Adding Humor to Your Keynote: Tips for Speakers Who Don’t Consider Themselves Funny

Incorporating humor into your keynote can transform your presentation, making it more engaging and memorable. But what if you don’t consider yourself a naturally funny person? Do panic—humor is a skill that can be developed with the right techniques and mindset. Here are some strategies to help you add humor to your keynote, even if you don’t think you’re funny.

1. Know Your Audience: Understanding your audience is the cornerstone of a great keynote, especially when incorporating effective humor. Tailor your jokes and anecdotes to fit their industry, roles, interests, demographics, and cultural background. This ensures your humor resonates and avoids potential missteps that could alienate or offend. Conduct thorough research by having a pre-event conference call, asking questions during the call, and interviewing a few group members if possible. Gathering information is key to connecting with your audience and making them laugh, as you might even discover some inside humor that can be incorporated into your presentation.

2. Find the Funny in Everyday Life: Humor often comes from relatable, everyday situations. Observe the quirks and absurdities in daily life and use them as material for your presentation. This observational humor can be highly effective because it connects with the audience personally. For example, talk about common experiences like the frustrations of technology or the funny side of commuting.

Nate Bergatze ordering coffee at Starbucks

3. Use Self-Deprecating Humor: Share a humorous personal anecdote or embarrassing moment that reveals your flaws. This makes you more relatable and endearing.?For example, you could poke fun at yourself, like speaker Beth Ziesenis, for being a "super-nerd" or share a funny story about a time you made a mistake.

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4. The Rule of Three: The Rule of Three is a classic comedy principle in which a trio of events, jokes, or phrases is used to create a pattern, with the third element introducing a twist for comedic effect.

“I try to start my day at 5:00 AM with a trip to the gym, a healthy breakfast, and a nap.”??

This structure sets an expectation and then surprises the audience, generating laughter. The Rule of Threes establishes a pattern and then ends with something unexpected?

?5. Callbacks: A callback is a joke that refers back to something mentioned earlier in the presentation. This technique not only reinforces your message but also creates a sense of cohesion and rewards the audience for paying attention. For instance, if you made a joke about a specific event at the beginning of your talk, then referring to it later in your speech may reignite laughter.

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6. Body Language and Facial Expressions: Humor isn’t just about what you say; it’s also about how you say it. Use your body and facial expressions to enhance your comedic delivery. Exaggerated movements, well-timed pauses, and expressive faces can make a joke much funnier. Practice in front of a mirror or record yourself to see how your non-verbal cues can add to your humor. Your face can say it all!

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7. Engage with Stories: Storytelling is a powerful tool for adding humor to your presentation. Share personal anecdotes that are funny and relevant to your message. Make sure your stories have a clear setup. Remember, the longer your set-up, the funnier/better the story better be!

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8. Observe and Adapt: Watch Comedians: Learn from the pros by watching stand-up comedians and humorous speakers. Pay attention to their timing, delivery, and interaction with the audience. Notice how they use pauses, intonation, and physicality to enhance their jokes. Adapt their techniques in a way that feels authentic to you.

Early in my career, I watched the promo for The Ellen Show and started using my body more in my keynotes.

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9. Make Mistakes Work for You: This is my Ace in the hole at a conference. If handled well, mistakes can be a great source of humor. If something goes wrong with the technology, I say, " Is there a Gen Z in the house?" Gets a huge laugh. So, during your presentation, acknowledge the slip-ups, and they will happen, with a light-hearted comment. This shows your audience that you can roll with the punches and adds a human element to your performance. Turning mistakes into humorous moments can endear you to your audience and keep the mood light.

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10.?? Practice and Edit: Test your material. I had a humor mastermind who met face to face once a month, where we tried out our new material. I loved our group, and they helped me bump up stories. This was a critical piece of my growth. In addition, seek out small, friendly audiences (breakfast clubs and such) and refine your material based on their reactions. Listen for house laughs and keep that material in your program. Editing and honing your jokes is crucial for a polished performance.

Adding humor to your keynote doesn’t require being a stand-up comedian. By understanding your audience, finding humor in everyday life, using classic comedy techniques, and learning from experienced humorists, you can make your presentations more engaging and enjoyable. Remember, humor is about connection and relatability—embrace these elements, and your audience will appreciate your efforts to make them laugh.

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