Tips for humorous speech 2

9 Tips for Winning a Humorous Speech Contest By Frank L. Slane, DTM, PID Frank Slane is a member of Gilcrease Toastmasters Club 1384  and submitted this article for GilcreaseToastmasters.org.  Here are nine tips for excelling in and winning a humorous speech contest, from Frank Slane, a past international director who has won many contests, and a member of our club. 1. Use a timely subject – original or at least fresh, but something everyone can relate to. 2. Construct your speech. It’s better to construct a speech than tell a story. Write it, organize it, revise and practice it. 3. Use the Judging Form as your guide – and aim at the judges! Audience response is important, but it’s the scoring by the judges that determines whether you win or lose. Get very familiar with that form the judges are using as their guide! 4. Keep it clean – absolutely no “blue” material. Do not offend anyone. Examples: In 1988, a contestant lost the District contest not because he had poor material but because he “dirtied up” his speech needlessly. He learned his lesson. In 1991 he won the District contest and the next Spring he won the Region contest. Another very funny speech did not win District because it had too many references to body parts and functions. Rule: When in doubt, throw it out. If you hesitate about the propriety of your material, you have reasonable doubt. No matter how much you like it, toss it out. Toastmasters’ speech contests are for Toastmasters audiences. Do not confuse a speech contest with a night club act. People will laugh at your smut, but they also will resent it. What Should You Do to Win? 5. Comedy + Action = Laughs. Example: Keystone Cops or Three Stooges + Accidents and Dumb Acts = Audience Laughter! 6. Opening. Get the attention of every audience member in a memorable way. Get a laugh early in the speech, in the opening, by shocking the audience or being funny. 7. Body. Keep it interesting and keep it moving. Keep it short. Use stories and jokes, but stick to just the essentials (you don’t need names and you’ll bore the audience with details). Make it personal. Make fun of yourself, not others. Work the audience. If you can’t involve them physically, use vivid word pictures. 8. Conclusion. Leave them laughing or excited. Use a strong punch line that relates to your subject, or perform a memorable act that will stay with them. 9. Your speech should be unique. Don’t do what other speakers do. Use a different style, a gimmick. Get the audience into the act. Remember the Three Stooges: People love action! Reproduction of this article is granted when author credit is included with article.