not Now… Then When?: Stories and Strategies of People Over 40 Who Have Successfully Reinvented Themselves.  For info on his book and to sign up for Peter’s FREE Reinvent This! E-zine and get his 4-in-1 Total Success Reinvention Package (a $75 value). Visit www.reinventyourselfnow.com/reboot-your-career/

If you’re interested in public speaking, please sign up for Peter’s FREE 7 Days to MORE Effective Public Speaking e-course (a $125 value) and get FREE Mp3 downloads at www.publicspeaklikeapro.com.