A good story and a joke can keep your audience interested and amused.  People enjoy a little nonsense now and then.      

          Anecdotes and jokes depends on life experiences and these can vary greatly between countries and different social groups within a country.

 The anecdote helps you relate to an audience. “I went to school in this town. I fully understand your problems. I remember one day …..”

          The essence of a good joke is it should  contain an element of surprise. You should also enjoy the story or joke yourself if you want to tell it well.

A handful of tips to keep an audience interested in what you have to say

 * Select your story carefully

          Consider  the background and experience of the audience. Take care not to offend. Sexist and off-colour jokes could upset some people so select jokes that are suitable for the audience and relevant to the occasion. Male jokes and female jokes differ.

          Keep your stories short and don’t tell too many.

          Before you tell your jokes in a foreign country test them out first on a local to see if they will be understood and appreciated. Some jokes may offend.

 * Make a collection

          When you hear a suitable joke or story save it. Jot it down in a note book or make a digital note for future reference.  It will be readily available for an appropriate occasion.

 *Make it your story

          Rewrite it. Put yourself into the story.

          Make it topical, use local names and places.        Revise it. Edit it. Rehearse it.

          Act it out using facial expressions and gestures in front of a mirror. 

* Practise telling it

          Keep telling it until you get a good laugh every time. If there is a punch-line, pause, then make sure you deliver it loud and clearly. 

* Build your own library

          File your stories and jokes so you can use them with relevant topical references at the next appropriate occasion.

          Collect, revise, test, rehearse and practise are the golden rules for good story tellers.

          A little effort in collecting and filing anecdotes and jokes can be a sound investment.

          A good story teller is a person who has a good memory and hopes other people haven’t.

          To become a leader, learn to tell stories and jokes  well.

-Geoffrey Moss(mossassociates.co.nz)

          “Many a true word is spoken in jest.”

Source: “Persuasive Ways. ‘Tricks of the trade’ to get your ideas across”. First published by  Moss Associates Ltd., New Zealand and in Chinese by the Shanghai People’s Publishing House, the Singapore Institute of Management, Kogan Page Ltd, U.K and in Hungarian by Bagolyvar Konyvkiado.  Also published as the “Secrets of Persuasion” by Cengage Learning Asia and as an e-book and sold by Amazon.com.