Welcome to the business humor e-book ideas page. Your ideas and tips are greatly appreciated. -Ben Casnocha and Chris Yeh
What are tried-and-true ways you've employed humor in your work?
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Do you know of prominent examples of business humor in movies, books, satires, etc.?
"Used Cars" is my favorite comedy film. It was made in 1980 and starred Kurt Russell and Jack Warden. Roger Zemeckis (Cast Away) directed, and I think Steven Spielberg co-produced. Hilarious satire of car dealerships, with lots of comedy that applies to any business.
How has humor helped you achieve business results? When have you used humor strategically?
I write corporate cartoons, and they are very effective in email blasts. People can't resist clicking through. I'm working with a couple business consultants now who want to use cartooning to lighten up their presentations and workshops. Cartoons can be used to boil down complex training concepts into a memorable image. Trainers tell me cartoons are a good way to make their training stick.
Do you have any go-to one-liners (or two-liners) that tend to work in most circumstances?
My uncle, a great salesman, used to come back to the office at the end of the day and say, "I got two orders today! Get out and stay out." I've used that one to reduce tension on a sales call. Another one, not exactly a joke, is, "If you're going to be a bear, be a grizzly." This one seems to work in all sorts of business situations. Business people tend to be conservative, and if you want to push them or inspire them to take bold action, humor is a non-confrontational way to do it.
Have you witnessed boring people be funny? Are you a boring person but still able to be funny? If so, how?
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