Laugh All the Way to the Bank

Businessweek Online: In the sales world, one of the most common stumbling blocks is price objection. A potential deal may be moving ahead smoothly, but when numbers enter the conversation, eager customers can suddenly turn and flee. What I’ve found, however, is that humor can be used to move the sale along at almost every stage of the process.
Humor is not just for selling products and services — most successful politicians and CEOs use it to sell their ideas, too. It’s refreshing to meet someone these days who doesn’t take themselves too seriously. Now it needs to be noted that you shouldn’t go overboard and act like a goofball, but adding some levity can certainly increase your likability. It helps makes the connection. As a result, customers will listen more closely, and if trouble erupts they are more likely to cut you some slack.
Thankfully, for the joke-telling impaired among us, humor doesn’t just mean delivering one-liners. It also includes funny quotations, cartoons, lists, analogies, definitions, stories — in short, all sorts of things. Remember, in a business setting, your goal is to simply lighten the mood, not have them rolling in the aisles.
Laugh All the Way to the Bank [Businessweek Online]