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Humor is one of the most effective tools in any type of communication鈥攊t builds rapport and trust, boosts engagement, and relieves boredom. If you鈥檙e presenting a serious topic, adding a joke lightens the mood and helps audiences relax and lean into the message.
But using humor successfully is a skill that often doesn鈥檛 come naturally. This is where 91传媒 can help. If your club wants to provide more opportunities for members to hone their funny bone, add a Jokemaster to your meeting roster.
The Jokemaster role benefits not only the person telling the joke but the other members as well. It鈥檚 not only a fun learning opportunity, but it also livens up meetings, and provides an additional speaking role. My club has incorporated the role for years, and I鈥檝e seen the difference it can make.
The skills needed to tell a joke successfully often feel intimidating. How many times have you heard someone tell a joke and then completely fumble the punch line? Have you ever cringed when someone asked, 鈥淒oes anyone know a good joke?鈥� knowing that either you or the other person is likely to embarrass themselves?
Think of telling a joke like giving a short speech. Both require using carefully chosen words and expressions (and remembering them!), as well as vocal variety, gestures, and of course, perfect timing.
Knowing how to tell a joke doesn鈥檛 mean you鈥檙e aspiring to be a stand-up comedian鈥攁lthough perhaps you will find you have that talent. Here are some ideas to keep in mind when you practice telling a joke at your club, or anywhere:
Know your audience. Like any other presentation, before selecting your joke, consider your audience. 91传媒, like the workplace, is not the place for off-color selections and language. Keep it clean and inoffensive.
The Jokemaster role is not only a fun learning opportunity that livens up meetings, it also provides an additional speaking role. Keep it simple. Few people can pull off telling a long, complicated story with a funny ending. Unless you鈥檙e a professional, you鈥檒l lose people and deliver an anti-climactic ending. Until you have more experience, stick with a short dialogue that鈥檚 easy for your audience to follow.
Personalize if possible. Let鈥檚 say your club includes a member who is a lawyer. If they are a good sport, incorporate their name into the joke. It鈥檚 easy to hook your audience into thinking you鈥檙e telling a real story 鈥� until you get to a ridiculous ending. That surprise element at the end makes the joke even funnier.
For instance, a joke might start with 鈥淎 group of lawyers were having lunch 鈥︹�� You could adapt it by saying, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how many of you heard what happened to John recently, but he and some of his lawyer friends were having lunch when 鈥︹�� You鈥檝e immediately grabbed the attention of all the members who know him. They know you are telling a joke, and suddenly they feel privy to a funny and perhaps embarrassing story about John. You continue to reel them in and then finish with a strong punch line that makes them realize the story was all a buildup.
Be sure to rehearse the punch line. Your joke-telling success rests in the delivery of those last words. This is especially true if the ending is complicated or a tongue twister and easily confused.
Being able to tell a joke and then receive a genuine positive reaction via smiles and laughter is a terrific feeling for anyone who has ever said, 鈥淥h, I could never tell a joke.鈥�
One of our past Club Presidents was always afraid to sign up as Jokemaster and only did so reluctantly when no one else came forward. After a few years of this, she had to speak at a Division club officer training session. She stood onstage holding a microphone and successfully told a joke to nearly 100 attendees.
Her obvious pride at realizing she had overcome one of her biggest fears made those of us at her club who knew her struggle ecstatic. That year, she was our club contestant in the Area Humorous Speech Contest.
Taking on the Jokemaster role requires preparation and practice. If you add it to your meeting role roster, provide expectations of what is required. Having someone sign up for the role and then read internet jokes is a waste of meeting time, and a missed learning opportunity. Nip that in the bud! The fine skill of joke-telling is no joke.
If you鈥檇 like to add humor to your speeches or presentations but aren鈥檛 comfortable or don鈥檛 know how, a Jokemaster role is a great way to start small. The laughter that follows will tell you if you鈥檙e successful.
While many 91传媒 recommend that members have a 鈥渟peech in their pocket,鈥� all of us could have a 鈥渏oke in our pocket,鈥� not just for club meetings but to surprise people the next time someone asks, 鈥淒oes anyone have a joke?鈥� You might surprise yourself when you raise your hand!
Editor's Note: If the Jokemaster role inspires you, consider the
Practice Those Jokes
Successful Jokesters
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Phyllis May, DTM, Ph.D. is a member of Key West 91传媒 in Key West, Florida. A Toastmaster since 1999, she has earned 3 DTMs, held numerous District leadership positions, and been recognized as District 47 Toastmaster of the Year. She is a retired educator who has since written two books.
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