Sales & Sales Management Expertise

By Mark Trinkle, Sales Development Expert, Anthony Cole Training Group

“I’d rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints….only the good die young”.

Our sales brew today is all about celebrating Global Belly Laugh Day.  Yep, you can Google it if you want. January 24^th is Global Belly Laugh Day.

So, what does laughter have to do with selling?  Well, quite a bit in my opinion.  And let’s get one thing straight right off the top. I am not in any way suggesting you need to be a comedian in order to have great sales results.  And yes, I would agree that too much of any good thing can be a bad thing, so you have to pick your moments.  But for my money, in a world filled with both badness and sadness, few things can awaken the soul of a human being better than laughter.

Jarod Kintz once said, “Laughter is the sound of the soul dancing” and I can’t think of a better reminder in terms of the kinds of conversations you should be having with both your prospects and your customers.  Another perspective on laughter comes from Victor Hugo who said, “Laughter is the sun that dries winter from the human face.”

There is no question that your conversations with your prospects need to be just that…conversations, not sales pitches.  There is no question that the questions you ask your prospect need to be fierce - meaning passionate, bold, rich in meaning and unbridled.  So, take your preparation seriously but… take yourself just a little less seriously.  We all have relationships with people whose presence we enjoy because our day is just a tad brighter because of the light they shine through humor and conversation.

So lighten up just a bit…ok, maybe a lot.  Inject appropriate humor into your conversations.  Laugh with your prospect and laugh at yourself.  The next place you might find yourself laughing is all the way to the bank… with a closed deal.

That’s all for now… have you heard a good joke lately?

Now go sell like a champion today!