In the 3rd step of my book, Stand Up Comedy Workbook, I include a section on shaping your comedy routines. At the end of FIND THE FUNNY, I discuss presentation.
HOW YOU SHAPE THE MATERIAL is more important that WHAT you have to say!
The most brilliant minds lose attention seconds into a lecture. At a collegiate level perhaps their is onus on the student to focus. But psychology tells us our minds live distracted. After 20 years of phones we are all ADHD. Some are just better at faking or stepping up when necessary.
Folks spend hours, if not weeks, crafting the perfect PowerPoint only to bore us with the presentation. As a story teller or leader, it is on us to make it easy on the audience to stay with us. A great speaker masters these to shape our minds with their words.
Here are a few quick tips on holding attention in a world driven by shorts, reels and tiktok.
Diction and Projection
If we cannot hear or understand your words we are checking out fast. Take a deep breath everytime you talk, even in intimate situations. Hit every closing consonant. If you don’t make an effort, why should we. PLEASE, no TV acting choices in any live situation, even if you have a microphone.
Volume
Beyond projection, shifting volume is important. As a New York are resident since 1997, I can fall asleep at a heavy metal concert. But when the ballads start, I will wake up because something changed. Play with volume shifts. Find the hi/lo threshold. What is painfully too loud? How soft can you go and still be heard?
Tone
Sometimes you can project a softer tone and still be heard in the back of the room. Practice a Shakespearean, melodramatic whisper. The tone is breathy but still fills the space if all are listening. I will enter a room HUGE, almost always causing someone to leap out of their chairs. I grab their attention mimicking a bombastic trumpet fanfare, and then force them to listen with the breathy tone.
Rhythm
Rhythm is created by use of silence. In Jazz music we say the most important notes are the ones we don’t play. Many absolutely fearless silence on stage. It allows those voices of doubt to creep in our thoughts. To master speakers, silence is an art. An artist will say or sing a few words and then let the mind of each audience fill in the blanks. In story telling, giving the listener a chance to visualize the movie in the mind. In non fiction allowing time to implant the thoughts in their memory.
Rhythm is established by breath. At every period take a full breath. At every comma, if need be, take a smaller breath. If you can’t get through a sentence without breathing, stop writing run on sentences. (Or stop smoking 😆).
Play with dramatic and pregnant pauses. Sometimes the ability to drive a bus through is OK if by design.
Pace & Tempo
Pace is the perceived speed of a thing. Tempo is the actual speed. As if you say a lot of words in a shot amount of time, you are speaking at a fast Tempo. The sense that 2 hours felt like 30 minutes or five hours, that’s PACE.
You never want the PACE to drag unless for purposeful effect. Sometimes we are painfully slow on purpose. Then audience understands we are doing this. We milk it. They love it but appreciate when its over.
If the TEMPO is too constant you will lose folks, fast or slow. If you are like me, a fast talker, at some point, slow it down. If you are dead pan by nature, pick moments to mix it up, even if very subtle.
Attitude
What is your WHY? Without an attitude, all speech is pointless. Too many talk for the sake of talking. I am that b guy far too often in the past.
As an actor if you don’t know why you say every word, you are not acting. You are merely reciting memorized words.
As a comic, without attitude, why should we care.? Are you JUST trying to be funny? Or do you have something to say?
CEO, Project Manager, Teaches
I often say I hate bosses and managers. Bosses demand. Managers regurgitate orders and maintain. But leaders inspire greatness from their teams.
We have to hold ourselves at a higher standard if we expect our students and employees to deliver their best. These public speaking tricks can go a long way. Simply holding their attention is a challenge mediocre communication skills will not overcome in 2026.
Movement
Don’t be a talking head. Move around. Even if you are stuck behind a podium. Find places to make subtle shifts.
The Secret Sauce!
Being aware of all the above is step one. The secret sauce is getting crafty with each. In your preparation, plan shifts in pace, tempo, volume, rhythm, attitude and movement. But if you are truly in the moment, listening with your eyes as you speak, you will be able to pivot on a dime in real time.
Too many simply shut down when they lose another’s focus. Sometimes they have no clue. Or worse, they are fully aware and feel stuck. Know that the most prepared speech can change in real time.
Once you learn to make choices, you realize the choices themselves don’t matter. The simple act of making a choice to speak in a certain manner gives us a focus. As one choice stops working, we make another choices. And then another.
Shakespearean actors will change their choices over the same words night to night. One, because we are human. Our mind, body and soul will shift. Forcing a rigid system of predetermined choices makes us robotic. Two, shift choices in a moment, keeps the material fresh for us. If we are bored, so are they.
EVERYTIME YOU GET ON STAGE
How do we get good at these skills? Here is what I teach kids and adults doing stand up comedy.
PREPARE
Everytime you get on stage, take a moment and focus yourself. If performing/speaking from a script, do the work. Memorization is only half the job. KNOW THE WORK. In Improv, make a simple choice.
Either way, before stepping on stage BREATHE IN AN ATTITUDE that will lead to success. As an actor, have the attitude of your character. Imagine where you are coming from and why you are entering the scene. As a speaker, focus on your forst and last lines. As a story teller, visualize the setting of your story. Feel the feelings of your main character.
BREATHE….
HAVE FUN
I can’t say this enough. All you have to do Is HAVE FUN! If you are not having fun, your audience is not having fun. Lead by example!!!
Ego and insecurity are your worst enemy on stage. Catch yourself having thoughts of self doubt or egotistical celebration. When those thoughts creep in, MAKE A CHOICE about the work. Flood the zone with focusing choices. Shift choice of volume, pace, rhythm, tempo, attitude simply to keep yourself on task.
BREATHE…
ANALYZE THE WORK!
Everytime you get on stage, take a moment after to check in with yourself. Leave ego and insecurity out of it. We are not passing judgement on ourself. As objectively as possible, identify the good, the bad and the ugly of the last fee moments of your life.
Unless giving your own eulogy, this will not be your last time on stage. Even if this is the final performance of a class, there will be other performances. Even if this is closing night of a 20 week roadway musical production, there will be others.
You will get better immediately simply implementing these changes. Long term growth comes from getting 1% better ever day. If you repeat successes and learn from mistakes, you will improve quickly in any skill.
How can I get better today?
You don’t need books and lectures, you need stage time to practice your craft. As an actor, comic or leader, get on stage today any way you can. Everytime you do that gets easier. Everytime you hide in the back or procrastinate, that gets easier too!
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