How to Win a Humorous Speech Contest, Part 2 – Know Your Audience

For some people when they write a speech, it’s all about them – it’s their ideas, it’s their creativity, it’s their words!

But they’re wrong!

It is their ideas, it is their creativity, it is their words but it’s not about them.

It’s about the audience, you are writing for them, you are speaking to them, if you forget about the audience then don’t bother getting up onto the stage.

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Looking at the  judging criteria for the Humorous Speech contest and you will see four categories relating directly to the audience and these four categories account for 55% of the judges marks. If you’re not speaking to the audience, you not going to win!

Those very important categories are:

SPEECH DEVELOPMENT is the way the speaker puts ideas together so the audience can understand them. The speech is structured around a purpose or theme, and the structure must include an opening, body and conclusion. A good humorous speech immediately engages the audience’s attention and then builds to a significant conclusion; it is not a series of jokes or a monologue.

SPEECH VALUE justifies the act of speaking. The speaker has a responsibility to say something meaningful and original to the audience, even in a humorous speech. The ideas should be important, even though they are presented humorously.

AUDIENCE RESPONSE reflects the audience’s reaction to the speech. Did the speech hold the audience’s interest? Did people understand and laugh at the humor?

MANNER is the indirect revelation of the speaker’s real self as the speech is delivered. The speaker should speak with enthusiasm and assurance, showing interest in the audience and confidence in their reactions.

Look at the phrases and questions used:

• The speaker puts ideas together so the audience can understand them.
• A good humorous speech immediately engages the audience’s attention
• The speaker has a responsibility to say something meaningful and original to the audience.
• The audience’s reaction to the speech.
• Did the speech hold the audience’s interest?
• Did people understand and laugh at the humor?
• Showing interest in the audience and confidence in their reactions.

Ask yourself – when you write a speech (any speech, not just a contest speech), does your speech fulfill the above seven audience requirements?

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Think of who your audience is. What interests them? How can you relate your speech to their needs? Why should your audience listen to you instead of sending texts on their mobile phone?

Look at your speech – are you telling racist jokes? Sexist jokes? Is your language too technical? Will your words alienate or upset a portion of the audience?

To be an effective speaker you must be able to communicate with the whole audience not just a portion of the audience.

John Zimmer, winner of the District 59 Humorous Speech Contest 2008 and 2009, understands the importance of thinking of your audience as you write your speech. His audience were toastmasters, his speeches took toastmasters concepts and twisted them in humorous ways, he spoke about ideas that interested the audience, he spoke to them.

And he’s not the only one, in our area contest, the top three speakers had speeches about public speaking – know your audience, cater your speech for them.

That doesn’t mean that you should always talk about toastmasters or public speaking, talk about universal problems that affect everyone – love, family, babies, tax, travel, wishes, dreams – relate to your audience and they will relate to you.