| By :
Dirik Hameed
It is necessary for an after dinner speaker to break the ice with the audience using humor. The listeners have just finished a satisfying meal and may prefer to sleep so the speaker must be entertaining. A few jokes may help them to concentrate more on what the speaker has to say. The after dinner speakers should do some research and find a joke that is linked to the remainder of his planned discourse. Following the opening joke, the speech should be continued in a similar way with more humor. The entertaining remarks should be in line with the general theme of the speech. The opening two minutes are vital for gaining the attention of the listeners. The speaker must quickly make his mark or the audience may be lost for the whole evening. The opening paragraphs are the most important section of the speech. If the person giving the speech can get through the first lines of a speech with some success, then some favorable audience reaction may continue until the end of the evening. If the listeners quickly become bored, there will be a rumble of noise in the background and the speaker will need to contend with coughing, sneezing and private conversations. The person delivering the discourse must be in tune with the listeners. It is necessary to take into account the type of guests present, their political or other views, their mood and receptiveness. The humor used by the speaker must be adapted to this atmosphere. Instead of picking the first joke from the book or an amusing quote from Oscar Wilde, the speaker must research humorous comments that relate to the theme of an evening. This shows the guests that the speaker is making an effort to align the speech with their concerns and is on their wavelength. If the speech is made at the end of a conference, anyone preparing a speech should take the time to look at the theme of that conference. This will give a few clues about the background of the people present at the meal. The person preparing the talk may need to adapt the humor for the outlook of his listeners and must be sensitive to their tastes and interests. If the audience does not react very well to the opening lines the person giving the discourse should not panic. The speaker must keep his head and not be disheartened if a few jokes flop. The tone of a speech may need to be subtly altered in an attempt to move into line with the mood of all the listeners. Flexibility is needed and that means departing from the script if necessary. To stay in touch with the feelings of the listeners it may be necessary to have a few alternative comments and humorous remarks. When an evening appears to be heading in the wrong direction and all the best jokes have failed, the speaker must change direction. Other jokes may need to be omitted and if necessary the speech must become more serious than planned. This should not normally be necessary and after dinner speakers should normally find that humorous comments lead to a friendly reception.
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