Humor in Business: How to Get People to Listen to You

By Kristen Gull

When you hear the word “sales pitch,” don’t you feel like half of your brain automatically falls asleep? What’s even worse is that sometimes you have to be on the selling end of that pitch. Excellent sales people develop a stand-up routine of sorts around their pitch to most importantly get people to listen. Once the customer is intrigued, jokes help the pitch stay fresh, and occasionally, help to defuse bad customer (and even coworker) interactions. Here are a couple of ways how you can use your own sense of humor to improve interactions and relationships with people at work.

Rule #1: Be professional, but don’t take yourself too seriously. No one wants you to become the office clown all of a sudden, especially if that isn’t your role. However, you want to set the mood of, “We are here to do business, but who says we can’t have a little fun while we’re at it?” The best way to show that you don’t take yourself or your job TOO seriously is to make a joke about yourself. Maybe it’s your haircut, your silly glasses, or your mood. For example, let’s say you work at a coffee shop in the early morning, and you’re tired. You could yawn and say, “Guess I need MY coffee!” before your customers jump to the conclusion that you are inattentive. Your customers and/or coworkers will likely relate, and you will hopefully inspire a genuine connection. People will often respond with something like, “I can’t even get out of the house without coffee!” instead of the alternative, which would be being rude. Offering to make fun of yourself first takes the power away from any would-be insulter, as well as makes you more immediately humbled, more likable, and therefore less likely to have someone go out of their way to be rude to you.
Let’s say a customer (or coworker/boss) has already upset you by being rude to you. “Why don’t you know my drink by now? I come in and order the same thing every day. You better learn it.” [Or, for your coworker/boss, “I thought I told you a million times to do (blank)!”] What should your response be? Stay cool as a cucumber and say, “You know, I could’ve sworn I knew(/did) it, but this old steel trap just isn’t what it used to be! I apologize— I’ll make sure I get it right(/done) next time.” (This joke works even better if you are a fairly young person.) After promising that, if you really sincerely make it a priority to go out of your way for this person next time, (even if they are mean to you,) they will likely appreciate your effort and feel bad for being demanding in the first place.

Rule #2: Make fun of the situation. Your shift is almost over and your boss just told you that you have to move x amount of product before you leave. This means that you are going to have to pitch to every customer that will listen to you. That’s the trickiest part— the ones that will listen to you. How do you get them to listen to you? You acknowledge their probable excuses to get out of the conversation humorously before launching into the sale. “I know you guys probably are in a really big hurry to get to the movies or pick up some froyo, but I wouldn’t want you to miss out on this really great deal.” They will be intrigued— what deal?? This is because you made a connection by saying that you know their time is valuable and it is to you too, but that you would feel as though you were doing a disservice to them by not informing them of this special deal. People will be more receptive to your message if you preface it like this than if you just throw out, “We are having a two for one deal today— would you like to take advantage of it?” With that strategy, chances are, people won’t be connecting with what you are saying, so it doesn’t matter what you’re selling, or how great the deal is. They just know that you are asking them to buy something that they didn’t ask for or plan on buying, and they have a limited supply of money. They will tune you out and say no, just because they don’t want to hear the sales pitch. (Mostly because it forces them to think, which is something they were likely not prepared to have to do.)

This rule also works in awkward coworker situations, such as a disagreement or miscommunication. Make fun of the situation first— “Look, I know you and I would both rather be getting our toenails pulled out right now than have this conversation, but we should work this out like (Richard Simmons/Jane Fonda/Billy Blanks/insert your favorite workout instructor here) for the good of the workplace.” If you acknowledge how the other person feels, (“I know you’re mad at me because I was being a big fat jerk to you…”) and then honestly communicate how you feel, (“…and I am sorry about that, but understand it was because I was frustrated about this silly thing you did. Next time, I would prefer if you didn’t do that thing, and if you do, I will handle the situation in a better way by talking to you about it first.”) This way, you can use your humor to defuse hard feelings and get on the right foot to solving the problem.

