Success And A Sense Of Humor

How important is a good sense of humor to your sales success? The answer to that lies in the old entertainment adage that goes like this, "funny is money."

That is not to imply that you should be loud, raucous, insensitive, bawdy or crude. What it does mean is that there is a place for humor that is appropriate and tasteful. It also means that seeing humor in everyday situations is essential if you are to maintain the positive, expectant attitude that successful salespeople must have.

Let me give you an example. I recently heard of a sales manager who engineered a contest for her salespeople and sent a letter to customers listing the reasons why they should buy from them that included reasons like:

"Your sales rep's spouse will never speak to him if he doesn't qualify for the upcoming prizes for our sales contest...but don't let that bother you!"

and

"Your sales rep will look bad to other sales reps when they can't afford to buy food."

and

"There is no pressure on our sales reps to win this contest - so when _______ puts her knee on your chest and chokes you for an order, don't believe that it is because she wants to go on our upcoming incentive cruise!"

This sales manager then tastefully reiterated the value of her product, the sales force's commitment to serve customers and the professionalism of the sales force. That format softened the humor and reemphasized the seriousness of her organization to work with customers. The result was a radically different approach that displayed a sense of humanity, interpersonal warmth, a sense of stepped up energy and enthusiasm and also gave the customer a little nudge to help the sales reps out a little - but done in a very subtle and tongue-in-cheek way.

Clearly, though, it is essential to be careful with humor and not take it over the edge. About 18 years ago I did just that. I made a comment related to something I thought was funny and the prospect didn't find it amusing at all. Did I make the sale? Of course not. Was I able to recover? No. Did I learn from it? Yes, I did.

I learned to give some thought to some do's and don'ts related to humor.  First, some don'ts.

Don't:

• Use off-color humor at any time either publicly or privately in a sales situation.
• Use humor that is racist, gender biased or politically charged.
• Tell jokes in a sales situation.
• Get in the habit of sending suggestive, off-color or inappropriate faxes, e-mails or cartoons to prospects or customers.

How about some do's? Things that can help you either personally or professionally? Let's look at a few DO’s:  

• Look for humor in every situation. No matter how bad something is, there is always a way to twist and turn it so that you can find some lighthearted nugget in it.
• Learn what each of your prospects or customers find amusing, entertaining or funny. Then be on the lookout for appropriate news stories, relevant cartoons, greeting cards or ideas that tie into their personal sense of humor.
• Don't take yourself so seriously. I never cease to be amazed at how solemn lots of people are. They view themselves, their jobs, their products or services in ways that make it seem as if they are dealing with nuclear fallout!
• Find ways (like our sales manager did in announcing the sales contest to customers) to insert humor and fun into as many situations as possible.

I have long believed that adults are nothing more than children in bigger bodies. Remember when you were a child? I'd bet that you found fun, entertainment and enjoyment in simple things. I know I did! The lid from my mother's cooking pot was my shield...a broken piece of a fence my sword. And I could play for hours.

But what happens to us? The weight of the world (we believe) comes down on us. We feel the need to be "serious" about our careers, responsibilities and obligations. We get to the point that the burden forces us to become addicted to this seriousness of purpose...then we become cynical, negative and, eventually, even burnout.

Joe DiMaggio was asked once why he was such a great baseball player. Not noted for long and involved responses, DiMaggio answered, "Because I never heard the umpire start the games by saying "Work Ball!" And the Yankee Clipper was right.

Let me urge you to lighten up. Lighten up with yourself, co-workers, your job, prospects, customers, the way you conduct business and yes, the way you prospect, sell and service accounts.

Drudgery breeds a sense of hopelessness and despair. Humor fosters a sense of lightheartedness, expectation, creativity and fun. Which will you choose?