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Comedy Doesn’t Travel Well

Comedy: a Serious matter for Traveling Speakers!

This may surprise you, but Comedy Doesn’t Travel Well. Travelling to Speaking Events & Presentations is often recommended by Trainers, books, & DVD’s. Travelling is a good way to build your Business and increase your earnings & reputation. But, there are a few liabilities of being a Travelling Speaker you should recognize. In today’s globalized environment… Travelling locally or Internationally carries both Assets & Liabilities for You the Speaker. 

There are some valid and potentially unpleasant aspects of using Comedy & Humor outside of your Community, Region, or Country. You must determine When, How & Why you will include Comedy or Humor in your Presentation. How do you make that decision, and what’s the best Decision given the circumstances of this Event? If it’s true that Comedy Doesn’t Travel Well, how do you decide before you accept the job and pack your bag? Well, lets take a look… The plain fact is this:

Jokes barely make it from Region to Region in one country. Internationally it’s even more challenging. Much of what we label as Comedy is based upon aspects of our local Community. Often Comedy is rooted in our Regional or National habits, speech, and interpretation of past events. Rural, sub-urban, Urban? Ethnicity. Your home “culture” may not be known to a distant or foreign audience. So, if in doubt, Pack your Passport, and leave the “Jokes” at home. That’s my best advice. Unless you truly know your target audience, accept the fact that including Comedy might not be a good decision.

The impact of the web has to be acknowledged as both a Benefit and a Liability. Therefore, do your research. Talk to the Event Planner about the Audience. Gather the ‘facts” then carefully consider this: What is your Goal at this event? Is telling a joke or a comedic story about anyone, anything, anywhere, Risky? You most likely can and should evaluate “on the ground” after your arrival. If you decide this audience is a group you’ll most likely connect with, then you might Risk it.

One suggestion: If you decide Yes, then tell Stories or Jokes with YOU at the center. Let them laugh at YOU! It’s a safe bet! 

News travels fast. Cultural sensitivities are on high alert. It’s not the “good old days” which I’m not lamenting, simply making an observation, a statement of fact I believe will guide your decision regarding the use of both Comedy & Humor.

Comedy Doesn’t Travel Well

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Tom j Dolan: Speaker, Actor, Voiceover

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Speaking Coach, Actor, Global VoiceOver, and the Developer of 2 Successful English Speaker Trainings: "Performance of Speaking" and the "Read2Speak" Workshops. I can Speak for your Organization and I can Teach you the Speaking Skills you need to Speak with Confidence. >>Learn More: click Tom's photo.

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Tom j Dolan speaks for Global Organizations, voicing Marketing, Training, & Stories for Tech, Medical, Edu & Corporate Media Clients that want to Stand Out in an expanding Global Market. Successfully Promote your Message, Products, & Services. Click Mic see Clients:

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~~~ If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there. ~~ Lewis Carroll ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Today is only one day in all the days that exist, But all future days could depend on what You do Today." ~~Hemingway" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "It's Never too Late for You to Succeed. Begin Your Journey Today." ~~TjD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Your Presentation is always about Solving a Problem for your Audience." ~~TjD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Walking in the footsteps of another is easy, but you may soon discover you’re walking in a Rut.” ~~TjD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." ~~Samuel Beckett ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Always finish Speaking before your Audience has finished Listening.” ~~Dorothy Sarnoff ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "If you're not prepared to be wrong, You'll never come up with anything original." ~~Sir Ken Robinson ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Speak with Skill , Purpose, & Passion ~ Participate, Advocate, Communicate, & Educate for Change." ~~TjD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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