5 Presenting Tips I Learned from Stand-Up Comedy
If you read the blog post before this one, you know I took a stand-up comedy class.
I did it mostly because it was the one art form I had never tried. I also thought it would be scary as hell. (It was - but only momentarily.)
As I observed my own journey with its challenges, frustrations, successes, and joys, I noticed the lessons I learned were also good lessons to apply to corporate or workplace presentations.
5 Presenting and Public Speaking Tips from Stand-Up Comedy
Start early on your presentation. Plan.
Granted, I was in a class, but it took each of us 5 weeks to come up with and deliver a solid, 5-minute set.
Ideas need time to germinate, and your brain needs time and space away from the original idea to come up with a better one. If your presentation is in a week, start now. It can be a simple start, just a tiny bit of content. Start early!Brainstorm with others and capture your presentation ideas.
Having a built-in group was such a gift. We tried out our material together, and gave feedback immediately after our trial runs. We could tell each other when a word didn’t work, or what they might try instead.
And make sure you are ready to capture your ideas at all times, whether it’s with your phone’s voice memo app, or a notebook and pen. I keep a notepad and pen next to my bed, because ideas seem to show up around 11 pm. Don’t fool yourself with “I’ll remember it in the morning.” You won’t!Embrace the suck. But know it does get better.
You’ll have some crappy presentation rounds. Push through them. By pushing through the crap, you’ll get to the gold. My first week of attempting a joke in class was a total bomb. Crickets. I wanted to quit. I know it doesn’t feel good, but you must keep working on your speech when it feels crappy.
But I stayed, and crushed it at showtime.Create a Key Word document for yourself - not a script.
Many of my new clients tell me they write a script for each presentation. These are managers, directors, VPs and CEOs! Y’all have better things to do than script a presentation.
See my key words in the photo above. Each one was just enough of a trigger to remind me what I wanted to say. Ask yourself what will remind you of what you need to say. I prefer to hand-write my key words. Hand-writing sticks in the brain more than typing does, but do what works best for you.Practice.
This doesn’t mean every single word, verbatim, for an hour each time. Can you quickly recite your 3 key concepts or takeaways? If you’re using slides, a laptop, etc., get in the room and practice with your equipment - no matter how well you know it. Before our student show, our host had each of us come up to the stage, take the mic, introduce ourselves, and then exit the stage. This prevented trips and missteps during the show.
If you don’t have your equipment or a way to practice with it (say, you’re traveling to a conference), mimic it. Hold your 2-lb weight up to your mouth instead of a microphone. Hold your phone and pretend to click your slides forward.
If you need help speaking with confidence or getting over your own speaking anxiety, set up an intro call or book a one-hour Power Hour with me.
I love making the public speaking process easier for my clients.
What to read or hear next:
My talk with Randy Ford on “How to Write a Better Bio”
Is it okay to drink before I give a toast? 2-minute Voice Memos
For Women Only: Three Speaking Tips
About The Author
Hi! I’m Marianna. I make public speaking easier for my clients. In addition to Presentation Skills workshops, I offer executive coaching and Keynote speeches. To learn more, schedule a call with me.