Each and every presentation wants assortment. Without having selection the speaker dangers losing his or her audience. Humor is 1 of the greatest techniques to retain audience interest. Since I am an skilled speaker, I know this. Nonetheless, I struggled to locate methods to insert humor into a workshop about expanding from grief.
Why did I want to add humor? 1 purpose was the healing energy of laughter. Laughter relieves tension and can energize us. I also feel folks who are grieving want to give themselves permission to laugh. Laughter lightens the mood and assists us to feel in the future once more. When folks laugh with each other they come with each other.
So I reviewed my workshop outline and looked for locations to add funny stories. This method produced me believe of the actor Eddie Albert, who was a close buddy of my father-in-law's. Dad and Eddie had been each Minnesota "boys" and attended the University of Minnesota with each other. Years ago, Eddie known as to thank me for a book I had sent him.
In the course of our conversation he talked about he was providing a talk that afternoon. He stated his talk was completed, yet he hadn't added humor however. "You have to entertain in order to educate," he explained. I have believed of his comment several occasions.
Adding humor to a talk can be difficult Since humor varies from area to area. I'm initially from Extended Island, New York, and have a New York sense of humor. Would this humor appeal to my audience? The only way to know was to add some funny stories and give the talk.
Initially, I brainstormed on prospective stories I could inform. Second, I produced confident the stories match the points I was generating. Third, I reviewed the words I would use to inform the stories -- action verbs, uncommon word possibilities, and some of my favored words. Fourth and ultimately, I practiced the talk with the stories and determined if the stories added power.
As Edward P. Bailey, Jr. writes in his book, A Sensible Guide for Small business Speaking, boosting the speaker's power can boost audience power. "Just act inside your own character," he advises, and how you behave then you seriously care.
The 1st time I gave the talk I gave it to a group of grief pros. They loved the stories and laughed when I hoped they would. The subsequent time I gave the talk I shorted 1 story and impulsively added a different. Once more, the audience members "got" my humor and the stories lightened the mood. Humor can not be added to all of your talks, yet I believe it can be added to most.
Humorous stories make you -- the speaker -- true and memorable.
Copyright 2013 by Harriet Hodgson
http://www.harriethodgson.com
Harriet Hodgson has been a freelancer for 35+ years and is the author of 33 published books, like eight grief sources. Her most up-to-date releases are "Enable! I am Raising My Grandkids" and "Delighted Once more! Your New and Meaningful Life After Loss.' She has offered presentations at nearby and national conferences. Please pay a visit to her site and find out far more about this busy author and grandmother.
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