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Using humor in the industrial selling process
Using Humor in the Industrial Selling Process John S Wagle Humor is an oft used promotional tool in advertising, and the question naturally arises as to whether humor can also be designed to accomplish specific goals in the industrial selling process. In this article, principles of humor are applied to the buyerlseller process, with particular reference to the steps of the sale. The judicious use of humor by the industrial salesperson can enhance the sales presentation and favorably influence the overall buyerlseller relationship, provided the salesperson has adequate knowledge of the capabilities and limitations of humor.
INTRODUCTION Humor abounds in both mass media and interpersonal communications. It is a device systematically embedded in advertising of all types. Because humor is considered to have positive effects in mass media promotion and because of the high frequency of interpersonal humor, it is reasonable to propose that humor might be able to play an important role in personal selling and in the dyadic relationship that develops between the industrial buyer and the salesperson. It is important to ask whether or not humor aids or, possibly, damages the likelihood of an industrial sale. In addition, it is necessary to determine which selling tasks and sales goals, if any, might be positively influenced by the use of humor. To accomplish this task, the generally accepted format of the Address Marketing,
correspondence to: Professor Northern Illinois University.
John S. Wagle, Department DeKalb. Illinois 60115.
Industrial Marketing Management 14, 221-226 (1985) 0 Elsevier Science Publishing Co., Inc., 1985 52 Vanderbilt Ave., New York, New York 10017
of
steps of the sale were examined with respect to the potential use of humor in each step. Also, the possibility that sales presentation goals can be facilitated by humor was explored. The steps of the sale using humor include prospecting, the preapproach, the approach, the sales presentation, meeting objections, the close, and the follow-up. HUMOR AND THE STEPS OF THE SALE Using humor in the steps of the sale first becomes relevant in the planning stage: the preapproach (Table 1). In the preapproach, it is important to determine a priori the kinds of humor that will be appropriate for the individual industrial buyer(s) to which a presentation will be made. In the approach, the buyer and seller come into physical contact. In this step of the sale, it is critical to obtain the buyer’s attention and interest. It is also necessary to create a favorable impression of the salesperson. Humor can be used to attain attention and interest. If the type of humor used is appropriate, it can also aid in creating a favorable impression of the salesperson. The sales presentation phase of the steps of the sale must accomplish a number of significant goals. These goals are presented in Table 2. Generally, in the sales presentation, the salesperson can use humor to help accomplish goals related to attention and maintenance of a favorable interpersonal association. The salesperson can also reduce buyer hostility and anxi221 0019-8501/85!$3.30
TABLE 1 The Steps of the Sale and the Use of Humor Sales step
Selling task
Use of humor
Prospecting
Locating prospective customers through interpersonal, secondary information, and company sources.
Not relevant.
Preapproach
Studying the prospective buyer to determine the most effective approach, needs, methods of sales presentation. meeting objections, and closing.
Discover humor characteristics Determine if the presentation to a committee.
Approach
Seller meets prospective buyer; goals interest and attention of the prospect.
Gain attention. intcrcst. and a favorable impression salesperson. and reduce hostility through humor.
Sales presentation
Salesperson presents the potential or service and the product/service
benefits of the product characteristics.
Humor used to develop rapport and group solidarity. Humor should be based upon the type of buying situation. the buying problem, and the goals of the sales presentation.
Meeting
Salesperson them.
objections
Humor used to reduce anxiety, hostility, and maintain attention. soften the meeting of objections, or distract the buyer from the objection.
Closing
Follow
objections
the sale
up
determines
prospect’s
include
gaining
and allays
Salesperson’s goal is to obtain action; either a sale or a future commitment to continue product/service consideration.
