Comedy is a killer.
When it plays well, it makes a presentation or interaction memorable and meaningful. It builds rapport and creates a foundation of trust that can help a sales professional or marketer move a deal forward. That’s killer!
If it falls flat, it leaves a lingering sense of disappointment and discomfort that negatively impacts relationship building. That too is a killer.
I’d like to think I know funny. For the past decade I have donated my time to perform stand-up comedy at events and fundraisers hosted by community groups, charitable organizations and schools. My credits include shows to benefit the Marine Corps Marathon, Arlington County Fair and Operation Renewed Hope Foundation.
How funny am I? Here is a link to a video of my opening joke during a keynote presentation at the Inbound Marketing Summit in San Francisco. I employ a classic double punch line.
I thought you’d find of interest these articles about how comedy is being put into action by companies like yours. It is very much about creativity, connection and relationship building.
No Joke: Why the Business World is Embracing Comedy
Want to Improve Your Business Skills? Try Stand Up Comedy
How Improv Methods from Comedy Can Lift Business Performance
And here is an example of a comedic attempt that falls short. It is an unsolicited sales Email I received from a vendor attempting to make light of my lack of responsiveness.
Hi! I’ve reached out a few times regarding “WordPress Developer/Technical Lead”. My guess is that we’re out of touch for one of three reasons:
– You don’t see a fit;
– You have other developers available for your task;
– You are secretly a superhero and have been too busy fighting crime to reply.If any of these are correct then they may be the exact reason why we should talk now… a phone call / Skype would be a pleasure. I am looking forward to your reply.