The Art of Persuasion “She Stood Behind Her Car Door and Aimed Her Gun at Me”

Dave Hill - Presentation Skills: Successful Persuasion

In 1991 I moved to Canada from my home country, Ireland. My wife and I settled in London, Ontario, where we would start a new chapter in our lives. I purchased an old Ford Tempo and I felt a sense of accomplishment because at that time in Ireland, a 1.6 liter car was considered a “big” car. It came with power steering, air conditioning, and plastic seats that made you feel like you were wearing cold, wet underwear!

After being in Canada just a short time, I was driving alone in the countryside, listening to loud bagpipe music. Then in my mirror, I saw a blue, flashing police car light. I pulled over and the police car pulled over about 30 feet behind me.

In Ireland, it is common to get out of your car, walk over to the police car, and spin some kind of story or excuse to persuade the officer to let you off with a warning or at least a reduced fine.

As I was walking towards the police car, I was gathering my thoughts together and thinking about what I might say with a friendly smile on my face. I was thinking of using a line I had used in Ireland: “You must have had a great hiding place, I didn’t see you until I saw your lights! Sorry I was speeding, I was listening to some really loud bagpipe music and I lost sight of my speed. Any chance you could let me off with a warning?”

That was the plan. However, when I got about half way to the police car, I noticed that the policewoman was standing behind her door with her gun drawn, shouting hysterically, “Get back in your car NOW!”

As I sat in my car, the police woman gave me hell. She told me to “shut off the awful music” and shouted, “What do you think you were doing? I could have shot you!” I explained to her that in Ireland the typical thing to do is to walk to the police car with the intent of getting there before the police man or woman has to get out of the car. We then try to persuade the police officer to be lenient and consider a warning rather than a fine. The police woman, still furious and obviously upset said, “You are not in Ireland now, never get out of your car when you are pulled over, and by the way, here’s your ticket.”

I thought about trying to persuade her to lower the fine, but I thought that it would only infuriate her more. I drove away having learned a lesson that I will never forget.

Persuasion is an art, but I think you will agree that I chose the “wrong audience”; what typically works with the Irish police “audience” failed with the Canadian officer.

Many sections in presentation skills books tie into success strategies for persuasion. Whether you are a keynote speaker, trainer, preacher, educator, business employee, leader, or executive, you are involved in convincing others to buy into your concepts and take action. The following are some key considerations when you need to change or reinforce opinions or beliefs:

Overview – How do you Persuade Audiences to Buy into your Concepts and Take Action?
• Get their attention
• Provide information in a format that they will comprehend
• Convince them by changing and/or reinforcing opinions or beliefs
• Provide information in a format that can be remembered and relayed to others

Successful Presenters can Persuade Effectively Because they Have:
• Credibility on the subject
• Confidence
• Preparation and practice
• Excellent presentation skills

Audience Analysis is Key to Successful Persuasion:
• What is the audience’s level of knowledge?
• What presentation types will be most effective?
• What supporting information will they best relate to (information sources, statistics, stories, analogies etc.)?
• What do they agree on now (it can be beneficial to start on common-ground)?
• What “hot buttons” should I stay away from?
• Should I visit some of the audience members one-on-one beforehand to build allies?
• Do I know the names of the attendees or should I provide name badges so I can call people by name (people like to hear their own names and this can help build positive rapport)?
• Is humor appropriate for the occasion and the audience (to illuminate points, reduce tension, keep people energized)?
• What emotional content can I incorporate to help persuade (i.e. stories or examples they can relate to)? Example: if I am trying to persuade people to join a public speaking club to enhance their presentation skills and build confidence, I could state, “Have you ever stood in front of an audience with so much anxiety that your heart thumps loudly and suddenly your mind goes blank? Can you visualize the audience cringing as you struggle to recover your train of thought? Do you want to be able to avoid this kind of train wreck?”

Choosing the Correct Presentation Modes Increases your Potential for Success
• Discussion without any audio visual tools
• PowerPoint type presentation
• Flip chart
• Videos
• Props
• Interactive
• Conversational
• Brainstorming

Eliminate the Potential for the Audience to Become Confused
• Develop clear concise objectives – when developing your presentation you should have a crystal clear view of what you are going to persuade. I find it beneficial to take a business card size piece of paper and write on it: ‘As a result of this presentation, I want the audience to understand and/or do the following…’
• Roadmap your presentation so that the information is presented in a logical format and is supported by visuals such as a statistical chart, picture, diagram, video, analogy, etc. It can also help if the visuals can build on a relatable theme. For example, if I want to persuade people to take a presentation skills course, I could use golf as an analogy. The photo of a player teeing off and missing the ball could be used with a headline statement to drive home the point “Failure can get you noticed in a really bad way.” The photo of a grass divot could be a visual for “Expect setbacks, it takes practice. The golf ball falling in the hole could symbolize “Persistence and practice gets results.”
• The presentation should be developed so that the audience have a clear understanding within a short period of time what the objective is and what the specific outcomes are going to be.
• Develop your presentation taking into consideration the level of knowledge of the audience. For example, if you are delivering technical information to a non-technical audience, you may want to present information at a level they will understand, or give them the information piece by piece slowly bringing them into the details and complexity.
• Repeat, summarize, and emphasize your points to aid retention.
• Make sure your “call to action” is clear and achievable.

Build your Credibility and Likeability
• Analyze your audience so that you are incorporating information that they can best relate to. Illuminating your points with stories or statistics that they cannot perceive will lead to confusion.
• Do not turn up with an unpolished presentation; practice, practice, practice (out loud).
• Dress professionally and appropriately for the occasion and the audience. Consider dressing slightly better than your audience.
• If you are being introduced, spend time developing an introduction that will build your credibility on the subject. Practice the introduction with the person who is introducing you when possible. A bad introduction can sabotage your credibility and suck the energy level out of the room.
• Use credible facts and statistics that can help demonstrate you have taken the time to research your subject and that you are an expert. Identify the sources of information.

Dave Hill is a speaker, author, coach, and award-winning storyteller. He was also a finalist in the 2004 World Championship of Public Speaking. Dave works with companies that crave energized workplaces and his passion is to empower employees and leaders.

He is the author of the soon to be published book:
“Applause and Accolades – Attention-Grabbing Presentation Skills: Get Noticed and Promoted“, and his bi-monthly articles receive worldwide acclaim.

Dave is known for his Irish wit, stories, and strong sense of humor, which he incorporates into all his programs and published works.
For more information on Dave’s speaking programs, workshops, and coaching, contact dave@davehillspeaks.com or visit his website at: http://www.davehillspeaks.com.

Articles: http://www.davehillspeaks.wordpress.com
Video clips: http://www.youtube.com/user/davehillspeaks#g/p
LinkedIn Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/davehillspeaks
Twitter Humor: http://twitter.com/davehillspeaks

Copyright © 2011 Dave Hill Speaks LLC all rights reserved.

Statistics in Presentations – “I am a Little Teapot”

Dave Hill - Presentation Skills Article

Imagine you are 5 ft. 2 1/2 in. “tall” and you are web surfing and find a business article with statistics which state, “On average, tall people get paid about $900 more per year than small people.” As a “vertically challenged” person, imagine your anger as you consider this blatant societal imbalance and unfairness.

You continue to read the article while biting your lower lip with resentment. It goes on to state that there are two notable exceptions, Jack Welsh, the ex Chairman and CEO of General Electric, and Bill Gates, the chairman of Microsoft, who are both 5 ft. 8 in. tall. As you consider this statement, you bite down even harder on your lower lip with a voice shouting in your head, “Since when did 5 ft. 8 in. people get to sneak into my “Small” Category?”

That was me back in 2007, and at the dinner table I ranted at my wife and two kids asking them rhetorically, “Where does that leave me? I seem to be too short to fit into the ‘Small’ category. If my height puts me somewhere between a small person and a dwarf…am I…a Smurf “? It was that point I started my quest to find out where I fitted in society. Like everything in my life, it turned up in a very unusual place, and under very unusual circumstances.

Fast forward a few months, I am in the Sym’s department store with my family to buy a new suit. Shopping is not my “cup of tea” and I was not in a particularly good mood. The suits were arranged on racks according to shape and size and went on for what seemed like several hundred feet.

The store assistant escorted my wife, son, teenage daughter, and me. We came to the suit rack and it had categorization tags, “Tall and Athletic”, then “Tall”, “Tall and Portly”, and we eventually got to my category. Under what seemed like a dim and dusty 40 Watt light bulb was a categorization tag…”Short and Stout”. It was then my teenage daughter with a big smile on her face, and without missing a beat, shouted out, “Daddy, you’re a little teapot…tall and stout”. Let the record show that my category in society is not “Small”, it is not a “Smurf”, I am…a “Little Teapot”.

This is an anecdote illustrating that statistics can be annoying and questionable. It leads into an important point for presenters and their use of statistics.

What is the major benefit of using statistics in presentations?
1. They are one method of providing supporting information for your points, helping to build your credibility, and enhancing your presentation.

