Humour can play a pivotal role in sales and marketing because it allows the salesperson to connect with their potential customer, making it an effective tool for closing deals. According to a global industry report, more than three-quarters (77%) of people are more likely to buy from a salesperson that’s funny.

Despite this, only one in six business leaders (16%) use humour to sell. Fears about incorporating humour in prospecting could be due to outdated beliefs about how businesses need to communicate with customers.

The report – which includes insights from more than 12,000 consumers and business leaders across 14 countries – also revealed that more than two-thirds (69%) of people would open an email from a brand if the subject line was funnier.

However, only a quarter (24%) of business leaders actively use humour in email marketing campaigns. This illustrates how businesses could be missing out on a goldmine of sales by not incorporating humour in their prospecting strategies and customer interactions.

Victoria Heyward, Director of Marketing at Sopro, comments: “Studies have shown that as young people, we laugh a lot, then when we reach our mid-twenties, this figure considerably drops. This is really sad and I think a lot of it has to do with the fear around using humour in business – especially in a B2B environment.

“A lot of the time, brands essentially have social channels just to have a presence, but if you’re not going to do anything with it you might as well just turn the whole thing off – it’s pointless.

“If you allow yourself, [humour]can start becoming much more of the way your company communicates in general, and I think that’s really exciting. Whatever product or service people are buying from you, they’re just people like you wanting to be entertained.”

Steve Harlow, Chief Sales Officer at Sopro, offers tips on how businesses can incorporate humour into their sales strategy:

• Start with social media: “Social media is a great place to start incorporating humour in marketing. As more prospects look to engage with brands on social platforms, it creates an easily accessible audience in a more relaxed environment where humour is widely accepted and enjoyed. Businesses can get involved in trending topics on social media to boost engagement, but it’s important to ensure it still aligns with your brand’s values.

• Use humour in email outreach: “Using humour in your outreach emails can help your pitch stand out, establish a connection, and elicit a response. A well-placed touch of humour in your subject line, text body, or even creative call to action can make your pitch more memorable and secure new customers.

• Tailor to your audience: “Whatever platform you plan to incorporate humour on, it’s vital to tailor to your target demographic – recognise their interests, background, and the kind of humour they will resonate with for the best results.”