A recent BBC article explored the science of laughter – finding that humans engage in the activity 7 times per 10 minutes of talking with others. Although it may not seem like a definite process, we laugh for fairly specific reasons; chief of which is related to our social bonding efforts. There is a magnificent beauty within laughter. It is controlled by an ancient brain system responsible for intense emotions. If you are an adult, chances are you laugh out loud approximately 17 times a day.
If you are a presenter, we challenge you to be responsible for at least ¼ of those laughs on the day of your presentation. Here are 3 ways to evoke laughter in your presentations as supported by various studies and research:
Competitor comparison
In “Humor in the Advertising Business: Theory, Practice, and Wit,” author Fred K. Beard revealed that satire is best utilized when comparing products and services. Why? Because it encourages audiences to recall and comprehend whatever message they are receiving from the content. To take this tactic one step further, convey subjective messages over objective messages. Humor like this is best implemented for the pursuit of emotional responses instead of logical responses, according to Fred.
Presentation Tip:
In your presentations, you can jump out on a limb and go on the offensive with your competitors. Use satire in your presentation to illustrate the differences between your product or service and others available on the market.
Call to action alignment
Ads with humor aimed towards inducing feelings of positivity will, by themselves, lack the influence necessary to entice consumers. According to Wayne D. Hoyer and Deborah J. MacInnis, authors of Consumer Behavior, if an ad can be humorous and align with the call to action it will help audiences remember and recall the brand and its message.
Presentation Tip:
A simple, yet compelling storytelling strategy to create fluidity in your inclusion of humor with your call to action involves beginning with a story. However, you’ll want to refrain from telling the end to that story until the end of your presentations. The ending should be humorous and tie together all of the main points you discussed in the middle of your deck.
Favorable audience perception
The use of humor in general is capable of affecting your audience’s view of you as a presenter and as a person. An article in Psychology Today says bonding humor is one of the most effective humor styles when it comes to putting off good vibes in a social setting. Here’s what author of the article, Louise Dobson, said of individuals adept at bonding humor:
“These are the people who give humor a good name. They’re perceived as warm, down-to-earth and kind, good at reducing the tension in uncomfortable situations and able to laugh at their own faults.”
Source: What’s Your Humor Style?
Presentation Tip:
Begin your presentation with a personal story – whether it is recent or a past experience – to inject a humorous element from the get-go. Maybe even consider establishing a stream of consciousness approach where you start your talk in a seemingly incomprehensible manner. Then, stop abruptly and return to sensible speech. Connect this to your presentation message in a way you see fit. You’ve likely grabbed the audience’s attention and conveyed a point through action instead of slides with text and imagery.
Humor is a powerful tool with the ability to make or break your presentation. So ensure you are using it wisely and appropriately. Does the use of humor match the intended tone for your content? If not, you shouldn’t incorporate it. Or you should use it sparingly. For more discussion about humor and its impact on presentations, check out the resources below:
Why You Should Add Humor to Your Business Presentations
Psychology + Laughs: An Analysis of Tim Urban’s “Inside The Mind of a Master Procrastinator”
Storytelling Lessons from Brian Little’s “The puzzle of personality”
