Humor Demystified: How (and why) to make every speech funnier

From toasts, to keynotes, to everything between, a little humor goes a long way. It can connect the speaker to the audience, deflect a controversy, emphasize a point, or add a little levity to a speech that sorely needs it. Of course, comedy can intimidate—but if you understand the unique, important role humor plays in a speech, as well as the fundamentals of joke-writing, even the most serious speakers (and speechwriters) can expertly wield killer one-liners.

Key Highlights:

• Identify the benefits of adding humor to traditional speeches
• Highlight examples from business and politics to strategically deploy humor in your writing
• Draw on current events for topical source material so your humor is relevant and timely
• Employ joke constructions that fit any presentation
• Use the philosophy of improvisation to quickly write jokes for any occasion