Sprinkles on Ice Cream: How to Add Humor to Your Presentations Without Telling Jokes

Last December I spoke in Milan to a group of business leaders. The session was simultaneously translated, but many of the participants chose to ask their questions in English.

One man asked, “What are your thoughts about using you in stories?’” 

I had just written this article about when to use “you” in stories, so I was thrilled, It’s a nuanced concept, well beyond storytelling 101. His question signaled that the group wasn’t just listening; they were thinking.

I began my answer with “I love ‘you’….” and the room erupted in laughter. It sounded like I had just professed my love to this man in front of 300 people. He listened politely as I enthusiastically explained the role of “you” in storytelling. When I finished, he raised the microphone and said, “I was asking about the use of humor, not you.” 

Oops.

I only heard the first syllable, “hu,” and assumed he meant “you.” The whole room laughed again, and it became a perfect example of how humor often shows up: naturally, unexpectedly, and because we’re human.

I often get questions about humor and how to incorporate it into presentations. People think they need to be funny to hold attention. They’ve watched presenters effortlessly make a room laugh and want to know how to do the same.

You know what? I do too sometimes. But that isn’t the place to focus.

Why Humor Matters

Humor releases tension and creates lighter moments. It helps people relate to you and makes your message memorable.

When people laugh, they relax. Relaxed audiences listen differently. A key point delivered right after laughter lands deeper because the audience is open and engaged.

But the mistake presenters make is focusing on being funny instead of incorporating humor. One is performance, the other is connection.

Figuring Out Your Style

Early in my career I facilitated a session at the last minute. Without time to prepare, I leaned into humor to fill in the gaps. I made jokes and silence followed. I then made the classic rookie mistake of saying, “That was a joke.” 

Let me save you some pain: if you have to announce it, it wasn’t a joke. And you’ve definitely lost the room.

That day taught me an important lesson: I’m not the speaker who has the audience doubled over with laughter. And that’s fine. I educate and entertain as a friend onstage, connecting dots, building ideas and guiding you to insights. I absolutely use humor, but I treat it like sprinkles on ice cream: sparingly, intentionally, and to elevate the experience.

My rule on humor is this: if you’re naturally witty and funny one-on-one, bring that same energy to the stage. If you’re not, the microphone will not magically turn you into a stand-up comic. The audience wants you…not an impersonation of someone you saw at a conference.

Humor That Doesn’t Work

1.    Self-deprecation as a crutch

A little self-awareness is charming. Repeatedly making fun of yourself is not. Lines like, “I’m terrible at this,” or “I hope this won’t be awful” make people uncomfortable.

The same goes for statements about being unprepared. “I just threw these slides together last night” tells the audience they’re not worth your time. Limit yourself to no more than one or two self-deprecating lines, if any.

2.    Sarcasm.

Sarcasm is a second language for some people. But sarcasm rarely works with an audience that doesn’t know you well. They can’t tell if you’re serious, and it creates distance instead of connection. Unless the group knows your style well, skip it.

3.    Inside jokes.

Inside jokes exclude people by definition. The same goes for niche pop-culture references. The whole point of humor in a presentation is to bring people in, not leave them wondering what they missed.

Humor That Works

Go For The Unexpected

Kelly Spillman, a recent Moth GrandSLAM Champion, opened her winning story with:

“I was never more confident than my first time in jail.”

Immediate laughter. Why?  Because the line is surprising, bold, and hooks the audience. Great humor often comes from an unexpected angle or surprising truth.

Use Human Moments

The funniest material often lives in the simple, relatable moments most people recognize but never name. If it’s happened to you, it probably happened to someone else.

• The universal panic of patting every pocket to find your phone or keys.

• Looking at your boarding pass seven times on the jet bridge because your brain refuses to remember a seat number.

• The awkward dance of trying to pass someone in a hallway and you both keep choosing the same direction…three times.

Observations like these invite the audience into your perspective and highlight the irony or absurdity of everyday situations.

Use Specificity

Specific details add humor to regular moments

Vague:

 “My kid asks a lot of question.”

Specific:

 “My kid asked 27 questions before breakfast. I’m basically Siri, just with worse answers and no “off” button.”

Specific details turn a bland statement into a vivid scene. Humor lives in the exact numbers, the oddly precise moments and the relatable specifics. The more clearly the audience can picture it, the more likely they are to be amused.

Use Self-Awareness, Not Self-Deprecation

Self-awareness is acknowledging your quirks, observations, and habits without tearing yourself down.

• If you hear me say, ‘This will only take a minute,’ please know that I am saying that with optimism, not accuracy.

• I’m the person who leaves the grocery store with everything except the one item I went in for…every.single.time.

• I love a good to-do list. Sometimes I even write down tasks I’ve already done just so I can check them off. It’s called morale.

These create moments of connection with the audience as they see themselves in these moments.

Putting it All Together

Humor isn’t about crafting the perfect punchline or performance; it’s about creating connection. You’re revealing something true about how you see the world.

Start by drafting your story and highlight the everyday human moments in it. Find the friction between what happened and what was expected. Add a twist. Use specificity. Lean into examples and metaphors. Play up what is ironic or unexpected.

The goal is to make your audience feel lighter, closer, and more open to what you want them to understand. Use humor the way seasoning is used in cooking: with intention, a light hand, and always in service of the main dish: your message.

When you do that, you don’t just make people laugh.

You make them listen.

And more importantly, you make them remember.