Julie cheerfully strode to the front of the room and accepted her trophy. She had just won the Toastmaster humorous speech contest. Why? She had a humorous speech and was a funny speaker.
As she sat back down to applause, I reflected on why she won (which she deserved). Several thoughts flashed through my mind. Here is the one that stood out. Julie chose a topic that connected with the audience. She told several humorous stories about her grandmother. Everyone could relate. Each individual either has a Grandmother living, remembers their Grandmother or knows someone else’s Grandmother. As Julie made humorous observations, most of us were likely thinking about our Grandmothers and the funny quirks about them. This actually enhanced the laughter. Could she have talked about an experience on a cruise ship and still won. Sure. However, since only 10% of the audience had likely been . . . → Read More: How to be a Funny Speaker: Lessons From a Toastmaster Humorous Competition – Part 2
