071: Using Humor in Your Talks Will Get You More Speaking Gigs with Kathy Klotz-Guest

You’ll notice that the title of this episode is in the definitive: using humor in your talks *will* get you more speaking engagements.

I don’t mean you have to add a stand-up comedy routine to your presentations (leave that for the comedians!).

Rather, as my guest Kathy Klotz-Guest and I talk about in this episode, using humor and improv techniques:

• Makes you more relatable to your audience
• Allows you to be present and in the moment
• Provides for a richer learning experience for the audience

The results?

• You’re more confident and comfortable on stage.
• The audience enjoys it (great reviews!).
• Event organizers are more likely to ask you back and refer you to others.
• You’re more likely to get paid speaking engagements.

Kathy and I have a fun, and at times deep, conversation about what practicing improv means not only for your presentations but also for your business and life, as well as what it’s going to take to get women speakers at parity with men (in numbers and in pay).

About My Guest: Kathy Klotz-Guest is a keynote speaker, author, workshop leader, and improv comedian. With an MBA and MA, she has 20 years in communication and innovation strategy and storytelling on business and comedy stages in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her career is a story of using play as creative fuel. How does your culture focus on making people’s lives better? It can run like an improv group with a collaborative “yes and” mentality.

The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals create their signature talks and gain more visibility to achieve their goals. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power: on stages, in businesses, on boards, in the media, in politics, and in our communities. Check out our coaching programs and workshops at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com.

I’m thrilled that this episode is being sponsored by Book Launchers.

I met Julie Broad, the founder, at a conference earlier this year, attended her session on Writing, Publishing, and Promoting Your Book, and invited her on this podcast (episode 65).

Julie’s experience and expertise were so evident in that conversation that many of you listeners reached out to her because you’re working on your signature talk and you also want to write a book - they go hand in hand very nicely!

But it can feel very overwhelming - you’re not sure where to start much less how to organize it to make it an effective marketing tool for you and then how to market it.

That’s where Julie’s company Book Launchers comes in.

Book Launchers has a hands-on workshop coming up June 21-23 in the Los Angeles area. They have people flying in to attend, so you don’t have to be local.

Before you even walk into the room, Book Launchers will help you position your book so it's going to stand out in the marketplace.

On site, you'll create your outline (or refine it), plan your book marketing in detail, and brainstorm key elements like chapter titles and book titles.

Getting those things right will matter a lot for your book marketing … and tying it into your signature talk.

You'll work directly with an Emmy nominated writer, a book marketing specialist who took her last client to the WSJ Bestsellers list, and a brilliant social media strategist who wrote the very first book on Twitter.

Plus, before you leave, you'll have created a clear step by step plan (with dates!) to walk you step by step from writing to book launch.

And, you'll spend eight uninterrupted hours writing! You’ll write more in a weekend than many people write in months!

I invite you to check out the details at https://booklaunchers.com/carol

You can use the code “Carol” to receive $100 off the single pay option.

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/71

Check out Kathy’s website and speaker videos at https://www.keepingithuman.com/

Connect with Kathy on Twitter @KathyKlotzGuest

My appearance on Kathy’s show SHEnanigans: When brands get political

Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/ or text the word SPEAKING to 444-999.

Sign up for a Strategy Session at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/strategy.

Ready to create your signature talk and framework? Email me at carol@speakingyourbrand.com or click here to schedule a call.

Say hi to me on Instagram and Twitter: @CarolMorganCox.

Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

Other Episodes Mentioned:

• Episode 66: Mastering Your Speaking Style and Stage Presence
• Episode 68: Getting Paid to Speak and Negotiating Speaker Fees

Become Bookable Live Online Workshop - April 15, 2026
If you want to speak more but you’re not sure where to start or your efforts haven’t produced the results you want, I’m hosting a live online workshop called “Become Bookable: How to Get Speaking Invitations” on Wednesday, April 15th.

A lot of brilliant women assume they just need to pitch themselves more. But the real reason speakers get invited isn’t because they pitch harder — it’s because they’re positioned as bookable.

In this 3-hour interactive workshop live on Zoom, I’ll show you how speakers actually get invited — and help you clarify the positioning that makes event organizers say yes.

As a podcast listener, use the coupon code “Podcast100” to save $100 on your registration.

Learn more and register at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/bookable