Humor -The Sales Accelerator
Dr. Sandeep Narula
Professor and Head; Management Education professional with extensive Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare, and Hospital Industry Experience.
The dictionary meaning of the quality of being amusing or comic, especially as expressed in literature or speech.
I have my granddaughter -Navya who is hardly 2 yrs old -and she has a peculiar habit – the more we annoy her, the more we stop her from doing new things, the more she smiles, and trust me, her smile is truly captivating and full of innocence.
Bottom line: she gets what she wants
Over the last few years, I’ve come across a good number of Sales Professionals who are in Selling profession and some of them are highly successful too as it gives them a way with a person that allows them to connect on a level deeper than most business professionals. One very peculiar approach that I’ve seen time and time again is built on a foundation of humor.
But why does it work?
It works, as it improves your accessibility and it has a capacity to bring a smile on the face.
In fact, humor/laughter has nothing to do with the sales -it has to do with the bonding.
Smile constantly. Everyone will wonder what you've been up to.
The older we become, the more serious we become about life.
An adult laughs an average of 15 times a day;
A preschooler laughs an average of 400 times.
? How can I improve my humor?
You can start by studying humor. There are al kinds of books available on the subject. Pick one that suits your style. Then go to humorous events at comedy clubs and watch laughable movies. Set the stage for beginning your study and understanding of humor.
Only 15% of our laughter has to do with jokes.
Laughter has more to do with bonding.
SECRET: Don't just go to laugh, go to learn. Don't just watch, take notes and learn.
ANOTHER SECRET: Humor is a "sense." You often say that someone has a great "sense of humor."
To get funnier, to get more humorous, you have to sense when the humor occurs. Be more alert, so that you'll know (sense) when to make humor yourself.
Hang around, funny people. What makes them funny? Isn't it usual y a combination of who they are, what they say, and their style of delivery? Don't copy them. Just look at their qualities and adapt them to your style. Be comfortable with your humor. Make it your own.
CAUTION: Don't make humor at other people's expense. If you want to make a joke about
somebody, make it about yourself. And don't retell jokes. If the other person's heard it, you look like a fool. Especially if you're not a good joke teller.
When something funny happens, how do you react? Do you laugh, or do you sneer? The way you react to funny will often determine how funny you're capable of being. I know people that think nothing is funny. I don't know them well, because I try to avoid them.
FINAL ANSWER: The easiest way to improve your humor is to "think funny" first. If you have humor at the top of your mind – it will become a habit that leads to smiles, and those smiles are contagious. It's al in the way you look at things.
Your challenge is to embrace funny as part of your everyday life.
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