Category: Sales & Marketing

Is there anything worse than a joke that bombs? Or a punch line that misses? Or humor that the speaker gets, but the audience doesn’t? Whew! The rewards are great, but the stakes are high when it comes to using humor successfully in presentations.

We have already looked at why to use humor, and when to use humor in your presentations, now let’s take a look at how you can use humor successfully.

What not to do:

• Don’t force it. If you try too hard, or work too hard at putting humor into your presentation, you may appear frivolous or desperate. Humor is always best when it seems spontaneous.
• Don’t tell jokes. In almost every joke, there is a butt of the joke. No one wants to be the butt of the joke, and many people find it uncomfortable to be in the situation of laughing when there is a chance that someone is going to look bad. Think of all the “dumb blond” jokes. Even if you happen to be blond, there is always a victim in those jokes. (How do the other blonds in the room feel about it?)
• Don’t laugh at anyone. Funny things happen all around us. But I always worry that if I tell a story about how dumb that other driver was, someone is going to be offended. My worst nightmare: you were the other driver and I just told a story at your expense. Not funny!
• Don’t use any humor you wouldn’t tell your grandmother. If it contains innuendo or language that wouldn’t be appropriate in church, think twice. Better yet, just don’t go there. This is a business presentation, not a comedy club.
• Don’t build it up too much. “Oh, I have the funniest joke – you are going to love this one…” is to me a set-up for disaster. Much better to slip it in unannounced and unanticipated. That is part of the fun of humor.
• Don’t laugh at your own joke. OK, maybe you can smile, but don’t crack yourself up. Especially if you audience isn’t finding it all that funny anyway. Keep the presentation moving, and if the audience gets a chuckle, pause and let the moment unfold naturally.

What to do:

• Find the natural humor. Funny things do happen. Words get twisted in funny ways. Unexpected outcomes make us laugh. As long as you aren’t laughing at anyone or any group, these natural expressions of surprise and humor are more likely to work.
• Soft pedal the humor. Don’t force it, but let it float to your audience. If they find it humorous, great. If they don’t, you have already moved on. You’re not waiting for the big laugh; you are happy with a chuckle or a smile.
• Find your own humor style. Your humor style might be that of a natural storyteller, or that of a physically humorous person (think Lucille Ball and her faces or Robin Williams with his whole-body humor) or a witty word-twister. You might find that unexpected gem of humor no one else can see. Or maybe you have just the right words to make people laugh and relax in a tense situation. You might even be the person who brings the best cartoons to share. Look for your own natural, comfortable style, and try it out in appropriate ways.
• Laugh together. The best laughter is when we all “get it” and we share a laugh together. No one gets hurt. No one works too hard at it. This kind of humor bonds us, and is priceless. Have a light attitude, be open to humor, and be sure no one gets hurt. Laughter happens.

How do you use humor in presentations? Does it have a place in your organization? In your presentations? How do you make sure it is appropriate and adds value in business presentations?

To make it easier for some users to remember and/or to have access to pertinent information quickly, Ready Reference Sheets are created. Ready Reference Sheets are a useful collection of convenient and relevant information on a sheet of paper, a single page of a document, or on a card. They can contain anything from a brief overview of a program, a brief description of various functions, to just quick ways to accomplish a task. There is a gamut of uses for them.

Ready Reference Sheets can contain a list of items or functions that a program can perform, or a list of necessary instructions to accomplice a task. Each sheet can contain:

• a chart of function keys and their purpose,
• a quick set of instructions to perform a particular task,
• a list of required definitions or reserved names,
• a list of codes/embedded commands necessary to initiate a process, or
• a list of functions that shouldn’t be used for a program.

For the developers, it can list:

• the type of packages, procedures, and functions that can be used,
• unacceptable codes/references,
• codes used for certain projects,
• where certain project codes should be backed up and stored,
• system backup requirements,
• authorizations, or
• trouble-shooting tasks.