What are the success strategies for using statistics in presentations?
1. Utilize an attention-grabbing statistic to start a presentation. This can be an impactful way to open a presentation, particularly if it has some “shock” value.
2. Unclutter your statistics. Round off the numbers where possible.
3. Limit the quantity of statistics you use at a time or you will lose your audience. Frequently a single one can be effective to support a point. A maximum of three at a time is often recommended to minimize the potential for confusion or boredom.
4. Incorporate graphs, charts and other visuals to illuminate your statistic and drive home your points.
5. Use analogies and anecdotes to specifically help people relate to the statistics.
6. If the audience can relate to the statistics and/or the anecdote you are using, they will have better comprehension.
7. Use statistics that are specific, credible, and within the norm.
8. Use recognizable statistical sources where possible. For example: “The US Bureau of Labor Statistics stated, “Nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses among private industry employers declined in 2009 to a rate of 3.6 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers – down from 3.9 cases in 2008.”
9. If you try to convince people to act based on a statistic that is on the far end of the scale, the audience may feel you are trying to manipulate them with loosely applicable or questionable facts.
10. Do not use statistics that are incomplete, exaggerated, or wrong, or you can end up eroding your credibility.
For example: In 2007 the New York Times questioned some of the statistics that Mayor Rudi Giuliani had used in his speeches. He was put in a defensive mode and ended up “clarifying” some of the statistics he used. The article is at: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/30/us/politics/30truth.html

How to use statistics to incorporate humor
Make sure the statistic is noticeably exaggerated or wrong so that the audience understands that they are being entertained rather than being given some credible facts:
Examples:
1. Canadian research shows that if a bear charges at you and you run at it, the bear will run away 9 out of 10 times. I wonder how much they pay the poor intern to find out.
2. They say that you are 3 times more likely to be killed driving to a store to buy a lottery ticket than to actually win the top prize.

Dave Hill is a speaker, author, coach, and award-winning storyteller. He was also a finalist in the 2004 World Championship of Public Speaking. Dave works with companies that crave energized workplaces and his passion is to empower employees and leaders.

He is the author of the soon to be published book:
“Applause and Accolades – Attention-Grabbing Presentation Skills: Get Noticed and Promoted“, and his bi-monthly articles receive worldwide acclaim.

Dave is known for his Irish wit, stories, and strong sense of humor, which he incorporates into all his programs and published works.
For more information on Dave’s speaking programs, workshops, and coaching, contact dave@davehillspeaks.com or visit his website at: http://www.davehillspeaks.com.

Articles: http://www.davehillspeaks.wordpress.com
Video clips: http://www.youtube.com/user/davehillspeaks#g/p
LinkedIn Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/davehillspeaks
Twitter Humor: http://twitter.com/davehillspeaks

Copyright © 2011 Dave Hill Speaks LLC all rights reserved.

The Business Presentation Structure – “Explosions Ruin Lives”

Dave Hill - Business Presentation Structure

In 2010 I was invited to speak at a technical conference on hazard analysis relating to chemical plant explosions. The audience size was about 50 technical people. I was one of three speakers lined up to speak that morning and we had strict instructions to start and finish on time, and to provide technical content that would interest, inspire, and educate the audience.

This information describes how to structure a business presentation, make sure the content flows in a logical format, and that you finish within the allotted time. The starting point is making sure you have a clear understanding of what you are going to speak about. You should not proceed with the development of your presentation until you have written down a clear description of your specific objectives. Have you ever witnessed a presentation where after 5 or even 10 minutes you have no idea where the presenter is going with the information? This is typically a sign of someone who put together a presentation with no clear objective in mind.

The following structure can be used in many different presentation types, but you first need to write down the objective of your presentation clearly and concisely.

Opening:
1. Grab attention (anecdote, quotation, rhetorical question, shock statement etc.)
2. Describe why the information is important for the audience – “What’s in it for me?” (WIIFM)
3. Review the points briefly
4. Rules for questions are described

Body
1. Point
2. supporting information
3. transition to next point

Closing
1. Grab attention or reinforce WIIFM
2. Points review
3. Question time
4. Call to action

The conference presentation:
The specific objective of my presentation was to convince people to evaluate the effects of chemical plant explosion hazards on buildings, and to take action if safety issues are identified.

At the conference, my presentation started with someone reading my introduction. Since this was a serious technical presentation, I developed it with the intent to build my credibility on the subject.

Note: As I was being introduced, I stood out of view at the back of the room so the focus would be on the person delivering my introduction rather than on me. When the applause started, I moved energetically to the front of the room to shake my introducer’s hand. As the applause died down, I used my remote control to blank out the first slide on the screen before I started speaking (most remote controls have a button that blacks out the projector image). The reason you might black out the projector image is when you are delivering an anecdote (or other opening technique) and you want to make sure that the audience is focused on you rather that an image behind you (particularly when the slide image does not illuminate or relate to what you are talking about).

After my formal introduction, this is how I opened up my presentation:

1) Get their attention as soon as possible and gain interest in your presentation.
“Imagine it is April 23rd, 2004, at the Formosa Chemical Plant in Iliopoulos, Illinois, and you are a worker walking through the factory that day. An event is about to unfold that will change your life forever.”

Note: At this point, I pressed the button on the remote to activate the projector slide image and move to the next slide. I glanced at the screen (or subtly point my arm in that direction) to draw the audiences attention there. The slide showed a picture of the accident site following the explosion, and included a headline statement “Explosions ruin lives”. I then continued speaking.

Photo From CSB Website

“On this day, a horrific explosion will occur, a total of 4 people will be killed, and two will be seriously injured. For the rest of your life, you will ask yourself the question, “Could I have done something, or said something, to prevent this horrific accident?”

2) Identify the “What is in it for me?” (WIIFM). Why should they listen to you?”
“Today, we are going to talk about the means to make sure that your workers are protected from explosions that can cause buildings to catastrophically fail.

“We should not lose sight of the fact that the Formosa chemical plant not only resulted in fatalities and injuries, it was never rebuilt and many people were left unemployed.

“As engineers, contractors, and chemical plant workers, you never want to have to deal with an accident like this. Explosions ruin lives.”

Note: If at this stage, your presentation has not gotten their undivided attention, you are potentially boring them.

3) Provide a brief overview of the points you will cover – this will helps the audience process the information that you will give them.
Note: At this point, I glanced at the screen and simultaneously used the remote to advance to the next slide with the bullet points. By glancing at the screen, I can verify that I am on the correct slide and it prompts the audience to look at the screen. I can also prompt the audience to look at the screen by subtly pointing my arm in that direction.

“The three options I am going to cover today are:
a. Do nothing
b. Train people to evacuate buildings
c. Evaluate and manage the explosion hazards”

4) Explain the rules for asking questions (Can they ask questions at any time or will there be a Q & A session towards the end of the presentation?)
“This subject typically evokes a lot of questions. Given the time limitation I have for this presentation, I ask you to hold your questions until the question and answer segment towards the end of the presentation.”

5) Now I move into the body of my presentation where I provide detailed pros & cons discussion of each of the three points, support the information with specific references, and use transition statements to move from point to point.
Note: It is important to have transition statements between presentation sections and points to help the audience follow along. The following is a brief excerpt of the three points along with transitions. In the actual presentation, I supported the points with additional PowerPoint slide photos and charts.

1. “Doing nothing is a cheap option, but it is not a good option. A review of the explosion accident history on the US Government Chemical Safety Board (CSB) website shows that significant explosions occur every year.”

Transition Statement: “Let me move onto the second option which at first glance seems simple and effective, but has huge limitations.”

2. “Training people to evacuate buildings is also an option, but its effectiveness is limited. One reason is that people such as chemical plant operators need to stay in the control room to shut down the chemical plant quickly and safely during a leak of a flammable. Another reason is that vapor cloud explosions can happen quickly, before people are even aware that there is a hazardous condition that could lead to an explosion.”

Transition Statement: “The first two options are not considered appropriate by peer groups. The third option is used extensively in our industry, and done properly, can enhance the safety of employees.”

3. “The final option I am covering in this presentation relates to performing extensive explosion and building structural analysis evaluations. This is a process that is fully described and supported in the Industry recommended practice API 752.”

Transition statement: “To put this into a real life perspective, let me bring you back to the Formosa chemical plant accident site.”

6) Following the body of the presentation I now aim to reenergize the attentiveness of the audience by revisiting the attention grabber and/or the WIIFM content at the beginning.

Note: At this point I glanced at the screen and simultaneously used the remote to advance to the next slide back to the accident scene.

Photo From CSB Website

“I work with someone who used to sit in his Formosa chemical plant office in the forefront of the picture. A few years before the explosion, he dusted off his resume and decided to go work for another company. It turned out to be a life saving decision. Luck should not be the basis we rely on to keep people safe.”

7) Review the three options briefly
“The three options we have discussed include doing nothing, training people to evacuate, and evaluating and managing the explosion hazards.”

Transition Statement: “Before I get to my final comments I will take a few questions. I will also be available after the conference if anyone has additional questions.”

8) Conduct the Q & A session
Note: Since there were about 50 people in the audience and it was a fairly large room, I summarized the question back to the questioner. I spoke loud enough for everyone to be able to understand what was asked. While answering the question, I made eye contact with other members of the audience to make sure everyone felt involved.

Transition Statement: “My allocated time is nearly up and I will leave you with some final thoughts on this important subject.”

9) Call to action
“The hazards at chemical plants do not change until we take action. The handout contains contact information for explosion and structural engineers who can guide you through the process of hazard evaluation and hazard management. Explosions ruin lives; your actions can save them.”

I would appreciate any feedback or personal stories on developing the structure of a presentation. Please use the comments section below, or send me an e-mail at dave@davehillspeaks.com. Let us help each other succeed.
Thanks,
Dave Hill

Dave Hill – Public Speaking Website (Bio, Keynotes, Workshops, Video clips, Articles, Contact Info, etc.)
• Web:http://www.davehillspeaks.com
• Articles: http://www.davehillspeaks.wordpress.com
• Video clips: http://www.youtube.com/user/davehillspeaks#g/p

Copyright © 2011 Dave Hill Speaks LLC all rights reserved.

