Susan de la Vergne

Participants in my Effective Technical Presentations class often ask about using humor in presentations. “Is humor a good idea?” they ask. “Should I tell a joke? Does being funny seem stupid? Does it detract from my material?”

First of all, there is all kinds of empirical evidence that humor is an effective way to penetrate information. Humor is energizing, and energized audiences are listening to you and absorbing what you say. That is, of course, what you want!

Secondly, if your information is solid (accurate, complete, informed, credible), then there’s no way using humor will detract from your message. Humor simply helps it along.

Unfortunately, at least in terms of answering this question, there’s no formula for humor. How humor plays out has a lot to do with personality and personal experience, so what works for me may not work for you at all. You have to experiment with it and see what works, and you must practice it as you prepare your presentation. That said, there are still some basics about humor you can think of adopting.

1) Do something or say something unexpected or out of context. If you’re presenting a test plan for a new system, you could at some point say:

“This next test case will try out the new productivity feature. When users linger too long on a particular screen, the system will zap an electric shock through the keyboard directly to the user, reminding them it’s time to move along.” And then when everyone looks at you like you’re crazy, say “Just kidding. I was making sure you’re still with me!”

2) Do or say something preposterous – and do it with a completely straight face, like you’re absolutely serious. To a staff meeting of cell phone design engineers, you could say:

“Now that the current administration in Washington, D.C., has outlawed wireless technology, those of us who optimize cell phone communications will have a lot more time on our hands!” Then smile.

3) Take a conventional practice and use it unconventionally. For example, take a famous title or a common phrase and insert a different word, or something the opposite of what’s expected: “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Software Testers.” Habit #1: Cultivate your naturally destructive instincts.

4) Use a joke to set up an analogy.

“A blonde and a brunette were standing on opposite sides of a river. The brunette calls out, ‘Hey how do I get to the other side of the river?’ and the blonde answers ‘You’re already on the other side of the river!’”

After the “ha ha ha,” you say “Does it ever seem like we’re missing the incredibly obvious point?”

A note about joke telling: If you include a joke, practice telling it, and keep it as brief as possible without omitting any relevant details. The best joke-tellers keep it very lean – no extra sentences, no extraneous details. You wouldn’t say: “There was a rushing river dividing a deep canyon. There were two women, one on each side of the river, and one was blonde and one was brunette …”

No. You’d say, “A blonde and a brunette were standing on opposite sides of a river.” That’s all you need to set it up.

Also - keep it moving. No “ums” and “uhs” because once people know a punch line is coming, they want you to get there ASAP.

5) Last, but probably most important – listen for and look for stories in real life that are funny. They’re all over the place. Then link them to something you want to communicate. Listen to children try to talk to each other about something abstract (which is usually hysterical) and then think about how that compares to a miscommunication about something abstract or complex that you’re trying to clear up. You could start the conversation by giving the kids’ perspective by saying, perhaps:

“I’m in a brand new Whole Foods Market the other day where they’d installed a decorative waterfall in the vitamin section. A little girl, about five years old, is pointing out the waterfall to her little three-year-old brother, who is sitting in his stroller.

‘Look, Lucas, see the waterfall? The water is running down all over the rocks.’

‘Why is it there?’ Lucas asks, profoundly.

The little girl isn’t fazed by the question. She gestures grandly at the waterfall and answers him:

‘Some things are just there, Lucas, that’s all. They’re there and you know that they are and you don’t ask why.’”

And then you link that story to explaining a fact of life, even a hard reality, that you simply have to accept.
 

The world is full of humor – naturally – that you can mine and use in your presentations. Just remember when you do to keep it brief and make it relevant to your point, either as a direct example or as an analogy or comparison.

Humor is certainly is something you can – and should – use to help make your material memorable. You have to be willing to try it out, though, and see what works for you.

One more thing: Despite what you may have heard, it is okay to laugh at your own jokes. If people aren’t sure whether or not to laugh, they’ll pick up a cue from you if you’re laughing.