There is an abundance of examples:

• For reports, the reference sheet can list the commands to initiate a report, what errors might indicate, whom to notify, and how to correct certain problems.
• For a department, it might be a listing of available programs, their usage, gaining access, and even an index of cross-reference sheets.
• For a communications package, the quick reference card may contain step-by-step instructions for performing a quick installation.
• For customer service, the reference sheet might contain scenarios that are encountered and how to respond or where to refer the customer to next.
• For a quick style guide reference, the sheet can contain universal formatting styles, information required for each document, storage information, accessibility, and privileges.

The creation of Ready Reference Sheets depends on the need, demand, and usefulness for them. No matter what a Reference Sheet is created for, be sure it’s pertinent to the users. Ready Reference sheets are generally one page in length front and back and in some cases 2 pages (front and back) but really no more than 2 sheets of paper. If using cards, limit information as much as possible per card.

If you have used Ready Reference Sheets or cards for presenting information, and would like to share some ideas for them, please leave a comment.

In a recent post we talked about humor. In some organizations, humor and presentations don’t go together. It is seen as too risky. In others, it is practically required. Today let’s talk about when to use humor, so we can make better choices about taking the humor risk, and hopefully enjoy the benefits.

• When you are last on the schedule. If you are the last presentation of the day, or the one right before lunch, a lack of humor or energy is deadly. Get people to stand up. Have them introduce one another. Put a cartoon on your slides. Twist your words. Don’t push too hard, but allow humor to happen instead of the same-old-same-old delivery. It won’t take that much to show your audience that you “get it.”
• When your content is dry or boring. I don’t think any content really needs to be dry or boring, but some content has a bad rap for being difficult. This is when humor can shine. Can you use a humorous anecdote that illustrates the complexity (or the simplicity) of the content? A little story that demonstrates people’s reactions to it? Laugh at your acronyms? If you can get even a little chuckle, you can demonstrate that you can tackle this topic with grace and humor.
• When you need to build rapport, fast. Let’s say you are addressing your new team. Or pitching your service in front of a potential new client. Not a good place for a stand-up routine, but if you can say something funny, you will get a better reaction that spouting facts or lecturing for hours.
• When your audience is uptight or unhappy. OK, I didn’t say it would be easy, but if you can pull this one off you’ll look like a genius. I have always found that if I ignore the feelings of the audience, they will dig in deeper. Once I can acknowledge and accept their resistance, much of it dissipates. I have presented to people who have just lost their jobs, once literally during my workshop. We made a little joke about everyone disappearing one by one like an Agatha Christie mystery. Sometimes it is called gallows humor, but it beats crying.
• When you make a mistake. When you say the wrong thing, or the computer dies at your hands and you want to run screaming from the room, your first reaction may not be humor. But a flip comment here may be just the ticket to save you. “OK, that worked really well.” Everyone in the audience has felt awkward and uncomfortable at one time or another. If you can handle that with finesse, they will really be cheering for you.

One of the reasons I always prefer to interact with audiences rather than lecture is that someone is bound to say something funny, and we can all relax. And once your audience relaxes, they are far more likely to accept your message.

Of course, there is a wrong way and a right way to be funny. If you try too hard or say the wrong thing, it not only won’t be funny, but you could offend or antagonize your audience. Next time, some humor do’s and don’ts.

In what situations have you tried using humor in a presentation? How did it work? What advice do you have for others wishing to build their skills to successfully use humor in presentations?

Creating easy to read guides for users is essential for all products to succeed. With any new product, some users are reluctant to change, but if the Technical Writer can provide an easy to read, friendly, and understandable user or training guide, less resistance would be encountered. The user cannot be expected to instinctively know how to operate and use a new product. Even if the product is an updated revised version of an application, the user still needs to know what is new and why it was revised when the existing version seemed fine and workable for them.

Before beginning to write the guide, communicate with and get to know what the users current knowledge is and how they prefer to have documents presented. This way you will know whether or not to use more visuals, charts, figures, etc. The Technical Writer needs to know how the audience learns best.

