Relatively Speaking about Finding the Humor

By Karen Cortell Reisman November 12, 2008

When you make people laugh, they listen. When they listen, they remember you and what you’ve said. That makes you a communication genius.

Before you say, “I am NOT funny,” think about all of the “tragedies” that have befallen you, that you now tell while laughing.

In my seminars I ask people to tell their humorous stories. A dental hygienist tilted the dental chair so far back that the patient lost his toupee. It landed on the dentist’s arm. He jerked his arm forward and the toupee hopped right back into its proper place.

A client went to the other gender’s bathroom and did not realize this until he began to wash his hands.

Another speaker commented to her audience, “Wow…my speech has ended, it’s past 5:00 in the afternoon, and you’re still here asking questions.” She was impressed with herself until an attendee admitted, “This is the auditorium where the raffle prizes are being called out at 5:30!”

In each of these stories, the humor-induced calamity can help make a point. With the toupee, everyone was able to laugh, and the patient became a lifelong client. Ending up in the wrong bathroom allowed this client an entree into a presentation about how to handle uncomfortable moments. The speaker with the raffle-bound audience uses this story as a lesson on how to stay humble.

The safest person to poke fun at is you. Self-deprecating humor humanizes you and allows your listener to see you as a fellow, imperfect human being. Your challenge is to sprinkle your personal humor thoughtfully. You want to establish credibility without appearing the total fool.

Humor is tragedy, plus time. Often, it takes some distance for a painful moment to ferment into a laughing matter.

Write down what has made you laugh.
Add an epilogue answering these questions:

• What have I learned from this calamity?
• How can I use this situation to enforce a point?

Humor is finding the funny stuff and figuring out how it can relate to your speech, your proposal, your plan, or your work.

Your Speak For Yourself® Challenge:
Add everyday humor into your conversations. It releases stress, involves the listener (everyone is laughing), and helps burn your message into the recipient’s brain.

Karen Cortell Reisman is President of Speak For Yourself®
www.speakforyourself.com
Copyright 2008

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