Telling jokes is not as easy as comedians make it out to be. Good comedians have the ability to tell a story about something ordinary, but making sound hysterical. If you want to be the funny guy at the next party (and not by tripping over your own feet and falling into the swimming pool), use some of these techniques that professionals implement:
Be brief
Be brief and get a first laugh as quickly as possible. People don’t want to know all the superfluous stuff that happened before the first punch-line - unless it’s hilarious. A strong opening will captivate your listeners and they’ll be more likely to stay interested.
It helps to write the story out and highlight the funny parts. If there are too many lines in between funny parts, try to tighten it up. Make your words more interesting and creative – especially the adjectives. For example, try and use words like “ginormous” or “colossal” which are more interesting than “big”.
Give details
Choose only the best details or highlights from your story. Keep it funny and leave out the boring parts. If a character has big ugly feet, you should portray them as the person with elephant feet. Details that lead up to the punch-line should be quirky – a story about a desperate woman coming on to a man could say, “she was all over him like a fat woman over a cupcake”. That is funnier than saying “the woman was flirting with a guy”.
It’s quite acceptable and sometimes helps the story to describe the other senses such as smells, touch and sounds. People can immediately visualise, connect and become ‘grossed out’ when they hear something like, “Her skin felt like a lizard with a bad case of acne”.
Mix it up
Add a few twists. Take this for example, “There was this woman with a cat… that reminds me, what’s the deal with cats anyway? My cat is like my teenage son, neither responds when I call their name. Anyway…”
Work the crowd
Ask your audience questions as you tell the story; It keeps them invested and curious.
Ham it up
Exaggerate an accent or mannerism. Don’t overdo it though. You may wish to practice in front of a mirror.
Keep it fresh
Don’t tell the same jokes at every gathering. You don’t want be known as “Jack with the boring jokes”. Find and practice new material.
Know when to stop
People usually only remember the last part of a story. If the ending is flat, it will kill the joke. Keep them wanting more.