Humor
Uncovering encouraging
Humor used to maintain and regain attention.
problems that have occurred postsale, new purchases, and maintaining rapport.
ety if they occur during the presentation. In the fifth step of the sale, meeting objections, the industrial salesperson is likely to encounter buyer anxiety. This is partly due to the fact that objections are based upon real concerns the buyer has about product/service characteristics and the alternative characteristics otherwise available in the marketplace from the salespersons’ competitors. It may also be due to the fact that a number of the techniques of meeting objections are likely to create buyer anxiety or hostility. Humor can be used to dissipate buyer anxiety, hostility, and objections. The close is a critical step in the selling process, and many view it as the most important step. A number of closing techniques have been developed. Stanley lists the closing techniques as asking for the order, continued affirmation, the assumptive close, closing on a minor point, standing room only, offering a special inducement, summarizing talking points, erecting barriers, closing on an objection, and offering to alter the product [ 141. Although anxiety may be present in the close, it may not be profitable for the salesperson
of industrial buyers. is to an individual huyer
222
of marketing
of the
inappropriate.
rapport
and group
solidarity.
TABLE 2 Humor Use and the Goals of the Sales Presentation
Sales presentatton
Often
goal
Maintain the favorable relationship established in the approach. Shift attention from salesperson product/service.
Humor use Rarely Never
x to x
Presentation of product/service characteristics
x
Dcvclopment of product/service characteristics into product/service benefits. Discovery of product/service benefits most relevant to the industrial buyer. Discovery rclcvant Reaffirm
and elimination product/service
of least benefits.
attention.
Direct attention productiscrvicc
toward relevant benefits.
Mate product/service benefits with product/service characteristics.
x
Obtain long-term productiservicc
X
retention of characteristics.
x
Trial close. JOHN S. WAGLE is an assistant professor Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois.
or
at Reaffirm attention relationship.
and interpersonal x
Humor can be used to reduce buyer hostility and objections to reduce closing anxiety. Evidence concerning the persuasiveness of humor also suggests that humor and the close are incompatible. As a result, attempting to use humor during the close is not recommended. At the end of the sales interview, the salesperson has either been successful in closing the buyer or has not successfully made a sale. In the latter case, the salesperson must not view this as a failure to sell but, rather, must consider this to be a postponed sale, in most instances. Therefore, the salesperson will want to re-establish rapport with the (future) industrial customer, maintain the previously established interpersonal relationship, and redirect the prospective buyer’s attention from the product/service back to the salesperson. Humor can be used as an aid in accomplishing these tasks. If a sale has been made, the salesperson must still follow up the sale. The goals of the salesperson in the follow-up are to uncover problems that have occurred after the sale and to encourage new purchases. Clearly, the salesperson would wish to maintain rapport and continue the established interpersonal relationship. To do this, the buyer’s attention must be redirected from the product/service back to the salesperson. These are the same goals as when no sale was made. Humor can be used advantageously at the end of a sales interview, regardless of the outcome, because the salesperson’s basic objectives are the same, independent of whether or not a sale has been made. As a cautionary note, it must be observed that the professional salesperson is not a practicing comedian. Humor has its place in the salesperson’s role in the selling process, but humor, like any other sales technique, should not be overdone. So far in this article, the steps of the sale in which humor can be used have been overviewed. The intent is not to suggest that humor should be attempted at every point that its usage may be possible but, rather, to identify the goals that may be accomplished through humor use in the steps of the sale. Equally important is the identification of the step of the sale in which humor should
not be used-the close-and humor cannot accomplish.
