What happens when no one laughs?

Ever tried to make a joke or tell a funny story and no one laughs?  It happens to all of us. What do you do when no one laughs? 

The simple answer is, you keep going. If you’re giving a talk and your joke falls flat, don’t stop and question the audience and tell them they have no sense of humour. Just keep going.

A while ago I did a gig at a retirement village. There was no response to my funny stories from the audience members. I had a sinking and queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach but I wanted to be professional so I kept going till the end. I couldn’t wait to get off that stage.

After the show, several audience members came up to me and said.

‘We loved your show. It was so funny.’

Huh, I wondered. Why didn’t they laugh?

I decided to ask them.

‘Why wasn’t anyone laughing?’

‘Oh, we smile on the inside, dear’ said a lovely lady with permed hair, a blue handbag and a matching dress.

That was a relief to know. People may not laugh for several reasons. They may laugh on the inside like this group, they may be having a bad day or they may not find your material funny. Don’t let it stop you trying again. Being funny needs practice. Whether it’s telling a funny story to your friends or giving a humorous talk, keep trying out your material till you get more people laughing.