Having the first laugh can make a sale that lasts
I've lost a bit of hair O.K., O.K., I've lost a lot of hair. But I couldn't tell they fell out one at a time.
There's two ways of looking at my hair loss.
Oh my gosh, I'm losing my hair woe is me.
There's not much more to lose.
I have tried to use my misfortune (if you want to look at the vain side) as an opportunity to poke fun at myself and make others laugh.
For example, in a seminar I'll say "I'm not actually losing my hair. I'm a hair donor. I give my hair to people less fortunate than myself" and I'll point to someone with lots of hair. And I'll add, "The Hair Club for Men refused to let me join. They said you have to have some to get in."
Or I'll say "I wear great ties, because I know no one is ever going to come up to me and say 'Jeffrey! Great hair!' "
The hair thing has been beneficial financially. For example, I use very little shampoo and even less conditioner. It takes me very little time to comb my hair, giving me lots of time to work on other beauty areas.
Last week someone wanted me to describe myself so I could be met at the airport. I said, "I'm six-feet tall, weigh about 185 pounds, have a beard, my hair is short and some of it's missing." My customer howled with laughter.
The other day in Dallas I needed a haircut and was in one of those snazzy hotels. I figured "How expensive can it be?" and went ahead without asking the price. They charged 50 bucks. I asked the guy: "What is it, a dollar a hair?"
Well, the humor thing seems destined to be in my presentation material, because the hair thing definitely is not. What's your humor point? Do you have one?
Making people smile or laugh puts them at ease and creates an atmosphere more conducive for agreement. If they agree with your humor, they are more likely to agree to purchase your product or service.
Pick something that's funny to you. The lack of hair used to bug me. Now it doesn't (as much). I look for ways to laugh about it because I can't change it.
Pick something that's personal. If it's about you, it's comfortable for you.
Develop lines that have been tested to make people laugh nothing corny. Try out the lines on your friends and co-workers first. If they laugh, use them. If they groan, so will everyone else.
Keep the lines clean really clean.
Be careful about ethnicity or gender. My recommendation is don't.
Poke fun at yourself. It's O.K. if the finger points at you. It's not O.K. if you make fun of others.
Don't drag it out. Use it once or twice and move on.
Take small humor risks. If the other guy is bald, I say: "You know, the first thing I liked about you was your hair." He laughs and we grow a bit closer because we have a "plight" in common.
I believe that making people smile is a major key to selling. The prospect may not be interested in hearing about your stuff, but they're always looking to smile or laugh.
Want some safe topics?
Children (what they did or said)
Traffic (what you did or saw)
A sitcom or television line (with acknowledgments to the source)
Personal stuff (hair, clothes, make-up, shoes)
Your abilities (golf, tennis, running, exercise)
Your self-improvement (frustrations climbing the ladder or studying)
Developing humor takes time. Like all other sales skills, it must be learned. And yes, some people are "naturally" funnier than others. But if you're not very funny, you can learn. I've found the best way to do that is to pay attention to what happens to you.
The other day I was in the shower in a hotel and broke open a new bottle of shampoo. After I used it and put the lid back on, I remarked to myself, "You know you don't have much hair when you use the shampoo and you can't tell any is missing." I laughed at myself. Do you?
Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of "The Sales Bible," and "Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless." President of Charlotte-based Buy Gitomer, he gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings, and conducts training programs on selling and customer service. Inquiries should be faxed to the WBJ at (48-22) 646-0575 or e-mailed to salesman@gitomer.com
