My podcast this week is from the Effective Public Speaking book. I'm partway through the reorganization and threading of more specific ideas for writers and consultants.
Enjoy!
The Podcast:
The Transcript:
This is 60 Seconds of Writing in Public with Johanna Rothman for April 18, 2025, where I read an excerpt of just a minute of some writing in progress. (Yes, I have a head cold.)
This is from the Effective Public Speaking book.
Unless You Are a Comic, Skip the Jokes
Sometimes, I hear speaking advice that says, “Start with a joke.” Unless you are using content marketing to market your book about humor, there's a problem with that. What you consider funny might not be funny to your audience. Too often, those jokes destroy any empathy you might build with the audience. And few of us public speakers are comedians.
Worse, the joke is probably not relevant.
While I often use humor—especially self-deprecating humor—I never tell jokes. Instead, start your presentation with a story that the audience will find relevant and interesting.
The Video:
The video link.