Finding the Balance: When Humor Helps or Hurts Sales

You know, I think that I think that humor is is used far too little in in sales.

And the reason, you know, the question came across this week and we get a lot of questions and I'm always looking for the one that I think will make the best topic.

And I was really, when this question came across, I was really thinking about and reflecting on salespeople that I had engaged with and I had worked with, the ones that reach out to me.

And I have a lot reach out to me as you do, as everybody does.

And you really start to think about Who do you even respond to? And when people use humor and use it well, and we'll talk about that today because there's places where humor is not used well, or it doesn't sound humor to be effective has got to be authentic.

But it makes you likable.

So I think the important thing to note to start this show with is that the importance of humor in sales is not to be funny.

So you're not a standup comedian.

It's actually to relax the buyer.

to just relax the buyer so that they begin to trust and they connect with you.

I'm going to challenge a little bit.

Is it the humor or the personality? Because I think it's the personality of the person.

is what you grabbed you know like you said there are certain sales people that yeah because they they use humor but you know what it's their personality i think because my contention is there are people that that i have seen who attempt to insert humor and man they can step on themselves pretty quickly and they can offend people and they can because again what's humorous to one person isn't to another but when your personality is just uh engaging charismatic open to the other person.

It is amazing at how natural humor just comes out.

Yeah, I think this is great from Brynn.

She's actually injected a little bit of humor in her response.

Humor can close more deals because it lowers their guard, builds rapport, and completely distracts them from the fact that nobody in our company actually knows how to use the software that the person is selling.

But I do think that, I mean, I think I've always felt this way, that people who are funny are people who are smart.

They're creative.

They're innovative.

And when you inject it at the right, you know, when you inject it at the right time, it allows the person to, it just allows the person on the other side, your prospect, to just really just relax.

And if they relax, you can start to have a connected conversation.

And what that means is that's just a short line.

That's just four or five words.

It's not setting up some elaborate joke that you heard from your weird uncle or in a bar the night before, no.

You know, I think that I think that humor is is used far too little in in sales.

And the reason, you know, the question came across this week and we get a lot of questions and I'm always looking for the one that I think will make the best topic.

And I was really, when this question came across, I was really thinking about and reflecting on salespeople that I had engaged with and I had worked with, the ones that reach out to me.

And I have a lot reach out to me as you do, as everybody does.

And you really start to think about Who do you even respond to? And when people use humor and use it well, and we'll talk about that today because there's places where humor is not used well, or it doesn't sound humor to be effective has got to be authentic.

But it makes you likable.

So I think the important thing to note to start this show with is that the importance of humor in sales is not to be funny.

So you're not a standup comedian.

It's actually to relax the buyer.

to just relax the buyer so that they begin to trust and they connect with you.

I'm going to challenge a little bit.

Is it the humor or the personality? Because I think it's the personality of the person.

is what you grabbed you know like you said there are certain sales people that yeah because they they use humor but you know what it's their personality i think because my contention is there are people that that i have seen who attempt to insert humor and man they can step on themselves pretty quickly and they can offend people and they can because again what's humorous to one person isn't to another but when your personality is just uh engaging charismatic open to the other person.

It is amazing at how natural humor just comes out.

Yeah, I think this is great from Brynn.

She's actually injected a little bit of humor in her response.

Humor can close more deals because it lowers their guard, builds rapport, and completely distracts them from the fact that nobody in our company actually knows how to use the software that the person is selling.

But I do think that, I mean, I think I've always felt this way, that people who are funny are people who are smart.

They're creative.

They're innovative.

And when you inject it at the right, you know, when you inject it at the right time, it allows the person to, it just allows the person on the other side, your prospect, to just really just relax.

And if they relax, you can start to have a connected conversation.

And what that means is that's just a short line.

That's just four or five words.

It's not setting up some elaborate joke that you heard from your weird uncle or in a bar the night before, no.