How Lewis Black Made Me A Better Speaker !

Being a professional comedian is a roller coaster ride at best. It is a difficult business surrounded by incredible highs and lows and that's if you’re lucky. A comedian’s success is defined by his or her success in winning over a room full of people. Speaking in front of an audience in business is very similar. The queries of will they listen to me, how will I do, will I forget anything and, ultimately, I hope I don't bomb are shared major concerns of both endeavors. The underlying premise of both is that if you can effectively communicate your message to an audience then you will most assuredly be successful. Now while all these concerns are important, most speakers overlook a very important factor when presenting and that is how to connect with the audience. Comedians are experts at this technique because it is essential. We have to relate with the audience within the first 15 to 30 seconds. If we don't, it’s going to be a long night. If you’re thinking that this is a relatively short time, you’re right. However, it is possible to achieve this by immediately becoming someone with whom your audience can identify. Being a comedian, you also find out a lot about the audience. How they will react, what they want to hear and how they want their material or information delivered. Audiences want to listen to speakers with whom they can identify. Comedians know that when someone starts speaking behind a microphone the audience members immediately start to assimilate in their minds that they are either like this person or not. If they feel they are like you, they will immediately begin connecting with you. Without this connection, it can be a long uphill battle for the comedian. During the first few minutes, comedians will usually craft a few jokes about what we think everyone in the audience has experienced. Some of the most popular topics for us are local destinations in the area of the venue we are performing that are likely to be familiar to the audience. For instance, when we perform in Pittsburgh it’s the Primanti’s sandwich with coleslaw and fries on it or the mention of one of the sports teams. If you are speaking in Pittsburgh and you open with I am from (anywhere usa) but I am a big Pittsburgh Steelers fan and I can't wait to eat a Primanti’s sandwich you will have full attention and support of the group. By saying you are a Steeler’s fan you immediately elicit an emotional and prideful feeling in the audience and they will immediately identify with you. Steeler’s fans stick together. Therefore, in a matter of seconds you have created excitement, comradery and a bond all within a few moments. You can use this technique for any city applying any positive aspect applicable to that particular area. This technique also works in reverse. For instance, sometimes when a Pittsburgh comedian is in Cleveland or a vice versa we sometimes tell the emcee to omit where we are from to avoid a negative response. The last thing you want is for someone to boo you before you speak a word! After we get them laughing we sometimes tell them and in some instances never at all.

Lewis Black...Old  Yeller

Lewis Black is probably one of the best comedians to implement this technique. I had a few opportunities to work with Lewis, learned, and laughed a lot with him behind the Greenroom door. To be able to work with big stars in this business is such a big kick but when you get to work with such an intelligent and creative mind like Lewis’s it’s icing on the cake. He did something that I think is just genius. He took the frustrations of everyman and put them so brilliantly into a character that all audiences can identify with and enjoy. He cleverly presents what so many people want to hear and say about social issues, politics and world affairs. These are all serious topics that are taboo for most comedians but he is able to deliver them through the eyes of a guy who is on the brink of insanity because he just can’t take it anymore. People identify with his character because they are frustrated over the same issues. The audience sympathizes with him as well as being thoroughly entertained. He also shows the absurdity of some of our common beliefs and how ridiculous they are when verbalized. It is a particularly useful tool for a speaker if you are able to talk about serious subjects and entertain your audience while making significant points. To be able to communicate regarding a serious subject is imperative to success in business presentations. Moreover, of course, being able to do it while your audience is identifying, sympathizing and laughing with you is priceless. I once asked Lewis in the midst of his rising fame how he came up with such a brilliant character and how satisfying it was to be able to take such serious subjects and make the masses laugh and he just looked at me with those squinting eyes and said, “What?” A typical response from a humble superstar who has transformed communication from the stage and has become so popular that on August 24 he will be the first stand up comedian to perform a live pay per view event from Atlantic City called Old Yeller- Live from the Borgata.

How Drew Carey Made Me A Better Speaker !

                                          
 
   I used to work with Drew Carey a lot and he taught me several things that have helped me in my career as a stand up comedian and a speaker. The most  significant was his overwhelming confidence while he was onstage and off. In the world of show business this is a rare trait. Yes believe it or not most performers are  racked with insecure feelings and thoughts that torture them most of their careers. Especially in stand up comedy where you have to prove yourself on a nightly basis. It doesn't matter how well your show went last night you have to prove yourself each night. This is what draws a lot of people to this profession and yours truly is just one of many.

Drew and I started working together just before he started to get national exposure as a comedian. We worked cities like Pittsburgh ,Cleveland ,Virginia Beach and several others up and down the eastern seaboard. He was fun to be on the road with and had a great attitude about what was going to happen to him moving forward in his career.  He had a unique ability to put things  into perspective in the crazy nomadic road life that we were leading. We did a lot of shows to packed houses and to sometimes unruly audiences. I remember on one  occasion  in particular where we had problems with several members of the audience who were chatting away and who distracted  others who were trying to enjoy the show. Finally Drew had to address these folks before they totally destroyed the show. He asked to have their attention so he could speak to them and actually walked toward them trying to single out the loudest ones and separate them by asking their names. Getting even closer he asked one particular woman what she did for a living and she answered as she sank in her seat while her face became beet red. Another man totally oblivious to what was going on was still talking with his back turned until Drew  put his microphone to his mouth and he heard his voice echo throughout the room. The man was stunned to say the least. Within seconds these disruptive audience members were quiet and sitting up straight. The closer he got and the more pointed questions he asked these people actually started to get embarrassed only now realizing that they had infringed on not only Drew's act but the others who paid to see the show. Drew was able to finish his show and in fact got a standing ovation.
    
Now this  may not seem like a big deal to most but let me explain what happened as compared to what could have happened. First of all Drew was in a situation where he could have done what a lot of other comedians  have done. That is, he could have made fun of them or made crude remarks to them or simply have security throw them out. Comedians usually choose one of these options  because idle chatter is a killer to a comedians act.  Comedians and speakers alike need   intimacy with the audience and anything that interferes with that needs to be eliminated. Throwing people out of a show is usually a last resort but sometimes a necessity however it brings the audience down and is often extremely ugly event. Moving on with show is often a tough road to hoe. Making fun of the trouble makers works for a little bit but if they continue to talk or heckle moving on is impossible. Crude comments may work for some audiences but it sets a tone for which unfortunately there is no return.                 
  
Drew's choice not only preserved the entire audience as participants in the show but also the shows integrity. In a very civilized manner  and without making fun of anyone he had the confidence to approach the disruptive audience members and politely moved on with his show. As a speaker in business this is something that parallels the comedy world. In my experience in the past 25 years I have seen several audience members who ignore and chat while someone is presenting. What's worse some spend the entire time working on their cellphone. Comedians and speakers alike have an obligation to their audience to ensure that they can receive the intended message free of interference. Now in business it is highly unheard of having security throw people out and is not an option to make fun of people or make crude remarks. However if you ever find yourself in a situation where the professionals are acting anything but maybe you should try the subtle and highly effective technique  that Drew taught me.  I was so impressed with this I have used it many times since and  I have come to realize that  in this situation if you approach people who are disrupting a presentation they will usually hang themselves.   I haven't seen the Price is Right recently but I wonder if Drew has any plans for a current edition of Hangman !