How to feel less nervous about speaking at your own funeral - presentations skills, tips and tricks to avoid dying in front of an audience

They say that laughter is the best medicine. Turns out, whoever ‘they’ are, they aren’t far from the truth. In several top leadership studies, including Gallop and Harvard, having a GSOH makes leaders appear more competent.  

“People who use humour, particularly in stressful or seemingly difficult situations are viewed as being on top of things, being in charge and in control, whether they are in fact or not,”  so says Harvard Business Review. 

Humour really helps when it comes to presenting and public speaking, but there’s a big difference between telling jokes and using humour. Telling jokes in a business presentation is a very high-risk strategy, and unless you’ve been on the circuit, refining your craft for many years, it’s not something we’d recommend. When you get it right though, it sets you apart from others and is a powerful tool to help engage your audience.

But one of the realities of presenting is it doesn’t always go as you predicted. 

So, what can we do? 

Well, our one-day course will show you how to bring fun and humour to learning, presentations and speaking events. But this isn’t just any presentation skills course! It’s a masterclass presented by Laughology’s Kerry Leigh, comedian and popular speaker. She’ll give you a unique insight into how comedians use language, and leverage the power of humour for storytelling. Thus, helping you create memorable talks and presentations that encourage positive action from your audience.  

Part of the course will explore improvisation and how to remember content without being tied to a script. We’ll also explore how to interact with an audience without leaving them (and you) feeling embarrassed - therefore avoiding eye contact for the rest of your career. 

And don’t worry, we’ll cover nerves too. Glossophobia isn't a dangerous disease or chronic condition. It's the medical term for the fear of public speaking, so we won’t gloss over it… It affects as many as four out of ten people. For those affected, speaking in front of a group can trigger feelings of discomfort and anxiety. Crack this and you’re almost there.

The day will include how to:

• Use emotion - in any presentation, communication or message, emotional connections are key.
• Tell a story and take people with you - stories are a great way to engage with your audience.
• Apply humour in presenting - structuring a story/presentation to add humour
• Use words to paint a picture - people think visually, rather than in words. If you can use words to paint a picture, the information becomes more memorable and real.
• Get creative and have fun with your audience - the more you can get your audience to join in with what you’re doing in a physical way, the more likely you are to be remembered.
• Make the audience laugh and keep them happy - how do you want to leave people feeling after you have spoken to them? Tools and techniques to encourage laughter.
• Keep it simple - research shows people connect with simple, to-the-point language. It makes more sense and is easier to understand.
• Show a little vulnerability - people like to see the human behind the presentation. Baring a little of your soul and showing some vulnerability is a good thing.
• Take control of your nerves - learn how to control the auto-negative dialogue inside your head and overcome nerves.
• Create a powerful call to action - giving a memorable speech is great but what many presenters fail to do is create a call to action that enhances the positive behaviours you want to engage your audience in. This course will show you how to do this effectively every time.

You’ll also learn about presence, performance and stagecraft, as well as constructing content that’s natural and engaging.  

More about your presenter, Kerry Leigh

Kerry is one of our most experienced and sought-after consultants and facilitators, having joined Laughology in its infancy. She was a professional comedian and compere for over 20 years and was the child star of the Operation board game TV ads. 

She has a talent for quickly building rapport with any group and is a captivating trainer and host.

Cost: £395  (Early bird £325) – Reduced rates available for teachers and NHS
Date: Thursday 24th November 2022
Time: 9am – 5.30pm
Location: London - The Clermont, Victoria

What people say

“Brilliant! This was not the normal presentation skills course you go on, I learnt so much that I have been able to use instantly.”

Senior manager – Natwest

“Great, fun… Never laughed so much on a training course… Engaging and thought-provoking… Good fun, very memorable and great information that will definitely help back in the workplace.”

East Cheshire Council – Workforce Development Team

“This was the best course I’ve ever been on. It’s helped me with promotions and customer sales, it’s changed the way I do things forever. Thanks so much!”

Commercial Manager - HSBC