Audience. Match the joke to the audience. All jokes are not appropriate for all audiences.

Practice. Know the joke thoroughly. Having to explain the joke because you messed it up will kill the comedy every time. 

The Start. Don't start by explaining how funny your joke is.

Multiple jokes. When telling several jokes, save the best for last.

Delivery. When telling the joke draw a verbal picture using words that evoke colorful images. Be an actor, when it's called for in your material. Use verbal emphasis and inflection effectively. Don't laugh at your own joke while telling it.

Foreign accent. Faking a foreign accent is a land mine. First, it's very hard to do well, even if you're just faking an English accent. Secondly, it's very likely that anybody who speaks the language you're faking is going to think you're ridiculing them and will be offended. Stop and think about this: Why don't the top comics on TV fake foreign accents? If they won't do it neither should you.

Research. Listen to professional joke tellers in order to analyze their techniques and learn why they're successful. The most effective jokes are current and poke humor at what is currently going on in society. Jokes can also be used to build support for a position by ridiculing the opposition and making them look foolish.

Creativity. After hearing a joke, attempt to make improvements that will add to the humor.

Now you're ready to tell a joke. Below are two jokes to get you started. Good luck! 

Three doctors passed away and were being interviewed by St. Peter at the Pearly Gates to determine if they should be admitted. St. Peter asked the first doctor what he had done that would warrant admission. The doctor responded that he was a gynecologist and had delivered over 1,000 healthy babies. St. Peter said "Come on in." St Peter then posed the same question to the second doctor who responded that he had worked in poor countries curing tuberculosis and other horrible diseases. St. Peter told him to enter. When the third doctor responded to the same question the doctor stated that for 20 years he had been the CEO at an HMO. St. Peter told him to enter but that he could only stay for 3 days.

Yesterday I was speaking to a very well-off gentleman who is presently worth $50 million. He assured me that money does not buy happiness. He told me he is not one bit happier than he was last year when he only had $48 million.

Written by Ken Gutbrod, ATM-B