Have you heard the one about the successful entrepreneur? Turns
out his secret to success was a great sense of humor. It wasn't
that he could tell great jokes (though he did share a few good
ones). And it wasn't that he was always funny (he took his
business very seriously). No-it was that he had the ability to
infuse a little levity into tense situations to make everybody feel
more comfortable.
Everybody knows establishing relationships with others is vital
to business success. Humor just happens to be one of the most
powerful ways to build those bonds. This doesn't mean you have
to be a stand-up comedian; it simply means you have to know
what's funny and how to use it to your advantage.
Humor Me
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Situations that start to spiral downward can often be saved by a
good laugh. Here's an example:
Hoping to close a sale at a large company, I met with a key
executive. Before the meeting, I learned that he and his wife were
expecting a baby. So I went into the meeting, and we started
talking. But, for some reason, we just weren't connecting.
Finally, I said, "I hear you're going to be a father. That
must be exciting."
"Yes," he replied. "We're having
twins."
That's what he said. What I thought he said was, "We
have twins."
So I asked, "Boys or girls?"
He answered, "One is a boy, but we're not sure about
the other one."
"Excuse me?" I queried. "Why is that?"
"Well, they just can't see it," he responded.
Utterly confused, I quickly changed the subject and continued
with the meeting, but I left feeling it was the worst meeting
I'd ever had.
The next day, I called the executive's assistant to set up
another appointment. She told me he wasn't in the office; he
was at the hospital.
"I hope it's nothing serious," I said.
"Oh, no," she replied. "He's just gone with
his wife for a sonogram. The babies are due very soon."
The babies are due? That's when I realized my mistake and
explained the story to her. As she laughed, I asked her not to
repeat it to her boss.
At my next appointment, I told him about my misunderstanding.
And as soon as we both had a good laugh over it, our bad chemistry
disappeared. Then we were able to do business in a more relaxed,
friendly manner.
That situation taught me a lesson: Humor can break down a lot of
barriers between people. Yes, listening is very important, and I
have to admit that I missed the difference between "have"
and "having." But sometimes humor can give you even more
leverage than good ears. People connect with you better when
you're not just a robot trying to make a sale.
When All Else Fails
It's always fortunate when you can make an unintentionally
funny situation work for you. There will be times, however, when
you might need to intentionally use humor-especially when nothing
else has worked.
Try a different approach when you need a return call from people
who are very difficult to reach. If you've left countless
messages, sent numerous faxes and even mailed relevant materials to
no avail, tell the prospect's assistant to relay this message:
"Every night before I go to sleep, I talk to God. Why
can't I talk to you?" When I tried it, I got a call back
in 15 minutes.
Remember: As the late Victor Borge once said, "Laughter is
the shortest distance between two people."