Seven people stare at me with blank expressions. I’ve just told a joke that clearly hasn’t landed.
I’m at a conference where I’m delivering the same pitch multiple times in a series of roundtables with different investors. I’ve already made this joke six times, and on each of those occasions, I received an appropriate amount of amusement. But on the seventh occasion, the only two people polite enough to smile are my colleagues—who, of course, have already heard the joke six times.
Now, arguably, these aren’t terrible odds. The joke worked on six occasions and failed on just one. Maybe this time my deadpan delivery didn’t translate. Or maybe they simply didn’t find it funny. But even if the joke had landed every single time, there’s a better way to deliver humour—and I’m grateful my one memorable flop taught me this lesson.
What was wrong with my joke was that… it was a joke. It felt forced. It didn’t necessarily contribute to the narrative. It wasn’t a story. By contrast, delivering a humorous story—or weaving humorous moments into a broader story—tends to work far better for two reasons. First, storytelling gets the audience engaged and invested in what you’re saying, making the humour more obvious and harder to miss. Second, even if the humour doesn’t spark a laugh, the story itself can still serve its purpose by conveying an important message in an engaging way.
While the thought of introducing humour in a serious presentation can feel intimidating, I believe that in the business world, the bar for success is relatively low. Audiences are often relieved to encounter a fresh, entertaining approach—especially when they’re enduring a series of presentations.
If you can make an audience laugh, you’ve already won them over. And if you do it through a story, your message will stick because people remember how you made them feel. Oh, and if you do get a few blank stares now and then, that’s okay. Developing the ability to introduce humour in serious presentations will pay dividends in the long run.