After meeting with the users and learning and understanding the functionality of the, e.g., application, the Technical Writer can now begin to write the User Guide. If the User Guide is about how to run an application, include:

• Table of Contents
• Information on the product; include a bit of history
• How to operate, install, log-on, use the program
• What prompts to expect, information required, error messages
• Getting help with an FAQ section if applicable
• Trouble-shooting section
• Glossary
• Appendix with samples if needed
• Feedback section

If it is a revamped application, with a new interface, menu, etc, then in addition to the above, include:

• Pictures of the old version versus the new so that a comparison is easily visible
• Information on new processes, i.e., how to add/remove data to/from the forms or how to reset headings for a report, or how to use the new print or search procedures
• Symbols or other markers denoting new items with details

To make the User Guide more appealing and to emphasize details, include visuals such as, graphics, process flow diagrams, charts, screen shots, or images. Also, use storyboard or animation tools to aid in displaying the flow of the application or the steps leading to its functionality. If it is a complicated application or a new process, consider creating a video or presenting an instructor-led class to illustrate and provide information. Sometimes a short one sheet reference guide is all that is needed.

Note: Sometimes there is a cross-over between User guides and Training Manuals. But there is a difference between them. A Training Manual is usually provided during instructor-led classes, where the instructor can demonstrate, e.g., certain tasks. The student can then use the manual to reinforce what was taught by working through a set of exercises. Solutions would be provided as well as explanations. A quiz would also be presented at the end of each chapter/section along with explanations to help guide the student during the learning process. But no matter which one is written, the content would also include items similar to the standard User Guide discussed here.

More information on Ready Reference Sheets will be described in the next post. If you have any questions, or feel I’ve left out information or wish more information on an item, please leave a comment.

Isn’t humor great? Doesn’t it feel good to laugh? And aren’t presentations with a little humor mixed in a lot of fun?

Of course, humor is great when it works, but what happens when you try to add a little humor in your presentations, and it just doesn’t fly? Not so fun, not so good.
Not too long ago I was working with a small group on their presentation skills, and we began talking about humor in presentations. The client quickly pulled me aside and said “Gail, we don’t encourage humor in our presentations around here. We find it way too risky.”

It got me thinking. If humor is so great when it works, and so bad when it doesn’t, maybe we need to learn a bit more about humor so we can decide when and how to use it, and how much of a risk we want to take.
Today let’s focus on why you might want to use humor. In future posts I will discuss the when and the how of using humor in your presentations, and finally, what not to do in using humor. My hope is that you might make wise choices in trying a little humor when appropriate in your presentations.

So why should you consider the use of humor, despite the risks?

• Humor can relax the audience – and us. One of the outcomes of laughter is a sense of release. If you are feeling stressed, or your audience is worried or distracted, good humor can be cathartic to everyone.

• Humor can build bridges. Once we have laughed together, we feel more like friends. We broke the ice. We are on the same side. Once we have laughed together, the audience is vested in your success, and you may feel and respond to that support.

• Humor can make us stand out from the crowd. When we spend all day in meetings and listening to webinars and speakers, one who makes you laugh feels like magic. Laughter releases endorphins, and who doesn’t need that in the midst of the workday.

• Humor can create and maintain interest. If you are a speaker who occasionally injects some humor, I am going to stay tuned in so I don’t miss the next one. I actually listen to you with anticipation.

• Humor can make us better speakers. When we see the smiling faces of our audience, and feel the release that laughter brings, and the feel-good chemicals start coursing through our bodies, we can feel more comfortable and confident. We think faster, speak with more authority, and stay in the present moment. No more worry, fear, or trying to remember our lines; we just communicate.

It’s all good. If the humor helps the audience relax and relate to us, and brings us closer together, then all is well and using humor was a wise choice. Of course, when it all goes badly, we get a different outcome. More on that next time.

How do you use humor in presentations? Is it OK to use humor in your culture? Has it ever backfired on you? What kinds of humor seem to work best? What advice would you give new or inexperienced presenters?