Understanding Your Personal Sense of Humor – “The First Irish Rocket Ship”

Dave Hill Discusses Humor

My youngest brother is an example of someone who has developed a strong, zany sense of wit. The understatement of the day is that he is personable and finds the funny and crazy side of day to day happenings.

One of the best examples of him in top form was when we were visiting the Guinness Brewery in Ireland several years ago. While in one of the main brewery buildings, we noticed a group of tourists with a guide who was telling them the historical details of when the brewery started producing Guinness in1759. Behind the guide was a huge copper vat, a piece of old brewing equipment that would have been used over 100 years ago. It was a large, bulbous vat tapering off at the top into a narrower section. On the upper part of the narrow section was an observation port that looked a bit like a ship’s porthole. This might have been something the brewer used to observe the brewing process or to add ingredients, such as hops.

Before you could blink an eye, my brother was standing in front of the crowd, blocking the view of the guide behind him, and he had taken over the historical talk. The crowd stood in fascination as he told them that the copper vessel was in fact the first Irish spaceship and the window at the top was where the astronaut sat on a deckchair drinking Guinness during takeoff. The crowds of tourists were frowning at first, wondering what had happened to the guide and who this stranger was. Then they realized that they were being taken for a ride by an Irishman with a wacky sense of humor. As he continued his Blarney (Irish slang for nonsense talk) he got them rolling in laughter and his historical depictions got wilder and wilder.

We then worked our way up to the drinking section of the brewery where there is a glass cube-type structure high above the city of Dublin; there were people from all over the world to chat to, and pretty smiling barmaids handing out free Guinness. They call this area the Gravity Bar. For any Irishman this was like dying and going to heaven, and my first words to the barmaid were, “Are you an angel?!” She smiled, chuckled, shook her head in fake annoyance, and started pouring nice creamy pints of Guinness. Life is good!

Finding Your Unique Sense of Humor and Nourishing It:
Making a decision to commit to learning the process of developing and delivering humor is a step you will never regret. It takes dedication and a lot of trial and error, and there will be times that you say to yourself, “That was funny, why did the audience not laugh at that?” and there will be times that they laugh at things that you consider innocuous and you think to yourself, “OK, now why did they find that funny?” The day you step in front of an audience to try out humorous material and you get them rolling with laughter, is a day you will never forget. Imagine you have just delivered a humorous story, the audience is laughing, and you consciously have to let them continue to laugh before you speak your next line. You are focusing on keeping a straight face and you feel the elation from success. As the laughter starts to dissipate you continue, and the audience erupts into an even bigger frenzy. The humor you develop can be honed and you will find that much of it can be used over and over again with different audiences, and can be used to illuminate different points.

One of the initial steps is to gain an understanding of what makes you laugh. If you are delivering material that you do not find particularly funny, why should you expect your audience to laugh?

The following are some of my day to day chuckles, humor, or motivational occurrences that I have been writing down anytime they come to mind. I have been writing them in Twitter (davehillspeaks) which forces me to catch the essence of the vignette in a 140 character online forum. It is important to understand that the “seed” for humor typically starts off at the chuckle level. It can then be turned into humor through careful wording choice and incorporating enhancements such as vivid visual descriptions.

The following exercise is to help you identify what kind of things you find amusing and why. Another thing to watch out for is what you find somewhat offensive. Only use humor that you are comfortable delivering, and what is appropriate for the audience and the occasion.

1) Circle the ones you find amusing and write down why.
For Example – “My dog had cancer surgery. My mother in law said that $840 was a lot to spend on an old dog. My mother in law is 80…and needs hip surgery!” The reason someone might like this is because they can relate to an elderly person making an off the cuff remark that can be viewed another way.
2) Circle the ones you find inappropriate or eyebrow raising and write down why.
For Example – “My Canadian-Hungarian wife has a Christmas tradition of baby Jesus bringing gifts. In Ireland it’s Santa Claus. Is Jesus-Claus a compromise?”
3) Start capturing your own daily chuckle observations.
This process will help your brain become alert to life’s humor that you might not otherwise notice. The importance of this should not be underestimated and it requires very little effort. You just need a system to capture the essence of your observations to start this process. I use tiny Post It Notes that are in my wallet, in my car, and on my kitchen table for immediate note taking. I then transcribe them into other filing systems, including Twitter.

Some reasons you might have a preference for specific vignettes might be:
1. Relating to the content through your own experiences – Example: On the airport rental-car bus & the idiot driver was peering at his computer & swerving. I asked him if I could change my rental car to a hearse.
2. Making fun of yourself – Example: I told the presentation skills class to avoid walking through the projector light. Tried to demonstrate, but I was too short to block the light!
3. Visual images are strong – Example: Canadian research shows that if you run at a bear, it will run away 9 out of 10 times. I wonder how much they pay the poor intern to find out.
4. Wordplay (the meaning of a word in used in a different context) – Example: My son & his friends make a human wall to block the soccer ball during a shot at their goal. He is 1 ft shorter & more of a curb than a wall!
5. Absurd – Example: A friend went into Wal-Mart at 5 am. She turned into an aisle & saw a man naked from the waist down, trying on camouflage trousers. Weird!
6. Ridiculous – Example: My dad asked my brother to plant the lettuce plants. He was furious when he found them in one hole with the elastic band still attached.
7. Healthy embarrassment – Example: Today I was given a gold star by my dentist for “most punctual patient”. I had arrived a day early. Turned 50 in Feb, every day is exciting!
8. Paradoxical – Example: Irish religious/positive thinking perspective on flights getting delayed and getting stuck at the airport…”God wants me to drink beer!”
9. Element of surprise – Example: Bali coffee plantation 2008 – drank coffee & saw caged Civet cat-size animals. Learnt my coffee came from excreted Civet coffee beans – Yuck.

