How to be a Professional Salesperson.©
Free Sales Training Video Series – Using Humor
Using Humor
Think about the funniest comedian you know. When you do, I bet a smile comes across your face. That’s exactly what you want from your prospects. When someone is laughing with you or smiling about something you said, it’s the best time to sell something. We tend to think of people who make us laugh as friends.
Learn to use humor. Learn to be funny. I’ve heard sales trainers say you should only use humor if you are comfortable with it. I agree. So, you need to learn how to tell a joke or a funny story, naturally. It will help you immeasurably in developing relationships as well as with public speaking. I have known sales people that have taken standup comedy classes just to get better at using humor. It may not be an easy thing for you. However, it’s a skill like any other that can be learned.
A few pointers about saying something funny to a prospect or customer:
- Know when to use humor. Timing is everything. I actually had a sales person cold call me and start the conversation with, “Hi Louie, this is Bill Walters at XYZ, you wanna hear a joke?” His joke was related to what he was selling, but we hadn’t gotten that far yet.
- Do not use a dirty, religious or political joke. It’s the same business conversation rules that apply to sex, politics and religion. Stay away from them.
- It’s even better if the humor is self-deprecating; meaning you can make fun of yourself.
