Are Humor and Sales Training Your Business?

When it comes to training your staff, a little humor oftentimes goes a long way.

Whether you're in retail sales, medical sales, or any other industry, adding some humor to your training initiatives can make all the difference in the world.

Here are just a few reasons humor and sales training make a great match:

Humor and Retention

Depending on the approach you use, traditional sales training can be a little stale and boring. When you're training initiatives are boring, trainee engagement is pretty much non-existent, which can really decrease retention rates.

However, by throwing a little humor into the training mix, you can increase retention rates among your employees.

That's right; some light joking here and there can really change the training dynamic and make even the most mundane information memorable.

You don't have to turn your sales training into a stand-up act, but there's always a little room for humor.

As long as your jokes relate to the training at hand, your trainees will remember the points you make when they laugh while learning.

Putting Trainees at Ease

Do you remember your first job? How nervous were you on the first day and during your training period?

When your trainees are nervous and anxious, their nerves get in the way of the learning process. However, showing your funny side during the sales training process can help put your trainees at ease.

A few nicely timed jokes will help your trainees break out of their shells and actually participate in your sales training program.

When asking the question in the article “Do humor and sales training go together?” well, when it comes to making your trainees more comfortable, the answer is yes.

Approachability Factor

As mentioned before, a little humor helps put your trainees at ease. This naturally makes you and your sales training initiatives more approachable.

Of course this is beneficial to the training process, but what about when your trainees apply their newly acquired skills to real-world scenarios?

When your trainees add a little humor to their sales pitches, it makes them more approachable in the eyes of the customer. This helps get the sales ball rolling and converts more visitors into paying customers.

Think of it this way: humor is contagious.

By using humor in your sales training, that fun and engaging spirit will rub off on your trainees.

When your trainees become full-fledged employees, they'll use those humor tactics on customers. It's a full circle win-win!

Don't Neglect the Point of Training

By now you're probably convinced that humor in your sales training is beneficial. Before you start writing down one-liners, it's important to remember that you still need to hit all of your main points with your training goals.

In other words, don't overlook the training itself because you're too busy cracking jokes.

Humor should only add to the training points you're trying to make, not take away from them. Finding the right balance might take some time, but it's well worth the effort.

When you're ready to effectively train your employees in the sales department, give humor a shot.