Discovering Your Unique Sense of Humor – Which of These Make You Smile & Why?
1. My Canadian-Hungarian wife has a Christmas tradition of baby Jesus bringing gifts. In Ireland it’s Santa Claus. Is Jesus-Claus a compromise?
2. Sitting outside on my doorstep enjoying the sunny morning & watching my leaves blowing and rolling onto my neighbor’s lawn – go leaves go…!
3. Christmas season is here & wife impulse shopping drives me crazy. To stay out of trouble I apply the “don’t ask, don’t tell” shopping policy!
4. Bali coffee plantation 2008 – drank coffee & saw caged Civet cat-size animals. Learnt my coffee came from excreted Civet coffee beans – Yuck
5. The southern air hostess asked what I wanted to drink. I said water. She repeated 3 times not understanding. A nearby teen shouted waa-terr!
6. Cooked my 1st turkey for Thanksgiving & friends in 1994. Was carving 2nds & asked my wife “Did you stuff the turkey?” I had cut into a bag of giblets!
7. Cashier girl at the wine store asked me if I wanted sex. I was dumbfounded. I then noticed she was pointing to the paper bag wine “sacks!”
8. Sister in law was doing a Skype video call to her mum in China. In view of the webcam I mischievously modeled her bright red bra – trouble!!
9. Told the presentation skills class to avoid walking through the projector light. Tried to demonstrate but was too short to block the light!
10. At a 3 day cancer charity walk there was a competition for the most decorated tent. The winners had lots of colored bra’s hanging outside!!!
11. At the grocery store checkout I had a bladder as big as Canada. The little old lady in front of me searched in her giant purse for coupons!
12. 1990 trip to India – went on a guided open top jeep tour looking for Bengal Tigers. Noticed that our guide only had a stick as a “weapon”.
13. My big old Irish Setter dog gets confused. Walked past a car with open doors. She thought it was our car & tried to jump in to go for a ride.
14. Southwest Air steward gave gate #’s for connecting SWA flights as we landed. He chuckled, “If you are with another airline…we don’t care!”
15. My short son came home happy after his school team won at basketball. He exclaimed that he & his two tall friends the “twin towers” scored.
16. Employee was told to check/delete files from an old PC. Photo of a naked woman popped up. Was trying to delete it as her male boss walked in.
17. Wife did clean-up community service. She lifted up a big flat piece of wood & saw a huge curled up snake. Texas outdoors is too dangerous!
18. Friends sent a family-photo Christmas card in 2009. Ecstatic kids, euphoric parents, & male dog sitting, showing off his…… “excitement”.
19. On the airport rental-car bus & idiot driver was peering at his computer & swerving. I asked him if I could change my rental car to a hearse.
20. A friend went into Wal-Mart at 5 am. She turned into an aisle & saw a man naked from the waist down, trying on camouflage trousers. Weird!
21. Saw a 40+ year old man jogging in a really tight black leotard. He was running “weirdly” & I told my daughter he needs a bathroom really soon!
22. My daughter saw the paper-cut I got at the corporate office. I said, “I hope you realize the suffering I go through to pay for your college!”
23. Rescued a baby squirrel from the grasp of a cat. The squirrel bit me & my wife sent me to the doctor. Doctor laughed & sent me back home.
24. At my son’s soccer game the Texas parents were wrapped up in blankets, sleeping bags & duvets. Looked like a scene from hurricane Katrina!
25. My big old Irish Setter dog was snuggled up on the couch at 6am. I brought her dog treats (breakfast in bed). She considers me fully trained.
26. Nights are cool & I saw a Facebook discussion where women were exhilarated about wearing flannel pajamas. Turn up the heat & wear lingerie!
27. My son & his friends make a human wall to block the soccer ball during a shot at their goal. He is 1 ft shorter & more of a curb than a wall.
28. Canadian research shows that if you run at a bear it will run away 9 out of 10 times. I wonder how much they pay the poor intern to find out.
29. My great grandfather spent his life in a wheelchair & had 7 children. My funny mum joked, “He certainly got out for his exercise, didn’t he?”
30. My elderly mother has a chrome frame installed around her toilet to help steady herself. She jokes that it is “her special Olympics toilet”.
31. Built a sub-fence to keep my big dog from the muddy bits. 3 trips to the hardware store & $$$. My dog went outside & bounded over the fence!
32. Work trip to Brazil & found very smart engineers. I gave them the ok sign to show my appreciation. Was told to stop…it is a rude gesture!
33. Soccer son is with his team. I ask my cruel daughter to call him off so we can get her to ballet. She shouts “Eric..we need to go to ballet!”
34. Today I was given a gold star by my dentist for “most punctual patient”. I had arrived a day early. Turned 50 in Feb, every day is exciting!
35. Memory of being 11 Y.O. in the car with dad. Car was in first gear/high revs & noisy. He sheepishly asked, “Do you know the facts of life?”
36. Memory of my mum dozing in the rear seat of our car between our 3 Y.O. son & 5 Y.O. daughter. My son asked, “Why does Granny have a mustache?”
37. Did an exact parallel park with my car. “I should get a prize for that,” I said thinking my wife was near me. Random stranger smiled/red face.
38. My frugal Irish dad bought a hearing aid. It was annoying to see him put his hand to his ear & turn it on mid-conversation to save batteries.
39. My wife spent 20 years training me to replace the toilet roll when just the tube remains. They now produce tubeless TP. I need retraining!
40. Memory of Sunday drives as a kid with my chain smoking parents. My siblings would take bets on whether the dog or I would get carsick first.
41. Southwest Air flight & the pretty hostess found out it was an 80 Y.O. man’s birthday. She sang happy birthday “Marilyn Monroe to JFK” style!
42. Irish religious/positive thinking perspective on flights getting delayed and getting stuck at the airport…”God wants me to drink beer!”
43. Shopping with my wife & I saw a stand of wigs. I put one on to surprise her & give her a laugh. Checkout girls saw me & laughed (red face)!
44. In 1971 my brother won a Raleigh Chopper bicycle in a competition. He slid on cow dung, went over the handlebars & had $5,000 in dentist bills!
45. After our wedding in Canada we saw a picture of a gay parade in the newspaper with two gay men wearing the same dresses as our bridesmaids!
46. Lake dock 2001 – our four year old son had Cheerios in one hand & fish food in the other. He inadvertently ate the fish food & threw Cheerios to the fish.
47. My son came home from school late & angry. He was getting ready to cycle home & found that a not so smart kid had locked both bikes together.
48. Low caffeine morning. Dropped an apple into my mug of coffee. It fit perfectly! Paperwork & my favorite shirt were hit by a caffeine tsunami.
49. Fire school panic – with SCBA air tank whistle alarms blowing, we dragged the dummy out of the burning building with a rope around its neck!
50. With the kids’ ice-cream in the car I had to do my annual shirt shopping since my $20 coupon was expiring. 10 mins +12 shirts = man shopping!
51. Built a homemade roof-rack for 3 kayaks out of PVC & metal piping. If you see a Honda CRV with 3 kayaks on top, move out of the way quickly!
52. Playing hockey & saw feathers on the ground. Showed them to another player & told her the heat is causing my feather underwear to fall apart.
53. Elderly woman friend was leaving her store at night & could not find her car keys. She went outside & found her car had been idling all day.
54. I heard one stewardess say to the other, “I will work for Southwest Airways for 2 years & then I should have enough money for rodeo school.”
55. Proud of the fact I can pack in 5 minutes for a week long trip. I got dressed on my last day to discover a pair of my son’s tiny underwear.
56. I took off my $400 eye glasses so I would not scratch them while helping my son catch a lizard in the shrub. I stepped back & stood on them!
57. Memory of my son sneezing with a mouth full of spaghetti. Visualize a long piece of spaghetti simultaneously hanging out his mouth & nose!
58. The light was on in the kitchen window & the moths were landing on the screen. The lizards were chasing & eating them. No need for a TV!
59. I heard the dental hygienist asking a 16 Y.O. girl about boyfriends. Parents could pay extra to find out what their teen daughter is up to!
60. While in Ireland I convinced my 13 Y.O. son to hand feed grass to a cow. As he nervously held out his hand I screamed, “Look out, its a bull!”
61. My wife has over 100 Tai Chi self defense moves. It’s hilarious to see my 13 year old son “disabling her”, tickling her with a single finger!
62. As my wife shopped for shoes I wandered off. I found some blond wigs & tried one on to give her a chuckle. The cashier saw me & she laughed!
63. At work I let a group of women get on the elevator first. I lost focus & the doors closed without me. I heard them laughing all the way up!
64. Our car gets mud and grass from our soccer kids. My brother flew in to see us, opened the car door & said, “Do you carry sheep in this car?”
65. My son was seven & I was angry with him because he would not eat his corn on the cob. He sobbed & said, “But daddy, I have no front teeth!”
66. At our Catholic wedding we each lit a candle symbolizing eternal marriage. Church candle was blown out by priest & extinguished our candles!
67. Low caffeine moment driving to the auto shop to get the muffler fixed on my wife’s car. Three miles from home I noticed I was driving my car!
68. My dad asked my brother to plant the lettuce plants. He was furious when he found them in one hole with the elastic band still attached.
69. A dove was sleeping on the sidewalk in the morning sunlight. It flipped open one eye to see my Irish Setter dog’s smiling face 1 inch away.
70. A local kid was asked to attach a watering hose one dark evening. He grabbed the black hose & it wriggled. It was a large, black rat snake!
71. Had a full bladder driving back from a restaurant. Made the error of telling my teenagers. They shook 1/2 full water bottles to torment me!
72. Came out of the nurse’s office after having a flu shot. I mischievously scowled & limped. The woman waiting outside looked at me in a panic.
73. My Hungarian mother in law speaks broken English. Dinner went on the table and she stated, “If you don’t like it… you can leave!
74. I cut my scalp playing hockey. Doctor stitched me & said, “Come back on Sun. before 3 pm, because that’s when the mower mishaps arrive!”
75. The teacher was telling the class about burning coal. He asked, “what else do we burn?” My funny teen daughter shouted out, “We burn witches!”
76. My dog had cancer surgery. My mother in law said that $840 was a lot to spend on an old dog. My mother in law is 80…and needs hip surgery!

I would appreciate any feedback or personal stories on understanding your personal sense of humor. Please use the comments section below, or send me an e-mail at dave@davehillspeaks.com. Let us help each other succeed.
Thanks,
Dave Hill

Dave Hill – Public Speaking Website (Bio, Keynotes, Workshops, Video clips, Articles, Contact Info, etc.)
• Web:http://www.davehillspeaks.com
• Articles: http://www.davehillspeaks.wordpress.com
• Video clips: http://www.youtube.com/user/davehillspeaks#g/p

Copyright © 2010 Dave Hill Speaks LLC all rights reserved.

Attention Grabbing Presentation Skills – “She got into Serious Trouble Because She Didn’t Use Her Diaphragm”

It was December 2010, and it was my last business trip of the year. I arrived at Philadelphia Airport two hours before my flight and the Departures Sign said my flight was delayed. As an Irishman with a positive attitude, I take delayed flights as a religious sign that God wants me to drink beer! I went to the bar near my departure gate and settled into a few pints of the local Yuengling brew. About 45 minutes before my flight was due to board, I went to the departure gate. The Christmas crowds had started and the gate area was crowded wall to wall. There was an aura of frustration and anxiety from the passengers as they peered at the flight departure notice board wondering if the plane would take off that night. My positive attitude was beginning to erode because I was scheduled to deliver a keynote speech to 200 people the next day. I had no back-up plan, and I did not want this delay to grow into an overnight stay.

Every now and again, the airline departure gate-woman would speak into her microphone to give us a flight update, but her voice was not carrying. The microphone was possibly at the end of its life and was not picking up her voice. In addition, she was not making any effort to project her voice so she could be understood. I could feel the frustration and anger building up in the gate area. One person asked me what she had just said and, with a token effort at humor, I stuffed all my fingers in my mouth and mumbled, “This is a very important notice please pay attention.” The person who asked me the question chuckled as she caught on to my sarcastic retort.

Eventually we started boarding the plane by priority number, and she frustrated the passengers even more because they could not clearly hear what group number she was announcing. People were lining up to get their boarding passes scanned prior to entering the plane only to find that their group number had not been called yet. They got extremely angry when they were told to go back into the hoards of people and wait until their group number was called. Ah, the joys of business traveling!

Voice Projection for Public Speakers – Bring your Diaphragm to the Podium:
By now, you are probably bitterly disappointed that this story does not include at least some sort of “spicy” story about diaphragms and a young woman getting into “trouble”. This section is not about using a catchy headline to get your attention and keep you reading, this is about understanding the mechanics of your body (vocal chords, lungs, diaphragm) to help you project your voice and connect with your audience.

In my public speaking club, sometimes we have members who have relatively quiet voices. Their voice projection is just enough to speak to small groups of people in close proximity; however if you put them in the same room with 100 people or more, they will not be able to project to the back of the room. There is nothing more annoying than not being able to hear what a speaker is saying or what an audience is asking during a question and answer session. In the absence of an effective microphone, success in public speaking requires us to be able to adjust our voices to take into consideration the audience size and any background noise.

