The Seven Strategies of Master Presenters - Lifecycle Performance ...

Develop Dynamic Delivery / 123
it. It was only through listening to a previously taped copy of a particular
presentation that this treasured material was found. Keeping a
story/humor journal will help you be aware of and collect and remember
material that can make the difference between a good presentation
and a great one. Therefore, we recommend you carry a notepad
with you at all times. When something makes you laugh, write it down.
With notepad at the ready, pay attention—you’ll be amazed at the
funny things you see or overhear.
Because humor can make or break your presentation, we will look
at Canadian Association of Professional Speakers member Ross
MacKay’s five reasons for using humor and five rules on how to use it
effectively.
Ross’s five reasons to use humor are:
1. To connect with your audience.
2. To make a particular point.
3. To change the pace or tone.
4. To make your message more palatable.
5. To entertain.
Ross’s five rules on how to use humor are:
1. Surprise your audience—that’s what the punch line
does.
2. Allow your audience time to enjoy the joke when it
works—if it doesn’t work, just pretend it wasn’t a joke
and keep going.
3. Use humor to advance to subject of the presentation.
The biggest crime is to use humor to get a laugh but it
has nothing to do with the subject.
4. Make sure that your humor is appropriate—
appropriate to your audience and appropriate to the
event. If you have any doubt, don’t use it.
5. Personalize your material; even a standard joke or
introduction can have meaning when it is personalized.