Do You Put Humor in Your Company's Sales Training Efforts?

Humor is one of the many joys of life, and it's a universal joy that is found in all cultures.

Unfortunately, humor is often subjective, meaning it can backfire quickly, especially when used in sales training.

To make matters worse, your human resources department may be very strict regarding humor in the workplace, and even a simple joke could land you or your company in hot water.

Is Humor Appropriate in Sales Training?

In keeping with the above, use humor in your sales training carefully.

You don't want to end up being sued over a careless remark, but you also want to engage trainees. Humor has the power to lighten the mood and make your business more personable, but it also has the power to offend.

On the other hand, as discussed in the article, "Do Humor and Sales Training Go Together?" it's important to think about the improvisational skills that humor can lend to sales training.

Most people in sales will need to be able to think on their feet, and providing improve opportunities during training exercises can help employees to sharpen their skills while having a good time.

Run It by Others

Before including humor in your sales training materials or program, run it by a number of people. This will help you get a better idea of the value of the humor.

As mentioned, humor is subjective, so what you find hilarious may come across as boring or unfunny to others. Also, when using humor in your sales training, be careful not to derail the point.

It can be easy to get carried away and come across as unprofessional if you don't rein things in.

Finally, humor can come across as unprofessional when used inappropriately.

As the presenter, keep in mind that your reputation and title are on the line, and too much humor can lead to disrespect and insubordination.

Encourage Others to Share

If you do choose to utilize humor in your sales training, consider encouraging employees to share their humor as well.

Create group exercises in which everyone can participate and have a good laugh together. This will typically allow employees to loosen up and become more innovative and it can also help in team building.

In some cases, it will also allow employees to share hidden talents and aspects of their personalities that may have been hidden previously.

Encouraging humor in sales training can also assist in keeping attention during topics that may otherwise come across as dry, dull, and boring.