Success strategies for building your voice projection capability:
1. Build confidence in your speaking voice; get accustomed to speaking to audiences of different sizes. The more times you stand up in front of an audience, the sooner you will reach your goals.
2. Know your speech material so that you can focus on honing your voice whilst delivering your material in front of an audience.
3. Get comfortable hearing you own voice at different volumes. I use my daily commute time to practice my speeches. Try different character voices, intonation, accents, and volume. If you are driving in Dallas, Texas, and you see an energetic and animated person alone in his car speaking passionately to himself…give me a wave!!!!
4. Your posture is extremely important to maximize your ability to project your voice. Stand upright with your face aimed at your audience. If you tend to bend forward or lean towards your audience, you will reduce the available capacity of your lungs.
5. The voice itself does not have a lot of power. The projection comes from large volumes of air passing over the vocal chords. More air = more projection capability.
6.

The process of breathing is performed primarily by the movement of the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a large muscle that separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity. When you breathe in, the diaphragm contracts, causing a vacuum in the thoracic cavity. This helps inflate the lungs by drawing in air through the mouth or nose. When you breathe out the diaphragm muscle relaxes, allowing air to flow out as the lungs deflate.

You can practice getting comfortable with maximizing the movement of the diaphragm by imagining that you have a drinking straw in your mouth and slowly inhaling through it. If done correctly, you will feel your stomach rise and fall as you inhale and exhale.

The signs of ineffective breathing during your speech can be your shoulders moving up and down with each breath. This indicates shallow breathing and will not be conducive to voice projection.
7. It is critical to understand the difference between voice projection and shouting. Shouting has a shrill tone to it and not only can it damage your vocal chords, it can also irritate your audience.
8. One way of practicing this voice projection technique is to find a large room and put seats at the back. Invite some friends and practice speaking to them from a distance. If they cannot hear you clearly, get them to give you a visual sign such as pointing to their ears. This allows you to step up your voice a notch. Get feedback on whether your voice sounded pleasant or whether it had a harsh tone to it.
9. Remember to look after your voice and hydrate your body. Start drinking water at least two hours before you speak. Do not drink coffee, alcohol, or dairy products as they can have a detrimental effect on your vocal chords. Warm up your vocal cords by practicing your speech out loud, and gradually increasing the volume and voice projection.

I would appreciate any feedback or personal stories on voice projection techniques. Please use the comments section below, or send me an e-mail at dave@davehillspeaks.com. Let us help each other succeed.
Thanks,
Dave Hill

Dave Hill – Public Speaking Website (Bio, Keynotes, Workshops, Video clips, Articles, Contact Info, etc.)
• Web:http://www.davehillspeaks.com
• Articles: http://www.davehillspeaks.wordpress.com
• Video clips: http://www.youtube.com/user/davehillspeaks#g/p

Copyright © 2010 Dave Hill Speaks LLC all rights reserved.

Attention Grabbing Presentation Skills – My Family Survived A Tidal Wave

Dave Hill - Presentation Skills Article on "Toilet Humor"

“My family survived a tidal wave.” Some of you may have already created a mental image of what this involves. Clear that image; it is many times worse than you can ever imagine. I also suggest that if you are eating that you finish right now.

I come from a family of six, and when I was growing up, our family used to go camping at a spectacular place called Glenbeg in County Kerry on the West coast of Ireland. We went there for about 15 summers with the trailer (caravan) situated literally feet from the beach.

Let me take you to our vacation trailer back in 1966. In the background of the picture above is Glenbeg showing the Atlantic Ocean, Tick Mountain, and a small sandy beach. The trailer windows allowed full view of this awesome scenery. There was a small gas stove in the center that was used for cooking food and drying underwear. There was an entry door at the far end of the trailer and next to it was a closet door which contained the chemical toilet. For those that do not know what a chemical toilet is – it is basically a forty gallon sturdy plastic bucket, into which you put a few pints of dark blue, extremely strong smelling air-freshener-type liquid chemical called Elsan – this is then diluted with a few gallons of water. The bucket has a toilet seat clipped onto it to for “comfort”. The rationale behind all this is that it only needs to be emptied into the campsite sewage pit every couple of days. Sounds like a crude design that could be improved on? Of course it is, but people who camp do without a lot of luxuries and anyways, this was a small sacrifice to be camping in this beautiful part of the country and so close to the beach.

On the fateful morning that would leave images engrained in our minds that even deep hypnosis could not remove, we woke up and went through the process of rearranging the beds so that it would be set up for our family of six to have breakfast together. We organized ourselves as best as we could in the small space; the morning was a busy time for a 16 foot long trailer with 6 people. We eventually put the nighttime setting away, the breakfast table was set up, and we all sat down for breakfast with the dog in his usual position at the end of the table with strings of drool hanging from his mouth, begging for buttered toast.

At some stage, my 4 year old brother Nigel excused himself from the table to go to the chemical toilet. Nobody took any notice, but soon we heard him singing his favorite song: “Oh Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling,” Does it get any better than this you could ask? The mountains, the beach the ocean, hot tea, buttered toast, and children singing. Little did we know that while he was sitting on the chemical toilet, he was also rocking it to the rhythm of his angelic voice.

Suddenly, with a noise as loud as a clap of thunder directly over a house, the closet door flew open, and the latch ripped from its mounting. My brother had rocked the bucket too far while reaching for the famous Danny Boy song high note with his soprano choir boy vocal cords. The forty gallon chemical toilet had been tilted too far and had slid on the linoleum floor, toppled over and literally ejected him. He was thrown out from the closet and lay on the floor, naked and helpless with his underwear at his ankles preventing him from getting up. In the next split second, the contents of the overturned chemical toilet (which was on day four and due to be emptied into the campsite sewage pit that morning), followed him. A giant dark blue tidal wave swept up the trailer floor towards us, slowing down briefly as it parted around the torso of my panic stricken wriggling brother Nigel. He appeared to be doing an impersonation of a live fish helplessly flapping about in the bottom of a boat.

The dog, sensing danger a split second before us, did an amazing jump up onto a seat and simultaneously went out the open side window with the same agility as an Olympic high jump athlete. We saw him run down the beach, never looking back.

The next few seconds I remember in slow motion…my mother shouting “Jesus, Mary and Joseph and the Saints protect us” before her motherly instinct made her run to the rescue of my brother Nigel, first grabbing her packet of cigarettes and lighter, then grabbing him around the waist, exiting the door without missing a step. I remember her running on her tip toes through the dark blue liquid mess like a swan walking on water during final take off from a pond. I recall my father sitting there his face furrowed with confusion; his reactions hadn’t kicked in yet. He hadn’t had his first cup of tea and his caffeine deprived brain was not capable of making the required split second decisions. We kids sat dumbfounded – mouths wide open – our instincts were to immediately lift our legs, but unfortunately a knee hit the table and dislodged it from its supporting nylon groove and it went crashing to the floor with all the breakfast dishes. A steam cloud drifted from the broken tea-pot as the blue tidal wave enveloped it. As we sat holding our legs off the ground looking pitifully for guidance from our dad, I remember him lifting us one by one and helping us evacuate through the front window. As he lifted us I remember his pre-vomit retching, and tears running down his face. A crowd of fellow campers started gathering outside our caravan to see what all the commotion was about. They were worried we might have had a gas leak.

At the end of the summer, we sold the caravan for a bargain price. The buyer was very happy with the deal he got. The family stood quietly watching him as he handed over the money. We had a secret that he didn’t know about. To us, this was the equivalent of someone buying a house without knowing that it had been involved in a horrific murder.

Toilet Humor – Cautions for Presenters:
The chemical toilet story above leads into an important perspective I would like to share. Every now and then I get to witness a presenter using toilet humor. The results are typically the same. There is sometimes a polite groan from some people in the audience, and some hesitant or nervous laughter amongst a sprinkling of people who might have found it somewhat funny.

Wikipedia defines toilet humor, or scatological humor, as a type of off-color humor dealing with defecation, urination, flatulence, vomiting, and other bodily functions.

It is important to understand that public reference to bodily functions is taboo in many cultures, and as a presenter you run the risk of being noticed in a very negative way.

As a storyteller and humorist I have a plethora of material to choose from and I analyze my audiences to understand what kind of humor will work best. I would never deliver material to an audience with the knowledge that I would potentially upset or embarrass anyone.

I would appreciate any feedback or personal stories on incorporating humor into presentations. Please use the comments section below, or send me an e-mail at dave@davehillspeaks.com. Let us help each other succeed.
Thanks,
Dave Hill

Dave Hill – Public Speaking Website (Bio, Keynotes, Workshops, Video clips, Articles, Contact Info, etc.)
• Web:http://www.davehillspeaks.com
• Articles: http://www.davehillspeaks.wordpress.com
• Video clips: http://www.youtube.com/user/davehillspeaks#g/p

Copyright © 2010 Dave Hill Speaks LLC all rights reserved.

Attention Grabbing Presentation Skills – How to Develop Humor for Presentations and Speeches – “Attack of the Pink Bunny Slippers”

Dave Hill - Article on Developing and Delivering Humor

It was 2 am and my pregnant wife and I were driving towards the hospital at high speed in Toronto, Canada. She had one leg out the passenger car window and one leg up on the dashboard. Her water had just broken and my new car was never to have a “new car smell” again. When her water broke, I did what any young, panic-stricken man would do…I instinctively put the windshield wipers on full speed. My wife scowled at me and with just a touch of sarcasm, she said, “You are not bringing much to the gene pool today, are you?”

