Being funny is a great skill that can be learned and applied to professional situations—from interpersonal relationships and interviews to speeches and sales pitches. Here are techniques that can help you be funnier.

• Give the opposite of a yes/no question. If asked about something that is obviously hard to do, instead replying with the obvious answer of “no,” say “yes.”
• Exaggerate numbers. If your expected answer is a small number, go large, or vice versa. For example: “We had a small birthday party … about 200 people.”
• Use the rule of three. Use three words that go together but change the last word to something unexpected. For example: “I am so thrilled, happy, and terrified to be here.” 
• Switch personas. For instance, a response to “What if you run into a bear?” could be “Too bad for the bear.” You’ve switched personas so that you are the aggressor, not the bear.
• “Whatever.” When someone is teasing a little too much, instead of showing your annoyance, try tossing out a playful “whatever”—it turns the situation around and makes the teaser look like the silly one.
• Tell real-life stories instead of jokes. Jokes are hard to come up with on the spot. And if you tell a joke in a speech and it falls flat, you might look bad. Anecdotes are better because they have a point—if people laugh, great, but if they don’t, no big deal. Also, your own stories have the advantage of being unique.
• Be willing to laugh at yourself. Sharing your quirks and vulnerabilities is endearing. When you can laugh at yourself, others are likely to join in.
• Save the best for last. Put the funny part at the end of the sentence. For instance, if the twist is a cat, don’t say, “There was a cat in the box”—instead, say, “In the box was a cat.”

For more advice—and to see these examples played out in video clips—read “How to Be Funny: 8 Easy Steps to Improve Your Humor.”