Adding Humor

I recently co-presented a sales seminar with my daughter, Stephanie Dupre, in San Antonio. And she brought up a very important point that I discovered I am uncomfortable with. Adding humor to your sales scripts. I don’t consider myself a very funny person. I’ve told many a joke that fell flat. Or I got in trouble for saying the wrong thing, and then laughing. Do you have that experience?

‍

Yet, humor has powerful benefits for the sales professional.

1. It reduces resistance.
2. It builds trust and rapport.
3. It helps people relax (including you!)
4. It gets people in a more receptive frame of mind.
5. It helps illustrate the benefits of your product or service.
   
   “A good laugh overcomes more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than any other one thing.” – Laura Ingalls Wilder

‍

I recently saw a slide show by Hubspot that shared 23 tips by well-known comedians on how to use humor effectively in sales. Here are 3 of my favorites:

‍

Ricky Gervais says: “The safest humor involves personal stories.”

‍

He goes on to say, “As a creator, it’s your job to make someone as excited and interested about your topic as you are, and real life tends to do that.”

‍

What stories in your life can create excitement about your service or product?

‍

U.K. comedian, Jimmy Carr, says, “Writing comedy isn’t really about writing; it’s more about editing.”

‍

When it comes to humor, less is more. It’s more about what you DON’T say. (Ever had anyone ruin a joke by talking too much??) Get to the funny part quickly, and let the listener’s imagination do the rest.

‍

Not sure how to do  this? Google “one liners” and look for short quips that will work well for your presentation.

‍

Darren LaCroix, former public speaking world champion, recommends you look at your firsts and your fails.

‍

“When people want to find funny, I recommend they look in the mirror. People love openness and humility.”

‍

When I bought my first investment property, I worried because I didn’t get any phone calls for the house, until someone asked me why I didn’t have a for rent sign in front!

‍

What are your firsts and fails? How can they help you relate to your customer and build trust?

‍

Want to read more? I recommend you click here and check it out!

‍

Not sure how to use humor? Want some help? I offer 20 minute FREE coaching calls to help you find solutions to your biggest sales challenge so you can close more sales and make more money. Sign up here to get on my calendar.

‍

I would love to hear your one-liners and funny stories. How do you use humor in your sales presentations? Shre your comments in the space below. (Please keep the jokes clean!)

‍

I look forward to hearing from you!