The best keynote speakers are not those who stuff their presentations with tons of information and hope the audience is invested enough to assimilate most of it.
Instead, the best speakers are those who know how to pick the most relevant ideas for their audiences, wrap them up in accessible language and relatable analogies, then weave everything together with great flow.
Some manage to add even more sprinkles on top and use humor not just as a mood booster, but as a catalyzer to knowledge acquisition as well.
Why Humor Plays an Important Role for Keynote Speakers
If you think of it, motivational speakers are quite similar to teachers. They have a limited time frame to deliver information, and in this respect, they have to employ various strategies for knowledge acquisition.
While strategies can be applied by roughly any speaker or teacher, there’s something else which makes the difference between the average and the successful ones: personality.
As soon as an educator or performer creates an impression by their mere presence, they already lay a foundation for a more in-depth and more involved learning process.
One way of infusing a keynote presentation with more personality is adding just the right amount of humor.
However, this is an excellent balance to achieve and a difficult skill to perfect. Some have managed to find the perfect formula, so we would like to showcase 5 of these accomplished speakers in this article. Let’s see how they manage to make each attendee’s experience an engaging journey towards assimilating new ideas meant to improve life.
1. Scott Bloom
Scott Bloom is a business keynote speaker who’s widely acclaimed for his approach that mixes business growth insights with a constant concern towards your brand. He’s also well-appreciated for how he skillfully includes humor into all of his talks.
Scott’s specialty is that of emotional connections, a topic he’s been interested in for over 25 years. What made him stand out from others who cover the subject is that he applied this kind of knowledge to business-related aspects, such as networking or growth.
In the clip below, you can watch Scott Bloom deliver a humorous yet insightful speech on the power of partnership:
By listening to his presentation, guests will shape a better understanding of:
- the importance of creating lighthearted and transparent brand messages;
- how to leverage the power of humor within their human resources strategy;
- the benefits of embracing a more open approach to communication.
His refreshing perspective has earned him a reputation as ‘the keynote speaker to hire back.’ You can read more reviews from past clients here.
2. Chris Cummins
When storytelling meets humorous anecdote, winning event guests over and keeping them engaged throughout an entire talk comes naturally.
At least, that’s what happens in the case of Chris Cummins.
Chris Cummins is among the keynote speakers who have an extraordinary knack for arresting people’s attention. The goal is to take guests on an inspiring journey towards gaining a fresh outlook on life and a renewed enthusiasm for doing business.
Executives, sales reps, and other specialists in highly demanding fields vouch for Chris’s ability to unleash the productive and the high-achiever in everyone.
To get an idea of what his talks are all about, watch Chris masterfully entertain a TEDx audience with his unassuming, dynamic style of educational humor:
3. David Glickman
Keynote speakers who make a lasting impression are often those who have an extraordinary ability to encompass the needs and expectations of audiences in various industries into their programs.
David Glickman is no stranger to how important this is. In fact, he took things even further by creating hilarious talks that are entirely customized to each audience.
David’s performances are best described as ‘business shows,’ because he doesn’t just give a presentation – he also brings comic relief that is utterly entertaining.
Besides the observational humor which is a trademark of his talks, David combines visuals, props and a high level of energy into a single act that guests won’t get tired of.
How does all this come together on stage? Take a look at the video below and find out:
4. Jane Jenkins Herlong
Jane is one of the keynote speakers who are renowned for successfully blending several skills into her presentations: humor and singing skills accompany the consistent talks on personal growth and achieving a good work-life balance.
Her arresting stage presence and quality content have already been rewarded with a Certified Speaker Professional certification, as well as with a well-deserved induction into the Speakers Hall of Fame.
Author and singer-songwriter, Jane can be considered a master of public speaking and entertainment and her achievements are even more impressive once you learn she has had dyslexia. Not only did she manage to overcome it, but she also used this condition to develop her sense of humor and a positive mindset.
You can immediately notice the self-deprecating humor in the title of her presentations (“Don’t Throw Tomatoes at My Field of Dreams,” “Find the Funny in Dysfunction,” “Bury Me with My Pearls”).
5. Dave Caperton
Professional keynote speakers usually have a solid background in the corporate coaching industry. With his 20+ years of experience in coaching, consultancy, and speaking, Dave Caperton has managed, however, to get himself noticed with a specific style of educating audiences.
More precisely, he teaches people how to achieve a positive mindset through laughter and how this completes the full circle of achieving peak performance.
All These Amazing Keynote Speakers (and More!) Could Be at Your Event
All it takes is you browse this section on The Grable Group website, watch the videos on each speaker’s page and then drop us a call at 615 283 0039 to ask for their availability.
This way, you can make sure you get a top-tier keynote speaker who knows how to work an audience by using humor to maximize the impact of your event.
