Ask yourself the question –
Do you deliver funny?
If you start by thinking I tell jokes in my act, of course I’m funny. My show is funny.
Yes, I deliver “funny” to my clients.
But that isn’t exactly what I mean.
Two people can tell the same joke.
One person will have the audience laughing hysterically. The other will hear crickets while the audience stares at them.
It is the same joke.
Why is one funny and the other not?
Because of the delivery.
Steve Roye of Killer Standup Comedy offers a wonderful insight to this. He starts by sharing the printed words of a comedy act.
As you read the words, you aren’t laughing. You could even say them, and you will still wonder where the funny is.
Then, you get to hear the comedian deliver the words.
You hear the audience laughing. You may even laugh. Those words aren’t funny by themselves – but the delivery turns them into comedy gold.
When you eat in a fancy restaurant, the presentation of the food adds to the overall appeal.
The way they plate your meal actually adds value to the bottom line.
On the other hand, Burger King throws your dinner in a wrapper. The condiments may be spewing out the side. They don’t care. It is fast food.
But that Burger King delivery removes value and the price reflects it.
Presentation is the key to adding value to your act.
Both for you AND your clients.
This is where the question about delivering the funny becomes so important.
You probably study or studied ventriloquism. It started out very foreign and now is much easier.
You may have studied other ventriloquists to see what they do. We learn from both good and bad performances.
But have you purposely studied delivery?
Watch a comedian’s act joke by joke – line by line.
How did they deliver each line?
What was the tone of voice?
What was their facial expression? Did it change during the line? For what reason?
How were they positioned?
What were they looking at or doing?
How did that enhance the material? Or did it?
What was their body language?
Can you find a different performance of that same material? Chances are you may on YouTube.
By studying others (not copying) you can learn how small changes can make big differences in response.
Experiment and Test
Of course, then you need to get stage time in front of audiences to experiment with what you learn. That is the ONLY way to put theories to the test.
Remember that any skill can be dull if it isn’t presented in an entertaining manner. And how you plate up your material will affect how audiences and clients see you.
I can’t think of a better use of time than to improve your performance. The dividends will pay off for years down the road.
