How About Stories

Be sure that the story you tell fits the subject of your speech. Don’t drag out your story, reduce your words to bare essentials. Don’t tell about a “standing” joke; the poor thing’s probably tired from all that standing and should take a rest. Try to serve strictly fresh laid jokes. Don’t say that you’re going to spring a joke and that the audience “will die laughing” at this one. That’s a challenge and some of them would rather choke than give in!

Humor may assume many forms but the essentials are a sense of the ridiculous and a man’s ability to poke fun at himself. The best story-starters implant anticipation, participation, curiosity, or an “I’ll let you in on the dirt” feeling. These openers have proven ear appeal:

“No one will talk about it for publication, but . . .”
“When I was a boy and the West was still rough and
tough . . .”
“There’s no official record of this event, yet. . .”
“If your memory is good you’ll recall . . .”
“Once upon a by-gone time . . .”
“Remember when . . .”
“There once was a gal who, due to mortal shortcomings,
fell for . . .”
“Not once in the years  I’ve travelled the  LaSalle  St.
Canyon do I recall . . .”

Don’t try to milk a good joke for more than one laugh, or be the man who remembers every minute detail until the punch line when he has to ask, “Now . . . how did that go?” And don’t be the guy who uses one dialect for every nationality, nor the chap who laughs so hard at the end of his yarn that nobody hears the point.
And again, keep your humor close to the subject.

Tags: public speaking

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