How to Tell Jokes: Top Ten Tips
by Luke Daniels
Jokes are usually short stories or a short series of words spoken or communicated with the intent of being found humorous laughed at by the reader or listener. Most jokes contain two portions: the joke setup and the punch line. There is generally a sense of irony between the joke and the punch line which provides the irony to elicit laughter from an audience. When a joke fails to elicit the intended laughter from an audience a person's delivery of the joke is usually at fault. Telling a joke or humorous story can be intimidating at times. Below I have outlined ten tips to increase the chances of success for your joke. If you follow these tips on how to tell jokes you should have audiences roaring in no time.
1) Create a joke or story pool: This is helpful to have since you never know when a situation might arise that calls for good joke or story. One-liners are the best to have and witty comments can be inserted in a number of situations. Start your joke pool.
2) Understand your audience: The jokes you tell to your friends will be different from the ones you tell at your corporate office. (or they should be)
3) Consider the time of day: Refrain from telling jokes in the mornings. People are not conditioned to laugh a lot in the early mornings. Many might not even be completely awake.
4) Avoid sexist, racist or ethnic, and religious humor: This could offend individuals or provoke your audience. It can also destroy your credibility. Plus, it's just not funny!
5) Make eye contact with your listeners: This keeps them engaged and feeling involved in the speech, joke, or story.
6) Smile throughout your presentation: Smiling is infectious and will encourage others to break a smile and laugh.
7) Be energetic and upbeat as you are telling the joke or story: This will make your stories or jokes more interesting and captivate your audience
8) Don't laugh before the punch line! This wrecks your timing and ruins everything!
9) Keep track of your timing and make sure everything flows: Also keep jokes and stories short with a three minute maximum.
10) Don't worry about messing up: Not every joke you tell will always elicit laughter. Just laugh it off or simply ignore the lack of response. Whatever you do don't keep telling jokes trying to get your audience to laugh. This comes off as desperate and pathetic.
Now that I have given you ten tips about how to tell jokes get out there and find an audience!