Suddenly the car shuddered. It shuddered again. Do you know how men like to run the gas tank down to the fume level? Having luck of the Irish on my side, I somehow managed to freewheel the car into a gas station…with my wife hitting me over the head with her pink slipper with the little bunny rabbits on the toes, shouting, “I can’t believe I am married to an idiot!”

As I paid for the gas at the machine, it asked me if I wanted a manager’s special free car wash. For a split-second, I contemplated her reaction if I drove into the car wash for “the works”. Then I remembered the angry pink bunny slippers, got into the car, and drove at high speed towards the hospital thinking to myself, “Nothing can go wrong now.” Then I saw the blue flashing light in my mirror. The Canadian police officer got out of his car. He went over to the passenger side of the car where my wife’s leg was still sticking out, flicked on his flashlight, and instinctively jumped backwards. He was apparently checking for joy riders, but soon realized that there was no joy happening in the car…my screaming wife gave out to him for inappropriately shining his flashlight. The police officer regained his composure and shouted out, “Follow me, eh!”

There we were driving through Toronto at 120 kilometers per hour. With my wife’s leg still sticking out the window, there were hurricane force winds in the car, and her long hair was slapping me on my head. I did not mind because…it is not in my nature to complain about hair on my head! I again thought to myself, “Nothing can go wrong now!” Then my wife shouted, “The policeman is taking us…to the wrong hospital!” I turned off at the next exit, leaving the police officer on his high-speed misguided journey.

At the hospital, my wife was sitting in the birthing chair. Her feet were in the stirrups still wearing those pink slippers with those angry, nasty bunnies. The nurse exclaimed that my wife was 10 CM dilated. Being an inquisitive, rather annoying engineer, I asked the nurse, “Why do we measure the cervix gizmo in Centimeters and then measure the baby in inches?” With my wife, shouting for painkillers, the nurse politely told me to, “Shut-up, eh.”

It was then that I noticed the doctor reaching for painkillers. I grabbed his arm and told him that my wife made me promise several months earlier that there would be no painkillers. She wanted a natural birth. My word is my honor, but it turned out that my word was my horror…she really wanted those painkillers.

Suddenly, the doctor asked everyone to be quiet and stated, “This baby is going to be born within one minute.” With “Painkillers now!” being shouted by my wife, I looked at my watch and noticed that it had been 2 hours since she had started having contractions. For some reason, I exclaimed aloud, “Isn’t it great that that this is our first child, and we are having an easy birth?”

The room went stone cold silent, and a pink bunny slipper went zipping past my ear. I think it was the nurse that threw it that time.

Then baby Claire was born, and all negativity disappeared from the room. The mystery and beauty of nature and the healing power of humor helped bring our world back to being a happy place. My wife hugged me, smiled, and whispered in my ear, “The pink bunny slippers will get you if you talk about this in public.”

Using the bunny slippers story to understand humor development and delivery:
A 5-minute video clip example of me delivering this story in 1997 can be viewed at
http://www.youtube.com/user/davehillspeaks#p/c/8A9F5AAAA59C60E6/0/Df9uJw0OK1A
Notice the sections that get the audience laughing and the strongest humor parts. Included in the video is some scrolling text that summarizes the humor techniques I use. Here are the descriptions of the scrolling descriptions in the order that they appear:

1. Word play (even though my car was never to have a new car smell again)
The reason the audience laughs at this is that I have related my wife’s water breaking to a smell in the car, without actually saying it.
2. Exaggeration (putting the windshield wipers on at full speed)
The reason exaggeration works is that the audience easily detects that you are either inflating or deflating the truth.
3. Stereo-Type (men running the gas tank run low)
The most powerful stories are where the audience has had similar experiences or can relate in some other way to what you are describing. When this is coupled with visual descriptions, this can be highly effective.
4. Exaggeration (hitting the idiot husband with a slipper)
The reason exaggeration works is that the audience easily detects that you are either inflating or deflating the truth. My wife hitting me with her slipper because I have run out of gas is obvious exaggeration.
5. Exaggeration (gas station)
A gas station offering a free car wash is somewhat believable. However, contemplating using it when your 9-months-pregnant wife is in the car is obvious exaggeration.
6. Visual Image (flashlight)
The power of visual images is that you are providing detailed descriptions to the extent that the audiences see the details in the scenes you are describing. They also feel that the story is unfolding right there in front of them.
7. Word-Play (He was looking for joy-riders; he found there was no joy in the car)
This is a simple means of getting a laugh. You take a common idiom, saying, or quotation, and put one of the words in a different context.
8. Dialogue
Dialogue brings stories into the present tense and is one of the most effective means of making the audience feel that they are right there, witnessing the event.

9. Make fun of yourself (her hair was slapping on my face, but I didn’t mind. It’s not in my nature to complain about hair on my head)
Making fun of yourself gives the audience a reason to laugh with no risk. When you are poking fun at yourself, you are highlighting your weaknesses and building your likability. This is a great starting point for anyone wanting to get an audience chuckling. As a bald person, the hair on the head joke works very well.
10. Visual images (wife in the birthing chair with her feet in the stirrups)
The power of visual images is that you are providing detailed descriptions to the extent that the audiences see the details in the scenes you are describing. They also feel that the story is unfolding right there in front of them.
11. Make fun of yourself (annoying engineer)
Making fun of yourself gives the audience a reason to laugh with no risk. When you are poking fun at yourself, you are highlighting your weaknesses and building your likability. As an engineer, I can play with the stereotype image of an engineer to make fun of myself.
12. Dialogue (nurse – shut up)
Dialogue brings stories into the present tense and is one of the most effective means of making the audience feel that they are right there witnessing the event.

I would appreciate any feedback or personal stories on incorporating humor into presentations. Please use the comments section below, or send me an e-mail at dave@davehillspeaks.com. Let us help each other succeed.
Thanks,
Dave Hill

Dave Hill – Public Speaking Website (Bio, Keynotes, Workshops, Video clips, Articles, Contact Info, etc.)
• Web:http://www.davehillspeaks.com
• Articles: http://www.davehillspeaks.wordpress.com
• Video clips: http://www.youtube.com/user/davehillspeaks#g/p

Copyright © 2010 Dave Hill Speaks LLC all rights reserved.

Attention Grabbing Presentation Skills – How to Develop Humor for Presentations and Speeches – “To Kill a Mocking Duck”

Dave Hill Demonstrates the Art of Humor Development

Imagine you are living in small town in Ireland where the most exhilarating event for the year is a duck chase. Picture freckled Irish people with prison white skin looking at freezing cold water, getting ready to chase after a mangy-looking, stressed out duck.

At 7 years old, I was a contestant in this event where they got a wild duck, clipped its feathers so it could not fly, and let it go in the sea. The swimmer who caught it got to keep it. Can you feel the utter excitement in my writing?

The town official holding the wriggling bird shouted, “Duck!” and threw it towards the water. The chase was on. My body hit the freezing cold water, and since I had an IQ slightly better than a duck, I swam underwater. I swam submerged until I had bubbles coming out my ears. All those years of my brothers holding my head underwater in the toilet bowl and flushing (apparently helping me practice deep sea diving) was finally paying off. When my head broke the surface, I grabbed the duck and shouted, “I have won, I have won, I have a pet duck!”

I arrived home just as my dad was leaving the house, I shouted out, “Daddy, daddy, daddy, I won a duck, I won a duck!” My father being a practical, rather cruel man, said, “You brought it home, you prepare it.” “Define prepare,” I stated. “Kill it, remove its feathers and guts and have it ready to cook when I get home.” He got in his car and drove away, leaving me with my 7 year old mouth wide open.

I went into the kitchen and considered how I was going to do this nasty deed. I plucked one feather and the duck protested loudly. I then had a brilliant idea. I got some of my mother’s leg hair removal wax and a whole pile of cotton strips. I read the instructions and it said it was virtually painless. It was just what I was looking for. I spread the wax over the duck and applied one of the cotton strips then I ripped it off…and pressed…as it said in the instructions. I am not sure if this was ‘virtually painless’, as the duck’s eyes became as big as baseballs!

When he was featherless, I noticed he was shivering so I went and got him my little brother’s tee-shirt. It was then I noticed that there was one of those spy movies on the TV. They were at the part where they had the spy tied to a pole, blindfolded and were giving him his last cigarette. “Brilliant!” I thought. I then made him a little blindfold out of a cotton strip and gave him one of my mother’s cigarettes that were lying on the counter. He gripped it tightly in his mouth and I lit it. Have you ever heard a duck cough?

I then took a sharp carving knife and in one fowl swoop, the duck’s head was lying on the counter still smoking the cigarette. Those things must be addictive! It was then that the body of the headless duck got up and ran away, spurting blood. I ran after it shouting, “Stop, stop!”, which was kind of silly since a) ducks don’t speak English b) ducks don’t follow instructions, and c) his ears and head were back in the kitchen.
The duck collapsed on the carpet and then the door burst open. It was the village “DEA” (duck enforcement agency). They pushed me out of the way, took the cigarette out of the duck’s mouth, and put the severed head back on with tape, then performed CPR. They brought that duck back to life.

Not only does my village have a reputation for the best duck chase in the world, it is also known as the town that invented that life saving medical equipment that is used to re-attach severed limbs. To this day it is known as…duck tape.

Using the duck story to understand humor development and delivery:
In 1997 I was starting to get comfortable speaking in front of large audiences. My dedication to speech development and delivery was starting to pay off, and I discovered that I loved telling stories. It was at this time something happened that would catapult my energy levels and help me gain a whole new passion for public speaking and get noticed. What happened during my speech had never happened before- a bond seemed to form with the audience, and then the rolling laughter started to flow. The story above is an abridged version of a tall-tale speech I delivered at a local competition.