Rule #3: End on a high note. Let’s go back to the sales situation. Let’s say that a customer listens to your acknowledgement and says, “I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I have only enough to buy exactly what I came to get.” Make a joke about how it benefits him to take advantage of the sale, “You can always come back later today, but okay. Just don’t come crying to me when we are all sold out tomorrow, mister! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!” This way, you are showing that you are not going to take their rejection personally. It also implies that the sale benefits them more than you, so really, rather than pitching, it sounds like you’re letting them in on a secret, or sage advice. That provides more of an incentive to say yes versus: “Are you sure? Are you sure you’re sure??” or “Please! I have to sell 15 of these before my shift ends in 5 minutes!” Those tactics are desperate, and no one likes a desperate… well, anybody. It’s pathetic and gives the other person an uncomfortable amount of power. Don’t worry about getting every customer. There are plenty of customer fish in the sea. You don’t have to throw yourself at every single one. So, make that last joke and GET OUT.

Same goes for coworker/boss situation. Did you finally reach an agreement or an understanding regarding the immediate problem? Then END ON THAT. Don’t try to work out every single problem you have ever had with this person in one day, or try to tell them what you don’t like or would change about them, etc. Find that high note and end on it. “Well, that was like ripping a band-aid off, huh? Not as painful as we anticipated!” As stand ups say, tell the joke, get the laugh, and GET OUT.

These tips will help you to genuinely connect with others, which has value that is as tangible as money. If you connect with your customers and coworkers, they will likely feel connected to you. The connection itself provides more value than the product/service or work alone, which will keep your customers and coworkers happy.

Why Corporate Training is a Must

Size Matters

Before cell phones became “smart,” we wanted them to be as small and unobtrusive as possible. Now, we want our phones to do everything from handle our calls, keep track of our kids and even order in dinner on occasion. But, when is a phone not enough? When you need a screen large enough to educate you. That’s where tablets come in.

Today, being mobile is all about having access to every bit of information you can. That means, in effect, carrying your PC with you wherever you go. Sure, tablets have still not achieved the ultimate portability of a laptop, but they’re getting close. For most people, having a smart phone AND a tablet is de rigueur, meaning that you can’t be fully functional on the go unless you have both.

When it comes to learning, a tablet becomes even more indispensable. It gives you the ease and convenience of having an Internet connection and the ability to access almost everything you could on a laptop – including online training courses. Plus, a tablet gives you that extra bit of “real estate” to comfortably read materials without having to content with tiny fonts on your smart phone. Hey – your phone will do in a pinch, but a tablet is ideal.

Be Smart About Your Choices

The key to getting the most from your devices when it comes to learning is to be smart about choosing them. Today’s student is likely to\ have all three: a smart phone, a tablet and a laptop for ultimate accessibility. Each device, however, has it’s advantages and it’s drawbacks. You have to decide which to use for specific applications to get the most out of your choices. And by the way – by “student” we mean learners in school and in the workplace. After all, education is a lifelong endeavor.

How do you prefer to access information? Are you a device junkie or are you monogamous when it comes to your devices? We really want to know!

Don’t Rage Against the Machine; Or Your Colleagues

In today’s ultra-competitive workforce, you don’t have any friends. Really – even those in your office who you think are your friends aren’t. Friendships in the work place are a nice idea, but when it comes to hanging on to your job, any co-worker, no matter how close you think you are to him or her, will throw you under the bus in order to get ahead or hang on to their job.

As cutthroat as this sounds, there are ways to protect yourself from the wilds of the office jungles, keep your sanity and advance in your position. You can still socialize with your co-workers – go out for drinks or lunch; heck, you can even get them to baby sit your kids. But never, ever take for granted that when it gets down to it, said co-worker would snap up your job in a heartbeat if the opportunity presented itself.

The way to get ahead is not to quit and go back to school full-time to get that MBA or even a bachelor’s degree. Yes, education is a lifelong process, but the key to making sure you have the qualifications necessary to success isn’t heading back to the classroom. You can obtain the necessary skills via online training, without having to sacrifice your position or even inconvenience yourself.

According to industry experts, the way to make yourself a more valuable asset to your organization is to acquire 5 Crucial Skills necessary for success. Those skills are:

• Applied Math and Statistics: knowing your numbers and how to interpret them
• Negotiation Skills: Above all else, you need to play well in the sandbox with others
• Self Expression: Computers can’t do the work for you
• Being an Effective Problem Solver: Within the problem lies the solution. Those who find solutions are noticed.
• Sell Yourself: You are your own best salesperson

In addition to these skills, let’s not forget that keeping up with technology is vitally important to keeping your head above water in today’s work place. Don’t take for granted what you know because technology advances in a heartbeat. There is always some new program that makes the machines more and more indispensable, and the more you know, the less likely you are to be replaced by one.  Computers are a blessing and a curse; they make your job easier, but the day one becomes capable of doing your job, you’re in trouble. Keep The Terminator in mind; once those puppies become aware, they will attack. No doubt about it.

