One of the most
effective tools we can use in our interactions with
clients is humour. Whether it is in a ‘formal’
presentation or ‘informal’ discussions with your
clients, adding a touch of humour brings several
advantages.
Clients
Relax
It makes clients feel
more relaxed in your company. This means that they
are more likely to choose you (we all prefer to work
with people we are comfortable with) and more likely
to share personal information that can give you some
real insights regarding what they really need. At
the very least, they cannot hate you –
psychologists have proven that it is impossible to
hate someone who has just made you laugh!
They
Remember
It makes them remember you. World famous Australian
speaker and trainer Alan Pease says that clients are
more likely to remember you – and recommend you to
their friends - if you have made them laugh.
It helps them remember what you have said. Link a
humorous line to an important point and the listener
is much more likely to remember that point – and
the person who said it. Use this to make important
parts of your presentation really ‘stick’.
Many business people
shy away from using humour in client interactions
because they have little confidence in their ability
to be ‘funny’. Introducing humour into an
interview does not mean turning it into a comedy
routine – it means using a very effective tool to
ensure a successful interaction.
Suggest using humour
and most people immediately think of that time when
they told a joke and it did not work. Humour in
business is not joke telling, its purpose is not to
have clients clutching their sides in merriment. It
is the selective use of touches of humour, generally
linked to some important – or touchy –point. For
example "and, of course, one of the great
advantages of this proposed extension is the family
room placed well away from high traffic areas – no
more stepping in toy cars in the middle of the
night!"
Know
your humour 'type'
The first thing to do
to increase your confidence in using humour is to
identify the type that works for you. We all have
ways of making others laugh – when this happens in
conversation with friends think "how did I do
that?" and you will find over time that you use
a particular style to make others laugh. It might be
irony, wordplay, farce – it doesn’t matter what
you call it. What does matter is that you realise
that you do have the ability to use humour and that
you recognise your natural style. Then you can
confidently introduce those little touches that can
make all the difference to a presentation or
interview.
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