How to Use Humor Effectively in Presentations

Humor is a powerful tool for engaging an audience, defusing a tense situation, and conveying a sense of authenticity as a leader — if done well. Using humor effectively requires a level of self-awareness about where your talents lie.

Don’t overdo it. You’re not in front of the room to entertain. You’re there to inform, persuade, or inspire. A little humor early in a presentation helps you grab the audience’s attention. A line or two a bit later helps you keep their attention.

Now they’re waiting for you to be funny again. Let them wait. If you overdo it, you might diminish your stature. You already accomplished the goal of capturing their attention. Next, deliver your important message.

Here are some guidelines regarding the various ways to use humor in business presentations.

Jokes  

“Two guys walk into a bar….” Jokes are a formulaic play on stereotypes. They have a defined punchline at the end. You also need to rehearse them to deliver them well.

Use them in a presentation but only if the joke’s topic is tightly tied to the substance of your presentation, and you are good with your delivery, which most people are not.

If this is your talent, great. Go for it. If not, steer clear. Poorly delivered jokes harm your reputation and kill the opening of your talk.

Funny anecdotes  

Chances are you’ve been asked to give your presentation because you have some experience with a topic. You probably have a million stories and examples to share with your audience, each of which bolsters your credibility and heightens the value of your recommendation.

Some of those stories are funny and make a point. Use them. They are powerful. Just keep them short. Don’t start with, “Let me tell you a story.” It’s too didactic. Instead:

1. Set the scene with a reference to time or place.
2. Highlight the challenge you were facing in a sentence or two.
3. Make your point about how things were resolved.
4. Tie it back to the topic.

Throughout, use language that triggers the audience’s senses. One or two references to what you saw, heard, or smelled can bring the audience into the scene.

The whole story should be less than a minute. Some stories are complete in five or six sentences. The brevity helps the humor. There’s nothing worse than a long, rambling story that’s resolved in an only-mildly humorous ending.

Quick, off-the-cuff humor 

This is the best way to use humor in a presentation. Make a brief comment at the start of a talk that references something immediate that the audience will all have experienced.

Because the comment is tied to something unique to that moment, it’s clear it couldn’t have been scripted. That indicates it came directly from your brain and in the moment, making you seem smart, relatable, and interesting.

When you are giving a presentation, those quick unscripted comments tying part of your content to something that the whole room just experienced, allow your genuine self to come through to the audience. They put the immediate topic in the context of your broader world. They help you and the audience keep today’s budget report, monthly sales discussion, or update on your corporate restructuring in context of our larger humanity.

If your comment is a casual aside or reference to something your colleague just shared, even better. It allows you to be both more relatable and likeable, both of which helps you connect with your audience.

Self-deprecating remarks  

It’s common to use self-deprecating humor to appear humble or get a quick laugh. But use it sparingly. The first self-critical comment accomplishes those goals. The second one causes your audience to wonder if you really are insecure or incompetent. The third causes them to pity your therapist.

You’re in front of the room because you’re the expert. It’s okay to let people know you’re confident about your abilities.

Remember, there are no points taken off for having a straightforward, business-focused delivery. You do lose points, however, if you try to be funny and it flops.

Play to your strengths. Be yourself — your funny self or your serious self. Your authenticity strengthens your credibility more than a few laughs will.

Originally published on Inc.com