Over 10 years later, I am now coaching people and writing articles on presentation skills. One of the most challenging things for me is to find a way to write and share my strategies regarding humor development and delivery. While coaching people face-to-face on storytelling, embellishment, and humor, it is easy for me to demonstrate by example using the combination of techniques that maximize the effectiveness (such as writing for visual effect, gestures, facial expressions, purposeful pauses and movement, intonation, eye contact, impact words etc.). When reviewing a written speech, I find it easy to analyze the sentences and find areas to develop and deliver humor. The question is: How do I share my thoughts through written articles?

I have pondered this for nearly a year and have come to the conclusion that a combination of writing and video clip demonstrations is the best forum for me to share my techniques.

A 5 minute video clip example of me delivering the duck tall tale competition speech in 1997 can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/user/davehillspeaks#p/c/8A9F5AAAA59C60E6/1/gGyb2_4z4Dk
Notice the sections that get the audience laughing and the strongest humor parts. Included in the video are some scrolling text that summarizes the humor techniques I use. Here are the descriptions of the scrolling descriptions in the order that they appear:

1. Exaggeration (the excitement of the duck chase in my village in Ireland)
The reason exaggeration works is that the audience easily detects that you are either inflating or deflating the truth
2. Fun of myself (Making fun of myself by indicating I have a similar IQ to a duck)
Making fun of yourself gives the audience a reason to laugh with no risk. When you are poking fun at yourself, you are highlighting your weaknesses and building your likability. This is a great starting point for anyone wanting to get an audience chuckling.
3. Visual image (holding my breath underwater to the extent that bubbles are coming out)
The power of visual images is that you are providing detailed descriptions to the extent that the audiences see the details in the scenes you are describing. They also feel that the story is unfolding right there in front of them.
4. Relate to the audience (cruel brother)
The most powerful stories are where the audience have had similar experiences or can relate in some other way to what you are describing. When this is coupled with visual descriptions this can be highly effective
5. K-Sound (cruel dad)
This may sound weird, but audiences laugh at the “Kuh” sound of a word when put in certain context. When you are developing humor, you can change a word to get a more effective effect. An example would be if I had a humorous sentence relating to tomato sauce, I would use ketchup instead.
6. Dialogue (define prepare)
Dialogue brings stories into the present tense and is one of the most effective means of making the audience feel that they are right there witnessing the event.
7. Take on the character (duck)
Taking on the character gives you the benefit of being able to take on different accents and physical character attributes that illuminate your story.
8. Relate to the audience (private drawer)
The most powerful stories are where the audience have had similar experiences or can relate in some other way to what you are describing. When this is coupled with visual descriptions, this can be highly effective
9. Visual image (honey wax hair remover)
The power of visual images is that you are providing detailed descriptions to the extent that the audiences see the details in the scenes you are describing as they unfold. Notice that it is mainly the women in the audience laughing at this.
10. Opposite (hair removal using wax is painless)
The reason the opposite of reality works is that it is an exaggeration to a level that the audience clearly understands that you are either inflating or deflating the truth
11. Visual image (wax strips)
The power of visual images is that you are providing detailed descriptions to the extent that the audiences see the details in the scenes you are describing. In this scene women are laughing when they relate to my description of pulling off the wax strips and immediately “pressing” to control the pain.
12. Visual image (baseball eyes)
The power of visual images is that you are providing detailed descriptions to the extent that the audiences see the details in the scenes you are describing. Everyone can relate to a cartoon character that is in a high pain situation and they emphasize this by making the eyes grow big and sometimes even project from the eye-sockets.
13. Crazy (putting a T-Shirt on the naked duck)
The reason the relatively crazy exaggeration works is that the audience picks up that you are either inflating or deflating the truth and they can also visualize what is going on.
14. Exaggerate (using a chainsaw to kill the duck)
The reason the relatively crazy exaggeration works is that the audience picks up that you are either inflating or deflating the truth. Using a chainsaw to kill a duck is easily identified as being embellished.
15. Visual image (duck head lying on the counter still smoking the cigarette) The power of visual images is that you are providing detailed descriptions to the extent that the audiences see the details in the scenes you are describing. Can you visualize the head of the duck lying horizontally on the counter smoking the cigarette and puffing out clouds of smoke?
16. Crazy drama (blood spurting from the neck of the running headless duck) The reason the relatively crazy exaggeration works is that the audience have probably heard that birds with their heads cut off can still run away. You are now providing the visual and audible details to bring this to life. The audience also clearly realizes that you are either inflating or deflating the truth.
17. Rule of 3 (head-ears)
This is an extremely easy and powerful way of developing humor. The reason it is effective is because you are fooling the audiences brains. The format is set-up, set-up, twist. With the set-up you are leading them in a certain direction and then the twist takes them by surprise. For more detailed information on the humor rule of 3, see my previous article at https://davehillspeaks.wordpress.com/2010/10/09/1108/
18. Crazy (the arrival of the DEA – the Duck Enforcement Agency)
The reason the relatively crazy exaggeration works is that the audience picks up that you are either inflating or deflating the truth. I have also taken a relatively common acronym “DEA” and twisted it around for my purposes. If audience members were not familiar with the acronym the effect would have been lost.
19. Twist (the medical saving device invented by my village in Ireland is now called…duck tape)
You trick the audiences mind with something unexpected. This is the same reason that you get laughter from the humor rule-of-three. What makes this even more effective is that the humor punch word is at the end (this triggers laughter).

I would appreciate any feedback or personal stories on developing humor for speeches and presentations. Please use the comments section below, or send me an e-mail at dave@davehillspeaks.com. Let’s help each other succeed.
Thanks,
Dave Hill

Dave Hill – Public Speaking Website (Bio, Keynotes, Workshops, Video clips, Articles, Contact Info, etc.)
• Web:http://www.davehillspeaks.com
• Articles: http://www.davehillspeaks.wordpress.com
• Video clips: http://www.youtube.com/user/davehillspeaks#g/p

Copyright © 2010 Dave Hill Speaks LLC all rights reserved.

Attention Grabbing Presentation Skills –The Humor Rule-Of-Three – “I Stood Trapped Between Mummy Bear & Her Cub”

Dave Hill Discusses the Humor Rule-of-Three

Crrrraaaaack! The sound of a breaking tree branch exploded into the silence of the night. We were camping in the Canadian wilderness. My girlfriend whispered, “Did you hear that?” “Yes,” I answered. “Are you afraid?” she asked. “No,” I lied. Then she said the seven little words that every man hates. “Go outside and see what it is.” I nervously opened the zipper of the tent armed with only a little flashlight. There to my right was the cutest little baby bear you have ever seen. “Growl, growl, growl,” its little bear cub voice called out. I was just thinking to myself that this will make a great humorous speech story when the loud angry sound of Mummy Bear roaring, “Growl, growl, growl!” came from my other side. Mummy Bear was on my left, Baby Bear was on my right and I, “dinner”, was in between.

Do you know how some people can face danger and do incredibly brave things with adrenaline pouring into their bloodstreams? That never happened to me! I flung the flashlight at the mommy bear, causing her to rear up even higher, and ran and climbed a tree shouting out, “A bear, a bear, run for your life!”

The bear shook the tree angrily, validating the saying that when Mummy Bear ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. While the tree was swaying like a pendulum, my brain was saying, “Climb higher!” My stomach was saying, “Jump and run!” And my bladder was saying, “Evacuate!” As I was evacuating, I fell from the tree, rolled towards the fireplace, and instinctively grabbed a piece of wood to use as a weapon. Out of my mouth came a blood curdling scream, “Ahhhhhhh!” My girlfriend peered through the zipper of the tent just in time to see Mummy Bear and the cub run into the forest.

Christine is now my wife, and she still wonders how someone my size can be so brave to take on a bear. Between you and me, when I picked up that piece of wood, I felt fear, I felt anger, I felt…the searing red hot embers burning into the palms of my hand from the still smoldering piece of wood!

The Humor Rule of Three – Simple and Highly Effective Ways to Develop Humor:
The humorous speech excerpt above is from an award winning speech I delivered in 2008 to an audience of about 200 people. I will use this speech as an example of the effectiveness of the humor rule of three. The focus is on the sections that are in bold above.

So what is the Humor Rule-of-Three and why is it so Effective?
The human brain finds it easy to process information that is presented in groups of three. For example, in a race they shout out, “Ready, get set, go!” From a presenter’s point of view, you often see PowerPoint presentations showing information in groups of three bullet points.

The humor rule-of-three sets a pattern that follows the formula set-up, set-up, twist, or set-up, anticipation, twist. What gets laughter is that basically you are fooling the audience’s brains. The first two setups get the brain rationalizing in a certain direction. The brain, which is thinking ahead, automatically tries to come up with the third item before you say it. When your twist is totally off in another direction, the audience responds with laughter.

The humor rule-of-three in the speech excerpt above is demonstrated in the four sections as follows:

Example 1: (Set-up #1) Mummy Bear was on my left, (Set-up #2) Baby Bear was on my right, and I, (Twist #3) “dinner”, was in between.

Example 2: (Set-up #1 Do you know how some people can face danger and (Set-up #2) do incredibly brave things with adrenaline pouring into their bloodstreams? (Twist #3) That never happened to me!