goals and tasks
that
HUMOR AND THE GOALS OF THE SALES PRESENTATION In Table 2 the use of humor is recommended in certain goal situations and not recommended in others. These recommendations are based upon the empirical and theoretical literature concerning humor from a wide variety of disciplines. For example, the first of the goals of the sales presentation that humor can help accomplish is for the salesperson to maintain the favorable impression that was established in the approach, regardless of whether the salesperson is facing an individual buyer or a buying group. This recommendation is based upon findings from 10 empirical and 3 theoretical sources. The weight of evidence from these sources is that humor aids in establishing and maintaining rapport between individuals and within groups. Theoretically, humor is a device that creates understanding between individuals and is often a shared, binding experience for the group. The group is often hostile toward third parties, and it may become necessary for a salesperson to come to be perceived as a member of the group. One way this may be accomplished is through humor [9, 121. In addition, groups and individuals solve social problems through humor [8]. Bryant et al. found that college instructors can increase their appeal to students by using humor [2]. Tamborini and Zillman found that humor use had a generally positive impact on the appeal of an instructor to students but did not influence students’ perception of the professor’s intelligence in either direction [15]. It is significant that college professors, who are professional interpersonal communicators, were observed in one study to provide an average of one humorous message every 15 minutes [ 11. A few of the other sources that support or modify the principle of humor establishing or maintaining rapport (both in and out of the class-
223
room) include Markiewicz [lo], Gutman and Priest [7], Gruner [6], Chapman and Wright [3], Freedman and Perlick [4], and McGhee [ 111. All of these sources cited evaluate the hypothesis that humor may help establish or maintain rapport. Other points made in this article are supported and modified by equally lengthy quantities of literature. For purposes of brevity, it will be impossible to present a complete literature review. As a result, the remainder of the article will be directed toward implications of humor for marketing management without detailed reference to specific sources. Nevertheless, each point made is based upon numbers of authorities. In exploring the goals of the sales presentation (Table 2), it can be seen that humor is often recommended for tasks that require the salesperson to establish or maintain a favorable interpersonal relationship and to attract or direct attention toward the salesperson or the product/service. In addition, the salesperson may occasionally use humor to accomplish goals related to the presentation of information and the hoped-for retention of information by the industrial buyer. Provided that appropriate humor is used, the salesperson can expect humor to reliably accomplish tasks related to the favorable development of interpersonal relationships and to gaining and maintaining attention. However, information gain and retention (of product characteristics, for example) through humor is likely to be successful only if certain other conditions are also present. Continuous humor appears to create a threshold and direct attention so that the humor is retained and the information is lost. As a result, humor designed to develop information gain and retention must be noncontinuous and centered directly on the point of information that the salesperson wants the prospective buyer to retain. If the salesperson wishes to develop information gain and retention through humor, humor should not be used to accomplish other goals and should be specifically about the information to be retained by the buyer. This is also true for humor in consumer and industrial advertising. Using humor in either a trial close or a final close is not recommended. The empirical literature clearly states that humor is not favorably persuasive toward a subject or object (although, equally clear is the conclusion that humor is favorably persuasive toward the presenter of humor) [lOJ. Some authorities have suggested that the evidence is that humor is not
224
more persuasive than information presented without humor. This has been interpreted to mean that humorous presentations are equaily persuasive to nonhumorous presentations. The validity of such an interpretation is doubtful. Research designed to test the persuasive capability of humor typically presents identical information in the control and experimental groups, with humor added to the information in the experimental group. When no differences for persuasion (no attitude change differences, for example) are detected between groups, it is likely that the correct interpretation of the data is that equal information is equally persuasive independent of humor, not that humor is equally persuasive to information. Because there is evidence to support the contention that humor can accomplish other important tasks, such as attention acquisition and group belongingness, and because there are proven techniques other than humor that are successfully persuasive (the methods of closing), it seems appropriate to conclude that humor should not be used as a persuasive device for a product or service during the close.
USING HUMOR TO REDUCE ANXIETY AND HOSTILITY AFTER MEETING OBJECTIONS Stanley lists the methods of meeting objections as direct denial, indirect denial, pass up, boomerang, question, and compensation [14]. As can be deduced by the labels Stanley chooses, most of these methods of meeting objections are likely to cause anxiety, hostility, or both in the potential buyer. Several of the theories of humor support the idea that humor is a mechanism that reduces anxiety and/or hostility. When an individual is in an anxious or hostile state, a number of physical, chemical, and mental processes have brought the individual to the “alert.” Humor may be used to trigger laughter, and laughter causes the processes to discharge into a more favorable physical and mental state. To put it in theoretical terms, humor and laughter cause a “swift demobilization” of hostility and anxiety. A salesperson should carefully observe the prospective customer for body language, voice tonality, physical signs, or verbal statements that indicate an anxious or hostile state in the buyer. When such signs are evident, it is appropriate to use humor to cause a swift demobilization of the anxious or hostile state so that the buyer may become
more receptive to further information or sales techniques the salesperson wishes to develop. Although anxiety and hostility are most likely to be associated with meeting objections and the close, humor can be used to reduce them in any step of the sale in which the salesperson becomes aware they have occurred and believes their reduction to be important, except for the close, as previously suggested.
