Simile is a comparison of two things which, however different in other respects, have some strong point or points in common. The words 'like' and 'as' will normally be used when making the comparison.

You might say, 'Getting this contract signed is as impossible as trying to smuggle daybreak past a rooster.' Contracts and roosters don't have much in common (which is funny), but in this case, the presenter is telling you what they do have in common. Getting the contract signed and...

I run across funny signs all the time. I try to take a mental note or take a picture of the sign for later use during a public speaking engagement.

John Jay Daly, a speaker friend of mine, does a hysterical slide presentation called 'The Wacky, Wonderful World of Washington.' Many of the slides are of signs that he has seen around Washington, D.C.

My favorite is a sign that says, 'In case of nuclear attack, the ban on school prayer will be lifted.' Another slide has a brass...

Self-effacing humor, or making fun of yourself is quite a contrast. It is a very powerful form of humor that gets its strength from highlighting your weaknesses. It seems that people who have the ability to laugh at themselves in just the right amount during a public speaking engagement are perceived as secure, confident, strong, and likeable.

With this type of humor, a little goes a long way. If you overdo it during a public speaking engagement, you will look like a doomsayer who...

Quotations are safe to use during public speaking engagements because if the quotation is not funny, it doesn't matter since you are just reciting it. You did not write it. It can still be used to make your point.

You can use the power of the name of the person who did write it. People will be more likely to laugh or at least chuckle if a famous person made up the quotation.

If you are not sure to whom the quotation belongs, it does not matter at all. Unless I am absolutely...

(Note: Determine if this is politically correct for your audience.)

You can throw in a cute diversion to a boring public speaking engagement by attributing a saying to an ancient Chinese philosopher. Since these sayings are not attributed to anyone in particular, feel free to change or update them to fit your situation and to enhance their humor.

(The term 'original' here means as original as something can be after being recited and translated for several hundred...

Some places are simply funnier than others. Cleveland is funny. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is funny. I live just off Goodluck Road. That's funny. My computer consultant used to live on Easy Street in Temple Hills, Maryland. That's funny. It was hard to find him because people were always stealing the sign, and it's not easy to steal an Easy Street sign.

I guarantee that if you pick up any map that has city or street names on it, within a few seconds, you will find a funny name. If...

One-liner is a general term for very short pieces of humor. Using one-liners is probably the best and easiest way to begin adding humor to your public speaking engagements. These brief bits of humor are quick and easy to deliver and they don't have to be all that funny to be effective. If you are a little apprehensive about using humor, this is the place to start.

The audience likes one-liners, because they can get a quick mental break from content heavy material. Also, if the...

A malaprop is an absurd misuse of words. It can be from words that sound alike (sadistic and statistic) or from explanations that don't make any sense. You can use these on purpose as a humor technique during your public speaking engagements. Consider some of the classic examples below:

Casey Stengel

* I want you all to line up in alphabetical order according to your size.

* I guess I'll have to start from scraps.

* If people don't want to come to the ballpark,...

Juxtaposition is the placing, side by side, of two ideas or items usually for the purpose of comparison or contrast.

I staged an event at Washington National Airport where I had a huge 450-pound man and a very small man (three feet eleven inches) dressed as chauffeurs. They were waiting at the gate for a man from Japan arriving for his first visit to the United States.

To take the comical juxtaposition one step further, the small man was holding a gigantic sign with the...

Nowadays, public speaking has become one of the most lucrative industries around.Financially successful public speakers are quite common and one great thing about this career is that it requires no formal education or noteworthy achievements for someone to break out as a new speaker. One can gain recognition while establishing a public speaking career.

Getting into the speaking industry requires a marketer's aptitude as well as actual speaking skills.After all, the principal means...