Example 3: While the tree was swaying like a pendulum, (Set-up #1) my brain was saying, “Climb higher!”(Set-up #2) My stomach was saying, “Jump and run!” (Twist #3) And my bladder was saying, “Evacuate!”

Example 4: (Set-up #1) I felt fear, (Set-up #2)I felt anger, I felt…(Twist #3) the searing red hot embers burning into the palms of my hand from the still smoldering piece of wood!

The bear attack story showing these four examples and the audience’s reaction can be viewed on my YouTube Video Channel (5 minutes): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuuWYBSnfHY

A video clip illustrating the rule-of-three in three different stories can also be viewed on my YouTube Video Channel (2 minutes): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c4z1TKgFy8&playnext=1&videos=ET5k_3EM39M&feature=mfu_in_order

How to Practically Use this Technique:
The rule-of-three is one of the simplest and most effective humor techniques to use. As I am writing out my stories and honing them, I am looking out for areas where I am describing multiple items, where humor would benefit from the 1, 2, and 3 structure. Once I identify sentenses where this is possible, I then spend a lot of time determining what would be an effective twist.

In my efforts to maximize the effectiveness of a story, I often spend hours trying to find a suitable twist, I am thinking about the sentence 1) when I am walking my dog, 2) when I am driving my car, 3) when I am… (You fill in the blank with a humor twist! What would be an absurd thing to be doing while thinking of a humor twist?). To focus in on finding the most effective twist, I look at the sentence and I see movement (walking, driving) as a common trend. I now would try and structure the sentence so that the movement would be in a natural progression to move the audience’s brains in a certain direction (walk, jog, run). The sentence would now easily evolve to something like this:

“In my efforts to maximize the effectiveness of a story I often spend hours finding a suitable twist, I am thinking about the sentence 1) when I am walking my dog, 2) when I am jogging, 3) when I am running…”
I am now going to focus the twist on something that will relate to running. The kind of things that I will consider include; running from the IRS, running to the bathroom, running to the pub before it closes. None of these are exceptional, but with enough analysis time, something will eventually emerge.

The time invested in this process may seem excessive but when you get the audience’s laughter it is well worth the effort. Once you find sentences that work, you can add them to your library of tried and tested humor which can be used more than once.

Final Note:
Example #3 above is one of my favorite as it also included a play on words which complimented the rule-of-three humor. Once I identified that I was going to have three organs giving me “advice”, I stumbled upon the double entendre use of the word “evacuate” with relation to the bladder.

I would appreciate any feedback or personal stories on incorporating the humor rule-of-three into presentations. Please use the comments section below, or send me an e-mail at dave@davehillspeaks.com. Let’s help each other succeed.
Thanks,
Dave Hill

Dave Hill – Public Speaking Website (Bio, Keynotes, Workshops, Video Clips, Articles, Contact Information, etc.)
• Web:http://www.davehillspeaks.com
• Articles: http://www.davehillspeaks.wordpress.com
• Video clips: http://www.youtube.com/user/davehillspeaks#g/p
• Dave’s humor observations on Twitter http://twitter.com/davehillspeaks
• LinkedIn Profile http://www.linkedin.com/in/davehillspeaks

Copyright © 2010 Dave Hill Speaks LLC all rights reserved.

Attention Grabbing Presentation Skills – Practicing Safe Humor – “My Brothers Shorts Exploded”

It was June 16th, 1978, and summer had finally arrived in Ireland. The warm sunshine was piercing the shadow of our garden trees and shining brightly on the grass. Lying on the ground was my younger brother Nigel; he was the picture of peacefulness as he dozed in the early afternoon. I crept over to him with mischief in mind; I could see that he was totally out of it in a deep slumber lying on his back. A wicked smile came to my face as I formulated a plan to destroy the pristine and picture perfect setting. The boredom of my day was literally going to explode into action.

I tiptoed back to the side wall of the house where a garden hose was curled up. I opened up the tap to run the water to feel how cold it was, and fill it completely. In Ireland, the cool climate keeps the tap water temperature somewhere in the 50 degrees Fahrenheit range, plenty cold enough for my purposes. I shut the tap off.

I gently and quietly uncoiled the hose so that I could drag it unnoticed. I tip-toed barefoot along the grass while silently pulling the open ended garden hose. My heart beat loudly as I got closer to my brother. The smile on my face was at the point of beaming as I envisioned the outcome of my brilliant plan. Being a mischievous teenager was so much fun.

With the hose in hand I stooped down to where the lower leg seam of my brother’s shorts was exposed. There was a bit of a gap which allowed me to gently insert the hose a few inches without touching his skin. I also placed a nearby small rock on the hose a few feet from the open end to prevent it from dislodging from the force of the water.

Back at the side wall of the house where the ¼ turn tap handle was, I peered around the corner, ready to put my plan into action. Being at the side of the house, I would be hidden from my brother’s line of sight. In a swift move, I fully opened the tap and the hose snorted as the water cascaded through. I gazed around the corner to get a view of the turmoil, and suddenly my brother’s shorts exploded into a tsunami of freezing cold water. His reactions appeared to go into slow motion; his body first appeared to levitate horizontally. With a confused look on his face, his sleepy brain tried to work out what was happening. As he stood up, the hose fell from the leg of his shorts and he noticed my grinning face peering from around the corner in the distance. With his hysterical screams, shouts, and fists clenched tightly, this was not to have a happy ending for me.

I am now 50 years old. I still have a strong sense of humor and mischief; however, I have grown to understand that there is a line of acceptable behavior. This also translates into using humor in presentations. I coach people to analyze the audience they will be presenting to and make sure that the humor is appropriate for the occasion and the audience. I use humor in nearly every presentation I conduct, whether it is a funny story that illuminates a point, or to provide entertainment and information retention when conducting technical training. Humor is such a powerful tool that it is well worth the effort to learn how to develop it and to incorporate it into speeches and presentations. In the professional speaking world, there is a question and answer that gives a clear indication of the benefits:
Question: Do I need to use stories and humor in my presentations?
Answer: No…..you only need to use stories and humor if you want to get paid!

Humor can help you form a bond with the audience and help them relax. The added benefits are that it can help illuminate your point to make it understandable and help retention. Imagine how good it feels to have someone come up to you and say, “I remember you- you told the hilarious story about….. when you presented to my group several years ago.”

A short video clip example of me making fun of myself during a presentation can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/user/davehillspeaks#p/c/3A2ECDC9F2DC20E2/1/Bq0a4ybDtbE. Notice the audience reaction.

Engage your audience by making fun of yourself:
1. Humor is a powerful tool to use in all speaking occasions. One of the most important considerations as a presenter should be to asking the question “Is the humor appropriate for the audience and the occasion?” I highly recommend analyzing your audience to the extent that is practical and feasible. It can be beneficial to interview people to find out what is topical, what subjects are off limits, and to get some feedback on the humor you are considering using. Building your instinct to be able to determine when to use humor is critical for success. The humor instinct comes with experience and thoughtfulness.

While coaching a woman for a huge California event where she would be speaking to over 1000 of her peers, a question came up regarding the use of a line of risqué humor she had written. She really wanted to include levity in her presentation but was in two minds about using what she had written. She had been advised by friends to give it a shot. I asked her about the audience, how well she knew them, what percentage of men to women, age group, purpose of the event, what she was trying to achieve at the event, etc. It became very clear that this event, if done properly could build her credibility and her business. The humor line she was considering using was not exceptional, in fact it was at the pun level. The end result was that I recommended she leave it out. She did not know everyone in the audience, the pun could easily be taken badly, it could reflect on her professionalism, and it could have a significant impact on the potential growth of her business. Just because some people laugh does not necessarily make the humor appropriate. We have all been in a situation where someone told a joke or story where there were some groans of laughter, but in our minds, we silently considered it inappropriate and we viewed the person telling it negatively.
2. As a short, fat, bald Irishman who speaks with an Irish accent, let me tell you that the safest humor is typically making fun of yourself. This is also a great way to warm up an audience and start them laughing. Audiences are very comfortable laughing at someone who is making fun of themselves. If you are making fun of others, people may be hesitant to laugh and decide to wait and see if others will laugh first (particularly smaller audiences). If you do not have a few instinctive laughers (the kind of people who are typically first to laugh and do it instinctively) then you may just get silence or token groans.

One of the best examples I have seen of someone poking fun at themselves and getting the audience rolling with laughter was at a corporate office meeting. The morning presentation was interrupted upon arrival of a sandwich lunch, which was laid out on a table outside the conference room. As everyone ate their lunch, the out of place, loud beeping sound of a truck reversing penetrated the room. Accompanied by this noise was a coworker walking through the door slowly, in reverse, with his plate overflowing with food. With a big smile on his face, the people in the conference room spontaneously erupted into laughter. The 300+ lb. coworker had recently acquired a two-way radio that hung on his belt and came with a choice of emergency sounds. His sense of humor was spot-on, and I will never forget this hilarious scene. It has been several years since this event; however, I still find myself talking about it several times a year.

I would appreciate any feedback or personal stories on incorporating humor into presentations. Please use the comments section below, or send me an e-mail at dave@davehillspeaks.com. Let’s help each other succeed.
Thanks,
Dave Hill

Dave Hill – Public Speaking Website (Bio, Keynotes, Workshops, video clips, articles, contact info. etc.)
• Web:http://www.davehillspeaks.com
• Articles: http://www.davehillspeaks.wordpress.com
• Video clips: http://www.youtube.com/user/davehillspeaks#g/p
• Dave’s humor observations on Twitter http://twitter.com/davehillspeaks

Copyright © 2010 Dave Hill Speaks LLC all rights reserved.