Magnify your punch lines

— John Kinde (JohnKinde@HumorPower.com)

The key is in the delivery. It’s what you do.

In the business of delivering your humor, there is a technique referred to as a “take.” A take is your physical response to a joke. For example, you may deliver a joke and then raise your eyebrows. Or tilt your head. Or open your eyes wide. Facial expressions are some of the most popular takes.

Using a take is like putting an exclamation point at the end of your humor line. It helps you drive home the humor. It signals the audience to realize, “Hey, this is supposed to be funny!”

There are a couple of approaches to using takes. One way is to look for a different physical delivery technique for every punch line. This can make the talk more interesting for you. And this can add a colorful variety to your speech. We also know from the acting business that it is easier to remember lines if they are linked to a physical action. So your jokes will be easier to remember, each linked to a different take.

Another approach is to use the same take for each punch line. This conditions the audience to laugh. Two classic comedians used repetitive takes which became signatures: George Burns’ puff on the cigar and Rodney Dangerfield’s tug of the necktie. They were sending signals to the audience that it was time to laugh.

You will find that even small takes can produce good results. Just a small wink might just be what you need to get the laughs. Experiment and have fun.