Humour can make people warm to you quickly, but it only works well when it is appropriate. Your jokes, anecdotes and funny observations should support your speech, not distract from it.

The audience is sitting waiting, checking messages on their phones, suppressing a belly rumble and wondering what they’ll eat for dinner. Then the speaker walks on stage. The room quietens.

Without structure, even the smartest of people can deliver speeches that feel messy and forgettable. The audience starts wondering what the point is and where the speech is heading.