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Can you, and should you, attempt to add humor to a presentation? This is one of those topics which really divides opinion, with those who say yes arguing it brings a needed lightness of touch to an otherwise serious topic, whilst those who say no arguing it detracts from the message, and worse, clan be punter-productive if and when jokes go wrong. This article will help you decide for yourself.

The short answer to this question is… It depends. It depends whether you can do humor or not. I believe it is less about whether the topic merits humor, or the client will accept it, and far more about how you plan to include humour in your presentation.

Most of us have experience of a joke not working. Whether us, or someone else, the silence that follows when a joke fails to “land” can be a deafening experience. Often though a joke working or not working is more down to how it is used in the context of the presentation. There also exists in some people a morbid worry about whether or not a joke is appropriate in a working situation..

Here are some pointers. First regarding where you use humor. Many speakers are of the view that they should “start with a joke”. I think this is a dangerous idea, unless you really do know what you are doing with making people laugh. I often use very gentle jokes early on in a presentation because it is something I am very comfortable with, and because I am guaging the level and reactions of the audience. The problem with trying out your one funny line at the beginning is that no one, not you and not the audience, really knows what to expect from you. If the joke doesn’t work you maybe lose a little confidence, which then doesn’t help your presentation. If you have ever seen someone tell a joke early on and get zero response, before nervously continuing, you will know what I mean.

Instead I like to use humor throughout the presentation, safe in the knowledge that not all jokes work. What is very funny one day seems not to work another day. I have certain “lines” I use in key moments which cuts down the number of times that I fail to get a laugh, because they a well tested moments. As one builds a number of these so confidence to try other funny lines increases because if something new doesn’t work, there are always well proven lines.

I have referred to using humor as “lines” rather than jokes, and this may need explaining. If you try and tell jokes of the “here’s a good one…. What do you get if you cross….” you set yourself up, and getting it wrong is so easy. Instead I want to use punchlines… There is a moment that people realise it’s a joke… Following on from what sounds like a it’s part of the presentation… Which gives several advantages;

The line is not expected, so the laugh tends to be more natural as people “discover” it.
It subtly makes people want to listen more, since your presentation is not as predictable
Crucially… If a line isn’t perceived as funny there is less build up, so less crash down for you.

This means you have to be able to deliver the line correctly. You will have seen the person who can’t wait to tell you the funny joke, which turns out to be not remotely funny. Not what we want to emulate. Instead, the line is “dropped in” casually. One needs to be aware it is there, so if an audience reacts, and we get lots of laughter, great we can pause to allow the laugh, a breathing space and a sip of water. If not, then no damage is done.

All of the above assumes that we agree humor is a good choice in a business presentation. Of course in some situations humor will not be appropriate, but the fact is it will work in many situations, and I have made powerful use of humor in pitch presentations, training sessions, conferences, motivational events and more.

Humor is really powerful since it helps bring a human perspective to the presentation. As people, at work, in many situations we find things funny. Not to allow that simply because it is a presentation does no favours.

Humor also changes the pace of what is happening. It can work astoundingly well immediately following or preceding very serious content. This is a dramatic technique which has been used throughout history…building up tension which is then released with laughter… Or having people in a state of mind when they are relaxed, before presenting them with serious information.

A laugher state is highly conducive to learning. Think about all the things you learnt before you went to school… And now remember how that learning took place… Laughing, smiling, jokes and fun. We can tap into that natural state by allowing humor in our presentations.

Humor helps bring passion to a session. It’s natural and helps people – you included – to be themselves.

Finally well placed self deprecating humor is very good at showing the speaker in a good light. The person who is confident to not only stand and speak in front of others, but also find humor in the situation, is perceived as a a powerful speaker.

Some really quick tips include;

Know the joke, rehearse it like the rest of the presentation, to avoid that getting it wrong thing we’ve all done.
Avoid “in jokes”… Tell a joke that everyone can understand. Many get this wrong and it never works.
Deliver your punchlines. Get a laugh and thats great. If not, continue.
Self-deprecating humor is really powerful.
Humor that comes from your organisations reality is best… “borrowing” comedians jokes is risky, since their style is probably not yours.

Finally remember that humor does not have to be roaring laughs. The fact remains that this is a business presentation. If your first attempts to use humor receive only an occasional smile, thats fine. Too many presentations are dry as dust, so if you can get a couple of people smiling, you’re ahead of the game.

Credit card debt is big problem for the life of common man these days. Before the government of Obama, there was no proper debt negotiating tips to reduce the debt of the consumer. Under the new laws devised by the Federal Trade Commission, debt can be easily negotiated with the assistance of debt negotiating firm. This negotiating process is not possible by a debtor, as debt negotiators can only reduce the debt by significant amount.

The new law passed by the government allows the negotiation under legal terms and conditions. In the past, there were many shady companies due to which consumers were facing lot of problems. This problem has been solved now under the new laws implemented by the Obama. Here are some tips to legally settle the credit card debt.

• The best legal way is to apply for some debt relief networks which are working for free of charges. These relief networks provide you the consultancy and the guidance about the best debt settlement company. The debt relief networks provide you the past performance data about the debt settlement companies.

• In order to negotiate with the creditor to reduce the debt, it is better to hire a negotiating company than to negotiate it with yourself. Debt negotiating firm helps to negotiate with the creditor and reduce the unsecured debts to almost 60 percent.

• There are many fraudulent and shady companies who are still charging an upfront fee. Before selecting a legal debt settlement company, take into account the historical data of the company. If the company is asking for the advance fee, then you should not apply for such company because it must be Fraud Company. Under new laws by the FTC, companies are not permitted to charge any advance fee.

For most of us we will have to make a presentation at least once in our life. This may be in front of 2 or 3 people or it could be an audience of over 500. However, the important thing is not the size of the audience but how effective your presentation is. An effective presentation is one that gets your message across clearly and is understood by the audience. An effective presentation relates to your audience and it ensures they learn something new.

As well as the content of your presentation how you present it will also determine how effective it is. When you begin your presentation follow the tips below to make a good impression.

1. It is normal to be nervous before you give a presentation. Actually it is better to be nervous because you can use that energy to your advantage by giving a more energetic and interesting presentation. Although, it is good to be nervous you have to use it and channel it correctly otherwise, the nerves will get the better of you. The first thing to do is to relax. You have prepared and practiced your presentation that you could do it blindfolded. Have all your notes, handouts and PowerPoint in order. Use the 5 or 10 minutes beforehand to breathe deeply and visualise that you are going to give a confident performance.

2. Many people who give presentations to large audiences on a regular basis arrive early and introduce themselves to members of the audience. This is a great way to engage with your audience and bring down any barriers before giving the presentation. By engaging with them beforehand you will find the audience more receptive and warmer. This will also help you to keep calm and more relaxed.

3. If you are giving a presentation at an event it is likely that you will be introduced by the main presenter or organiser. It is good practice to pick up what is said about you as your introduced. During your introduction people will mention your background or interests and you can follow up on these as you begin your presentation. This can be used to introduce a little humour to warm up the audience.

4. Before you start make sure you have your audience’s attention. The main person introducing you will be able to do this. However, if there is no one to introduce you then, you need to do this yourself. This can be achieved by standing there silently for a few moments or if that does not work then, begin with a few light coughs and introduce yourself.

5. If you have prepared in advance you will have set a time limit to finish the presentation. It is important that you do not overrun as this will delay the organisers schedule.