Observations about humour

This week I went to many parties where I had the opportunity to make some observations about humour. Although these observations occurred during a party, they can also be applied to your next speech.

Humour is something that is difficult to succeed at every time. However, if you apply the following tips, you have a better chance of making people laugh.

Tone of voice: it's not what you say, it's how you say it! I saw someone tell a joke this week. It was a good one, however, his tone of voice seemed aggressive to me. When he finished, few people laughed. I am sure that with a different tone of voice, he would have made many more people laugh. If you are saying something funny then used a joyful tone of voice and smile. If you feel like laughing, then laugh! More often than not, your audience will pick up on your cue.

Exaggeration: this consists in taking an ordinary situation and considerably amplifying it. You can exaggerate your body movements, your reaction to a situation, use ridiculous statistics, etc. The more you exaggerate, the funnier it is.

Pause: the use of the pause is essential. A well-timed pause can considerably increase the impact of what you say. The pause becomes critical when people are laughing. If you try to speak while your audience is laughing, you cut into their fun. This is called stepping on laughter and you want to avoid it. Wait until the laughter dies down before going on.

During this holiday season, I hope that humour will be a big part of your daily lives. I take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

Happiness, love, and success for 2007!