One of the best ways to connect with an audience is to make a relatable joke right in the moment. But how? Well, the problem most people have is that they don’t pay attention to what’s going on around them right before they speak – they’re too busy going over their own lines or focusing on not tripping on the steps. But what you should be doing is focusing on the present and being in the moment (hey, if you don’t know your stuff before you go on, it’s a little late anyway!). At a recent fundraiser in Wisconsin, the woman introducing me was having a lot of fun with my intro, which was great. At one point she said that we should get ready to laugh by pursing our lips as if we’re kissing the person next to us. . .and in fact we can do that if we wish. Had I not been listening and looking around, I would’ve missed a great opportunity. INSTEAD, I looked around me and realized that I was sitting next to HER HUSBAND! Great opening line. . .”thanks for that introduction and encouragement to kiss the person next to us. It was a little awkward for me as I was sitting next to Susan’s husband.” It got a great laugh and I was off to the races with a fun show. I’ve taken advantage of many great, last minute opportunities for humor by simply being present. . .from the group who gave their boss an award by saying “she’s the most honest person in our company” (my response: “hey lady, did you realize your employees just admitted they’re not that trustworthy??”), to the comedian in the comedy club who ended his incredibly dirty act by doing some obscene things to the bar stool (my response: I got on stage, looked at the stool. Looked at the audience and said “and I was gonna sit on that!”)
Humor is all around you, but it’s easy to miss if you’re not focusing!
Jan