Presentation Skills
Articles for Speakers

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How to Make a Point with Humor

Tom Antion
Washington, D.C.

One of the old saws of public speaking says that you should "Tell
em what you're gonna tell em. Tell em. Then tell em what you
told em." When you want to make a point during your
presentation, you can use a similar formula. You tell em the
point, illustrate the point, then tell em the point again. This
formula, however, can seem boring and redundant if you don't
spice it up a little. One way to do it is to use humor. Here's
the formula:

1. Make your point.

2. Illustrate your point (in our case with a humorous two-liner,
but you could use props, humorous props, funny stories, serious
stories, case studies, etc.)

3. Restate your point.

Here's an example where your point is "The Importance of
Communication."


1. First make your point by saying, Accurate and clear
communication is an important part of our everyday lives.

2. Then illustrate your point. In this case use a humorous two-liner. It's like the student pilot who was
asked over the radio
to state his altitude and location. He said, "I'm five feet nine
and I'm in the left seat."

3. Then restate your point in a slightly different manner by
saying, You can see how what we may think is clear communication
could be interpreted incorrectly especially when people are under
pressure.

Next issue learn about the importance of a sound, sound system.

"This book gives you advanced presentations skills and humor
training that would otherwise take you years to learn. It's an
absolute must-read for anyone who wants to be a fantastic
presenter."

Patricia Fripp, Past president & first woman
president of the National Speakers Association

Note: This article is part of an eleven part series excerpted from
Tom Antion's new book, Wake em Up: How to Use Humor and Other
Professional Techniques to Create Alarmingly Good Business
Presentations. Anchor Publishing, 336 page softcover, $24.95 +
$4.00 S&H, (800) 448-6280 x 1 or FAX to (757) 431-2050 To Order Click Here