Building Better Banter

Building Better Banter The Basics Part I Play In Conversation Part I Tool 1: Never Use Absolutes Tool 1: Break the Fourth Wall “What’s your favourite movie, ice cream, meal?” Instead, use stream of consciousness, free associations, connections based on particular nouns/topics discussed. Tool 2: Canned Invitations Questions Q: How are you? A: “I’m swinging in an hammock!” Q: How was your weekend? A: “[describe something funny]” Q: Where’d you go to school? A: “[partying 80% studying 20%]” Q: Where are you from? A: “[the prairie skies…minus 40.]” Q: Do you have siblings? A: “[one sis, two bros..lot-a-sharing]” Q: What do you do? A: “[I help financial traders click better]” Q: What did you study? A: “[people, places and beers]” Tool 3: Double Answers Step 1 – provide a layman’s answer that is short, unique and fun. “I pack and send wallets for a living!” “This weekend I sailed my parents sailboat chanting limericks and avoiding siblings.” Step 2 – provide the expert answer. “I’m the CEO of a men’s apparel company.” “Sailing since I was 12, like riding a bike.” IMPORTANT NOTES ▪ Don’t want to appear too knowledgeable or elitist in Step 2 • • • • • • Commenting on the conversation itself. Acknowledge something about the conversation. Full meta! “This conversation just took a fun turn…” “I apologize for talking so much about this topic…” Be positive: “Franky, I don’t know where this conversation is going but I like it!” Us against the World: “Have you noticed something…?” Tool 2: Fall Back Stories Fall back stories should be universal. Never use absolutes….. Four distinct parts 1. The bridging sentence “You know what I heard yesterday…” 2. The story “One of my friends proposed to her boyfriend, didn’t want to wait…” 3. Your opinion of the story “I thought, well, it’s 2021…” 4. What their opinion of the story “Would you accept a proposal like that?” ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ Just transition from a dead convo: “Want to know something interesting that happened yesterday?” or “You won’t believe what happened?” Story points out some basic emotions, story telling. It’s not even about the story…what is the primary emotion and point!!! My opinion: “You want to have a positive interpretation.” It’s key to be positive… Opinion: “Would I do that?” You need multiple questions to prime the conversation. The Basics Part II Play In Conversation Part II Tool 4: Always Stay Positive Tool 3: Role Play • • • Get the creative mind flowing, how would you proceed with this story? • • Lead with: “Yes!”, “Agreed!”, “Totally!”, “Awesome!” Avoid: “Nope!”, “Yeah But!”, “Wrong!”, “The opposite!” Compliment things that the person can control: clothing, hairstyle, accessories, world view, their ideas, how they solve/tackle a problem, weight loss….. Do not compliment eyes, ears, face, body as the person cannot really control those things, (also inappropriate). Flattery can quickly become ham fisted and lame, avoid it. Tool 5: Pay Attention to how they want to be perceived • • Call out when some one has put in a lot of effort. “You kept working on that project, we love it!” SUMMARY OF THE BASICS 1.Don’t use absolutes, use generalizations…no right answers. 2.Reactions are important, mirror the emotions that the other person is expressing, this brings them onside. 3.Use free associations in the conversation; keywords! 4.Double answer: layman answer and expert answer. 5.Give people complements on the things they control. 1.Make a judgement about someone, that contrasts with you. “You are great at navigating” 2.Give them a label in a statement made. “Chris Columbus of Round Lake.” 3.Start playing the role: the modern Chris Columbus. Then you play out the role conversationally. 4.Then continue with the fake set of questions…Chris Columbus would you travel to the moon? SUMMARY OF PLAY IN CONVERSATIONS: 1.Breaking the fourth wall; 2.Use against the world technique; 3.Short fall back stories to test how they would react; 4.Role playing….take on generic roles and then follow up the role play. Witty Banter Part I Funny on Command Tool 1: Don’t Be Too Literal Tool 1: The Comic Triple ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ So the idea here is to be more playful in your conversation, less literal and less serious. Use conversation as a way to have fun with people rather than share information or facts. Something that is noteworthy and gets their attention is more valuable than a straightforward answer, in most circumstances. Make sure you actually answer the question so that you’re humorous and informative. Tool 2: Witty Comeback ▪ When you come back should be done with an indifferent tone, in the way that perhaps James Bond might use, after just defeating a villain. “Positively shocking!” ▪ Focus on specific words that the person uses. And exploit those words. Re-interpret them in a new way. Intentionally mis-interpret their statements. ▪ For example, Statement: you’re as slow as a glacier….could be interpreted as. Comeback: you mean I’m strong and cool under pressure? Tool 3: Amplify the Statement to a ridiculous degree “You look like a girl” Can be responded with “Am I a charming girl?” List two things that are positive (negative) and then one negative (positive). Audiences expect the third to align with the other. This surprise causes laughter [good things], [good thing] and [bad things]. Greeks gave us science, democracy and little cubes of charred meat that taste like sweat. – Big Bang Theory Tool 2: Misdirection • Stating something in the first part and then the true sentiment in the second part. • I love dogs except seeing, hearing or touching them. Tool 3: Sarcasm • • • Usually to exaggerate the situation to the absurd… Make sure you do this dead pan… Oh that would be the end of the world… Tool 4: Irony • The opposite of what was intended. Observing contrasts. • Ironic Simile: “As a sad as a dog with a bone.” • “As flexible as a brick.”