Developing Your Sense of Humour

This week I'be been reading a chapter of the book, "The Little Red Book of Selling" by Jeffrey Gitomer, where he looks at the topic of humour and how to become a student of improving our sense of humour.

Humour is the final frontier. It's relatively easy to learn all about your product. It's fairly easy to learn all about your customer and to learn the science of selling. It's harder to learn how to place into your sales presentations. The essence of humour is that it is relaxing and creates an open atmosphere. An atmosphere that will begin to develop friendship, respect and compatibility. It is the last element that you should put into your selling process.

If you only use humour and don't know the other three elements, then you will be regarded as a "clown" who makes few sales. Humour is an element that will solidify relationships and increase your sales.

Humour is a high form of language mastery. If you have heard someone say, "That person is just naturally funny", then it is likely the person has learnt to be funny and engaging. Humour is the most difficult nuances to master, but when you do, you have the basis for developing rapport and engagement with the majority of people you meet.

Please note, not everyone requires or desires humour when communicating with others. The best thing to do when you realise the person you are communicating with isn't respond positively is to alter your approach. Some people are just desiring to get on with the topic or subject you are discussing so if this is the case, give them your full attention and address the situation without adding any embellishments.

How Can You Develop A Stronger Your Sense of Humour?

Watch More Stand Up & Comedies This is as simple as it gets. To increase your sense of humour watch more comedies. You learn more effectively when you immerse yourself in a subject (such as a language). Similarly, you can refine your sense of humour by immersing yourself in humour. Watch stand-up comedians. Listen to podcasts that amuse you. Read humorous books. Study funny people.

See The Funny Side To Almost Everything If you really want to develop your humour, then try to take something ordinary and make a joke out of it. There is a hidden joke behind every little event and situation you come across.

If I get to stressed out about a situation I eventually just burst out into laughter and start making fun of it. I know, I know… it seems a little weird. This causes my mood to do an instant 180 and influences others around me to do the same.?

Almost everything you see in daily life has a funny side to it.

Learn Some Very Simple Jokes In the beginning, you don’t have to be creative. Just go out and do some research! The internet is full of great resources for jokes, humor, puns, funny pictures, stand-up, etc. Try searching for stuff that you like and add funny, joke, or comedy to the end of your search. You will find millions of things to make your laugh.

You can learn jokes and try them out in your life whenever they fit. The trick is if the people in front of whom you are using the joke… if they have not heard the joke, then you are funny to them. However, if they have heard it, then it is a reference to a funny joke, either way, it is going to make them laugh.?

Everybody likes to stay around people who makes them laugh because it feels good.

Hang Out & Observe Other Funny People We have all got some friends that we find funny. Go ahead and spend some time with them and learn what they are doing to be funny and how they do it. Hanging out with other funny people will surely rub off on you.

What better way to grow your sense of humor then surround yourself with funny people.?Pay close attention and don’t be afraid to contribute. Every little laugh counts. In fact, just a couple genuine laughs a day can help you live longer, enhance your life quality and improve your perspective.

If Someone Doesn’t Laugh, Don’t Give Up The thing about jokes and your sense of humour you have to understand is that not everyone get it. In fact, there will probably be a moment where you finish a joke and hear crickets chirp.

Don’t give up at these moments and just know everyone faces these moments. Sometimes you might have to sneak away from the group or party and take a breather for a couple seconds. On the flip side of humour is embarrassment, and if you’re the butt of a joke, it can be difficult to laugh it off.

Stay Positive & Laugh More This may be the single most important tip on my list. Who laughs at a joke from someone frowning? Not many. If you are letting off unhappy vibes nobody will laugh at your jokes. You won’t even think they’re funny. To really develop a sense of humor you need to laugh more.

Watching a comedy and being around others is great, but if you don’t follow the humour how can you really know what’s funny? If you are happy and laughing you will see that humour will flow naturally through you.

Practice Humour is something where it all comes down to delivery and timing. If your delivery and timing are not correct even the most hilarious jokes can fall flat. So how do you improve your delivery and timing? By practice. Keep practicing. Keep telling those jokes. Practice is something you need to enhance any skill.There is a saying in Karate which goes as:

“I am not afraid of the 1000 moves you have practiced once, I am afraid of the 1 move you have practiced 1000 times.”? Find out the optimal delivery and timing which makes laugh and you would be good to go.

To finish here is one of my favourite one liners: My boss told me to have a good day. So I went home.

Ref: "The Little Red Book of Selling" by Jeffrey Gitomer

Ref: https://practicalpie.com/how-to-be-funny-10-tips-to-improve-your-sense-of-humor/