A graphic illustrating the use of humor in communication, contrasting a negative phrase with a humorous alternative.
Image sourced from gong.io
Don’t be put off, though. We’re all human and there is a lot of safe common ground. You don’t need to blow the prospect away with your astonishing wit. All you’re after is fostering a little empathy.
Let’s suppose you’re selling application integrations tools for businesses. To enliven what could otherwise be a very dry conversation, you could say something silly like:
“I know what you’re thinking: application integration is so exciting that you can’t stop talking about it all the time, so I thought I’d help out!”
Okay, it’s not going to win any comedy awards, but it strikes the right mixture of light-heartedness and professionalism. If you’re unsure where to pitch it, imagine you’re telling your grandmother a joke. That usually does the trick. (Please note this doesn’t apply if your grandmother happens to be particularly ribald in her tastes.)
