Using humour

In a recent article, a man wrote how he had agreed to give some lectures on art, and was asked to include some humour. As he isn't a funny man, he decided to take a course in comedy. Over the course, he learnt about the different types of humour, and how to be funny. And his conclusion? "I will never resort to Powerpoint in a lecture again. I will always talk to, and not at, audiences."

Many presentations fail because they do not connect with the audience and humour is one way of finding a connection. (See our article on presentation skills for more advice on planning a presentation.) If you think your presentations are dry and boring, try these six golden rules for being funny:

1. Be interested in your audience and engage with them.

2. Know which "persona" to adopt: high status, low status, or the friend of the audience.

3. Tell stories.

4. Connect your stories to everyday or topical themes.

5. Be concise.

6. Be courageous: it's scary to be "on stage".