Todd Hunt is that rare speaker whose style and humor keep audiences riveted, while demonstrating the power of communication in our lives.

From his upbringing in small-town Iowa ("population 2,316 ... when everyone's home for Christmas"), he got hooked on crazy headlines in his hometown newspaper (long before Jay Leno got rich doing the same thing).

His stories of how to order chicken and pizza are comedy gems in themselves, but also illustrate

one of his many communication keys: "where is your listener coming from?"

Murmurs of "I never knew that" ripple across the room during his refresher course on "the eight words most often abused in the English language." And people invariably drive back to their offices and change their voice mail greetings, lest they sound like one of his hilarious real-life examples.

Frequently asked questions about business humorist Todd Hunt

1. Is he funny?

Yes. After a presentation for a funeral directors convention (true), a woman came up to Todd, grinning from ear to ear. "You are so FUNNY! I haven't laughed that hard in my entire life. You should be on Jay Leno! Have you ever tried out for the Jay Leno show?" (Todd didn't have the heart to tell her he was out of town when the Jay Leno tryouts came to Chicago.)

2. Is he educational?

Yes. At the same convention, another woman shook his hand warmly and purred, "I really enjoyed your seminar." The first woman said it was Jay Leno-funny. This woman said it was a seminar. Both heard something of value, and both were happy.

3. Is he really educational?

Yes. Todd's program has been used for continuing education credit for dentists, accountants, funeral directors (we're not making this up), meeting planners and other professionals.

His background is business -- marketing and advertising with Ogilvy & Mather, plus an insurance administrator, retailer and his own company for 11 years. There's so much natural humor in business that

he doesn't need to create jokes. The humor keeps people's attention, while the examples teach valuable communication lessons.

5. Is his humor clean?

Yes. Since Todd doesn't depend on jokes to convey his points, everything is clean...and based on real life.

6. What, exactly, does he do?

Todd talks -- sharing funny, true examples of how we all mess up communicating with customers and co-workers, and how we can fix it to become more successful.

Funnier than a business speaker; more informative than a comedian.

7. Where would he best fit in our event?

Todd is an ideal opening session speaker, because he gets people laughing and energizes them for the meeting that follows. He also does luncheon keynotes and closing sessions. (If you're looking for a program that's pure entertainment with no message, Todd is not a fit.)

8. How long does he speak?

Todd's typical keynote is 45 minutes to an hour. Sometimes shorter, if the president's remarks run over, the new member initiation takes longer than expected,

the session starts late due to construction on I-95, and so on. Continuing Education programs usually run 90 or 100 minutes. He can adapt to your schedule.

9. Does he cover other topics in addition to communication?

Todd sticks to communication because that's what he does best, and it fits nearly every meeting theme. Leadership, teamwork, sales, customer service...excellent communication is key to all these areas. And we can all improve.

10. How much is it, and how do we book him?

Call (773) 248-5790 for rates, and to check Todd's availability for the date of your meeting.