While growing up, if someone asked you what you wanted to be, we had a long list for this simple question. Now, as we have grown up and “become” something if someone was to pop this question the only answer they’d get is – be successful. Once we reach where we always wanted to be, the next step is to be better and that’s exactly what we all want to be, personally and professionally.
Each profession has a different definition for success – some define it with money, some with statue, while others with popularity, and in most cases, it’s a mix of all these things. For a stand-up comedian, we’d say success would be an amphitheater full of an audience with them rolling on the floor laughing or their gig’s video trending on social media.
Of course, this goes without saying that this isn’t a one-time thing but an ongoing process with weekends filled with shows and all of them houseful – for nothing screams success like a busy person!
Like most professions and careers, the road to this successful journey is rather long and tough. One that can be only covered with thick skin and lots of inner strength. To give you a little push to kickstart this journey, we have listed our seven habits that we believe all successful comedians possess.
So, scroll on to read about them all and try incorporating them in your life to make your mark in the world of comedy!
1. Being Observant
Most comedians have this uncanny habit of observing their surroundings and the people around them. This way they are able to collect some good material and anecdotes for their sets to perform on stage.
Most times than not, this sense of observation gives them shaggy-dog stories that make for amazing and absolutely hilarious time on stage.
We already knew that not all incidents and stories a stand-up artist uses on stage are their personal experiences – most yes, but definitely not all.
They have this great talent of turning tales and stories from their friends or situation they have observed others being in into something so utterly funny that people in the audience are left to laugh till they cry.
This is all their power of sensational writing, good punch line, much needed comic timing, and unmatched observational skill.
Comedian Tip: Observe people in the bar before starting your performance. See and analyze what kind of materials they will like and what jokes will not work.
2. Staying Up-To-Date
It might not sound likely but a good comedian is usually someone who is well-informed and very well updated on all the latest happenings. This does make us question – how do current affairs help a comedian? Well, it helps them a great deal.
If you have seen and observed, many famous and upcoming comics tend to subtly drop satirical comments and truth bombs in their sets about a country, its politics, government, economy, and more.
As an audience you wouldn’t even realize when they’d weave a story and talk about the rising unemployment in the country or the injustices in society while making you laugh – this is all purely their talent and the power of being updated of all the recent affairs and happenings in and around the world.
Sketches on talk shows or political satires on OTT platforms, all use this one tactic to make sure their comedy is relevant, relatable, and keeps people informed, through some funny gigs.
So, how can you inculcate this habit? Social media has made getting information a lot easier and faster, so try to check and be updated on the news and what is trending on the internet.
You can also go the traditional way and turn on the TV or grab the newspaper – it’s all up to you. What you really need to be focused on, however, is being accurate on your facts.
If you are planning on using some historical facts or talk about some famous person or scandal or scam, make sure your facts are all on point, so you don’t get a defamation case filed against yourself.
Comedian Tip: Stay Active on Social Media and keep watching the news. This will help you know what’s trending currently and then you can utilize that trending thing in your jokes.
3. They Know And Study Their Audience
One of the most important things in comedy, besides timing, is knowing who you are throwing your jokes at, that is, your audience.
You cannot expect to talk about the hardship of growing up in the 90s and life before digitalization to a crowd of kids who just entered college or talk about memes and online dating apps in a corporate party where the audience is likely to be all above the age of 35!
It is very important for the comic to be prepared according to the audience they’re going to be targeting, holding and getting the right nerve of your audience is as crucial as the timing of a good punch line in your performance.
That is why all successful comedians prepare their set according to the audience they are going to be performing in front of. If they are repeating a set, they’d usually amend and put up some details that resonate better with the crowd.
They usually try incorporating cultural and local references from the place they are performing at, time, and age-related stories for the audience to feel more connected.
Comedian Tip: Always know about your audience before going on stage.
4. Being Able To Network And Make Connections
All famous comedians were once struggling artists going from one comedy club to another in hopes of making connections and scoring a gig in a bigger club, event, or fest. Being amiable and able to connect with people is something that’ll give an edge to your comedy- after all you need some connections to sell your talent.
We have seen many big wigs in the comedy industry collaborating and giving some of the biggest masterpieces that have left us in splits – you can only get such opportunities if you actually go out and talk to people.
The ability to make connections and network is not just helpful in the comedy scene but all the professions across the globe.
This aptitude gives you a group of people who support your project, promote you in all little ways (like giving shout outs on social media), and sometimes even provide you with a chance to perform an act in between big comedy shows because everyone starts somewhere small to make it big you have to take small steps!
Comedian Tip: Talk to 2-3 strangers every day, talk about anythin,g or just tell them one of your jokes. This will help you become a more social person which is a key skill to have to be a successful comedian.
5. Being Thick Skinned
“Tough Times Never Last But Tough People Do.”, this famous quote by Dr. Robert Schuller is just as valid in the world of comedy as it is in other aspects of life! In fact, it is much easier to get disheartened when you see your months of preparation on a set bomb on stage when you don’t get enough laughs while performing.
You’d notice that most successful comics don’t let failure get to their head – learning we all can learn. We shouldn’t let success or failure get to our heads.
What we actually need to do is learn what went wrong and why some jokes didn’t land well. This is why many comedians prefer to run their set through a test audience and see what is going their way and what is not working in their favor. This way they are able to make corrections and changes and well, land their best foot forward when they perform in front of the actual audience – this perseverance helps them reach the greatest height.
So, make it a habit to not get a rejection, bad shows, and less crowded halls to your head and turn up with the best material in your next show.
Comedian Tip: If everyone is saying your joke was not funny, you are very bad in comedy, or something else. Never let these people sit in your head. Focus on your comedy. See what went wrong, where you should’ve done something else, and figure out a way to avoid that mistake. Then at last go on the stage and show your skill. And make those people laugh and make them say ‘Fabulous’. This process can take time but never stop, one day it will surely happen.
6. Lots of practice
As the old saying goes – practice makes the man perfect and if you wish to land your jokes and punch lines perfectly in the show. Like we mentioned, many successful stand-up artists perform their sets in front of the test audience, this not just helps them test their material but also practice is in front of actual people.
So, before you plan to go on stage with a mic, make sure you perform, practice, and perfect your lines a thousand times in front of the mirror, your friends, and your family. For, well there is no glory in practice but without practice, there is no glory at all!
Comedian Tip: Write 3-4 jokes every day and make your friends listen to it. Try to do lots of standups shows on stage or even in front of your friends. And keep practicing comedy, this is the first step to become a successful comedian.
7. Being Quick-Witted
This one is more of talent than a habit, but it is something that most comedians practice and have perfected over time. Being quick on your feet and the ability to think quickly is one of the biggest pluses for any comedian.
We have all seen our favorite stand-ups talking and interacting with the audience and boy, there is never a dull moment when they are at it – this isn’t orchestrated or pre-planned but the actual talent of the comedian to be witty and thinking on spot.
This also helps the comedians to gauge the reactions from the audience and mentally change, amend or alter their set according to the audience, if they feel their performance is going haywire.
In some cases, this also helps them come up with new jokes and punch lines as they interact with the audience and use their instantaneous reactions to their favor.
Comedian Tip: Try to be Quick-Witted (Consider reading this article to be quick-witted)
Conclsion
Some good habits can change your life, so if you wish to become successful in your career as a comedian, these few habits will surely help you reach that extra mile, and isn’t that what we all really want?