How to be Funnier...

Lots of people want to be funny. It’s fun. And a learnable skill. Funny is likable when it’s RELATABLE, not that person who won’t give up the mic. You know who I mean!

What most people really want (I tell you what they want, what they really really want..) in my experience is?

• Being BOLDER!
• Influence?
• Being heard
• Status
• Connection
• Memorability

When I use jokes, I test those on comedy stages first way before I use them in business.

Comedy is way more than jokes. Think Connection, Not Comedy.

I also know it can be scary for some folks. I hear that. I was scared, too. I planted some bombs as I learned and grew. You bet. Every comic does. That's how we learn. I spent almost 25 years on comedy stages doing stand-up, writing and performing sketch (Second City LA and beyond) and improv. All of it teaches you so much.

You don’t have to work that hard unless you want to. Comedy > jokes.

I’ve had executives want to be funny and ask me for advice. What most (a few exceptions I won't mention!) want is relatability and connection.

CONNECTION OVER COMEDY

This is a quick and doable mindshift.

HUMOR isn't being funny. If you can laugh, you have a sense of humor.?

Funny, well, that is a bit different because we are TRYING to make people laugh.

It’s thinking, seeing differently and being willing to test, fail and iterate. It’s doable.

I think the healthy REFRAME for most people in business isn’t ‘how to be funny’ - it’s how to be FUNNIER AND CONNECT. With just a little brand and mindshift botox…

If you still want to be funny, do comedy. Absolutely. It will grow you. It’s one of the best things you can do for your ability to speak up, be in the moment, connect and really get to know your voice. It’s magical.

HOW? FOCUS ON TRUTH OVER TRYING HARD

If jokes make you nervous and not in a ‘hell yes’ way, take heart. I got you. Here’s how to think differently to be FUNNIER now:

• Tell stories. Great comedy IS storytelling. What are jokes? Mini stories because they contain truth and a powerful point of view. And those stories can have funny moments.

When you share stories that are a bit vulnerable, relatable and unexpected, you connect AND make people laugh. And yes, if it’s high stakes, you still gotta practice. Great news - everyone can do it. Making them laugh is wonderful; making connections is everything.?

How do we make those stories better: see the following below…

• Heighten. Draw contrasts (incongruities), use metaphors and analogies, exaggerate. Find a way to increase stakes. Emotional stakes draw people in.

Example: I tell a story about overcoming my fear of climbing a 13’ wall in the improv set at my theater years ago. I tried once and chicken out. I tried again, and settled for just going through the window in the set because it was only 5’ off the ground. Finally, I got the courage to go over the wall (ladder in the back of the set) and my supportive teammates caught me, right? (pause). Nope. I fell on my butt. HARD. My ego was bruised way more than my as$. I sat stunned, finally got up and said, “I’m ok!” The audience clapped. They loved it. As for me, I didn’t stick the landing, yet I did something more important: I met my fear head on and it stopped being scary. Landings don’t have to be perfect to be transformative.

• Listen and be in the moment. Add on to what is being said by others. A ‘yes and’ witty comment that moves others’ ideas forward. Great humor happens when we listen and add on. You can heighten anyone’s comments or stories appropriately by listening. In improv, the best performers are those who listen, hear the “offer” and add on to move it forward.
• Surprise them. The unexpected in stories, presentations, walking around, engaging your audience and allowing them to participate? keeps people at the edge of their seats and paying attention.?

• Use callbacks. Callbacks are when we refer to earlier bits that already happened.

• Say the truth in the moment. You feel awkward, nervous, etc. Tell us how you felt in key moments or in the present. Take us to that place you were in or are now. These are so refreshingly relatable. Sometimes the truth is, “I don’t know what to say,” and that REALNESS connects you to your audience and elicits laughter: “Wow, she SAID it! ME TOO!” A little vulnerability - you don’t have to say everything - can be the most relatable.?

Be the person who makes people feel laughter, lighter and that they’re funnier too and changes the dynamics in the room. That’s where great things happen. There are many ways to be funny in business. If it comes at the expense of others, it's not worth it.