Especially if you wish to be a paid presenter. Coaches groom athletes. Teachers train musicians. Pros seek pointers from other pros. The more proficient you want to become, the more you need instruction and direction to enhance and polish your skills. After switching careers — from stand-up comedian to motivational humorist — I sought guidance in putting together a suitable program for the speaking profession. I worked with veteran comedy writer and producer Milt Josefsberg (All In The Family, Laverne and Shirley, Lucille Ball, Jack Benny, Bob Hope, et al) on my keynote speech. I gave him the script and a tape of a live talk. He made many suggestions for trimming sentences, cutting words and adding amusing lines to stories that would make them funnier.
Long hours were spent perfecting the script, making subtle changes that most people would never even notice. In addition to improving the comedic quality of my presentation, Milt provided me with a better handle on the kind of humor required of me from the platform. Even more valuable were his enthusiastic comments and encouragement. These kind words, coming from a master of the craft whom I highly respected, boosted my morale and gave me a feeling of accomplishment.
No polished professional ever got that way without the counsel and objectivity of other pros.
These tips and pointers are meant to be time-savers, simple suggestions to help pave the way toward achieving greater success in the art of storytelling. Making people laugh is an honorable and noble undertaking. From the medieval days of the court jester to the contemporary antics of Jay Leno and Robin Williams, funny people have nurtured and contributed to one of the world’s greatest natural resources — laughter. The work is demanding but the rewards are sublime for those who devote their lives to it. In his book All My Best Friends, George Burns writes, “There is nothing that feels as good as standing on stage and hearing the laughter and applause of an audience.” May that joy be yours in abundance.
***Excerpted from the Larry Wilde book Treasury of Laughter***
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