Humour can be a valuable tool for effective communication.

Why?
– keeps audience’s attention.
– emphasizes certain points for easy retention.
– regains control of the meeting after a disturbance.
– makes facts more palatable.
– polarizes the audience and promotes a sense of unity.

What?
– exaggeration.
– understatement.
– faulty definition.
– play on words or pun.
– parody.
– deliberate misunderstanding.
– surprise twist.

When?
– opening, to draw in audience and help them relax.
– body, to underline a point or lighten the mood.
– conclusion, to help audience remember your message.

How?
– review your speech to find where a relevant joke will strengthen the speech.
– conclude a story with a humorous twist.
– establish rapport with the audience with self-deprecating humour.
– avoid offensive remarks such as ethnic or sexist references.
– pause before delivering the punch line for maximum impact.
– rehearse the jokes so the humour sounds natural, not forced.