So, what can you do to stave off the machines and your opportunistic co-workers? Acquire knowledge. It’s as simple as that. Make a list of the skills you need to learn or improve upon. Seek out the training that best suits your needs and get to it. You can learn all you need to know and then some with quality online training. You never have to set foot in a classroom ever again.

Oh, and if the training sucks, tell us about it. We want to know!

Mobile Learning as a Driver for Change in Educational Sector

Once the time has come for an idea, no army or any power on heaven and earth can stop it. The time for m-Learning has finally arrived after years of hype, and it is making waves as it spreads the light of knowledge into dark pockets of ignorance and poverty.

Most of us don’t really think about it all that much, but Fabio Sergio of Co.DESIGN has done some serious research and written a fascinating post that lists ten different ways that mobile learning is changing the face of education as we know it. You should read Fabio’s musings in full, but here’s the gist of it.

1. Ongoing Education – There’s really no way to stop learning when you’re connected and plugged in through phones, tablets and computers. If you have the curiosity to find out how something works, then you don’t have to go sit in a classroom for months or years, paying fees for learning stuff which you will never need. All the knowledge you need is just one click away on a smart phone or cheap tablet.

2. Leapfrogging the System – In fact, many people are cutting through the clutter of traditional educational formats to take up specific useful courses online. Anyone anywhere, with no background or prior qualifications, can sign up worth prestigious institutions like Stanford or MIT and take courses like artificial intelligence or computer science online. It’s just a question of needing it or wanting it, and the education will instantly be available with no entry barriers. Needless to say, studying at Stanford will be a pipedream for a poor worker or child in a third-world country  – unless you bring together a mobile solution and the ability to download and digest lessons as and when possible throughout the day and night.

3. Lifelong Learning – Easy to use mobile and tablet devices have removed the perceived fear of using a computer among the older generation. They have the time and the motivation to learn and teach. The rise of an army of well educated retirees and seniors willing to contribute to m-Learning is fueling the revolution.

4. Gender Bender – In many parts of the world, young girls and women are denied educational opportunities and not allowed to go to school. m-Learning is the perfect solution that has gate crashed through these barriers and is educating half the population in places where no other access to education is possible.

5. Software Literacy – The availability and spread of computers and their applications in various industries is held back because of the lack of developers who can provide these solutions. Most third-world nations and their corporate worlds don’t really consider it a priority to fly in programmers fromIndiaor outsource such work. If local programmers were available, it would be a whole new story. This is where m-Learning is making one of its biggest contributions.Kenyais a shining example, where mHealth solutions are making a real impact.

6. Use Existing Educational Material – The internet is a vast sea of information, where the only problem is finding exactly what you need and nothing else. It can be a full semester’s collection of educational videos and study material, or something as simple as text messages to help people improve their lives and take preventive health care on their own.

7. Who’s the Student – Today’s plugged in children can easily be educators themselves, spending some time teaching their own parents and others in the community how to use smart phones, tablets and computers for m-Learning.

8. Synergy – You cannot use one mobile solution without it affecting your status in some other area of life. For instance, those without access to the banking system became empowered when they got hold of m-Finance where they could send and receive money through mobile phones. That in turn has allowed them to spend resources on other mobile solutions and get hold of m-Learning, m-Health and a host of other solutions that have improved their lives.

9. Impact on Traditional Learning – The disruptive force of e-Learning and m-Learning has hit the old universities hard and they now have no choice but to get on-board or be left out. Major universities are now offering their full-time courses completely online, with the exact same curriculum, teachers and certification. Students can complete and submit assignments online through LMS systems, and virtual campuses provide the opportunity for group study and classroom style online teaching.

10. Customized Education – While m-Learning is forcing education providers to make changes, it’s still a work in progress. But students don’t need to wait for progress and can pick and choose what they want to study online. Every student can stick to preferred subjects or courses and get certified for just that. It cuts out the boredom and time wasted on studying irrelevant courses just to get a degree.