in these can be should training sessions taught
ADDITIONAL INDUSTRIAL
CONCLUSION
USES OF HUMOR AS AN MARKETING MANAGEMENT
“groups.” Because of the range of tasks that facilitated by humor, industrial marketers consider incorporating humor in marketing sessions-both as a means to make the more successful and as a technique to be to the employees in training.
TOOL
Most of the discussion in this article has been centered upon using humor in the management of the sales situation by the industrial salesperson. Humor can also be used in the management of other elements of the industrial promotion mix and in the interpersonal management of marketing personnel. Evidence has been developed that suggests that humor in advertising enhances the corporate image, although it does not apparently influence product or service image favorably [5, 131. This finding is consistent with the conclusions about interpersonal humor, which show that the presenter of humor is favorably viewed, but favorable object persuasion does not occur in such a presentation. Taken together, these points imply that humor can be used in industrial advertising when the goal is to enhance corporate image and in the public relations or publicity elements of the promotion mix for both interpersonal public relations (such as a press conference or a trade show) or in print media.
Humor can be used by the industrial marketing manager and by members of the sales force to accomplish a number of important specific goals. When used judiciously, that is, when implemented to meet goals that humor can fulfill, humor will be a valuable addition to the tools available to the marketing manager and the salesperson. Still, humor should be viewed as an addition to current sales and management skills, rather than as a substitute for them. It must also be observed that it is important to forego using humor incorrectly. The value in studying humor is as much to determine when and how humor should not be used as the reverse. Generally, as we have seen, humor is best used to enhance presenter image, to establish group membership and solidify group belongingness, and to acquire attention and interest. Humor would not seem to be of substantial value in closing a sale or in developing a product or service image. Using the guidelines suggested in this article should make humor an efficient and effective tool for industrial marketing management and promotion.
Using humor in either a trial close or final close is not recommended, With respect to management of marketing personnel, it would seem that-all of the general principles about interpersonal humor could be applied by a sales or advertising manager to the sales force or advertising team. The benefits of interpersonal humor would accrue to the sales or advertising manager, especially since they are already relevant members and leaders
REFERENCES 1. Bryant, College
2.
J., Comisky. P., and Zillman, D., Teachers’ Humor in the Classroom, Communication Education 28, 1 lo- 118 (1979).
Bryant, J.. Comisky P., Crane, J., and Zillman, D.. Relationship between College Teachers Use of Humor and Students’ Evaluation of their Teachers, Journal of Educational Psychology 74. 511-519 (1980).
225
3. Chapman. A., and Wright. D.. Social Enhancement of Laughter: An Experimental Analysis of Some Companion Variables. Jourmd of Experimenta/ Child P.yychology 21. 201-218 (IY76). 4. Freedman, J., and Perlick. D., Crowding, Contagion, and Laughter, Jourrlal of Experimental Social Psychology 15, 295 -303 (lY7Y). 5. Gelb, B., and Pickett C.. Attitude-Toward-the-Ad: Links to Humor and to Advertising Effectiveness. Journal of Advertisiq 12. 34-42 (lY83). 6. Gruner. C., The Effect of Humor in Dull and Interesting Informative Speeches, Cmrral States Speech Jourmd 21, l60- 166 (1970). 7. Gutman. J., and Priest R., When is Aggression Funny? Personality and Social Psychology 12. 60-65 (1969).
Journul
X. Holland, N.. Laughing: A Psychology of Humor. Cornell Press, Ithaca, 1982, pp. 34446.
University
9. Lorenz, K., On Aggression. 1966. pp. 57-84.
New York.
Harcourt.
Brace.
and World,
of
IO. Markiewicz. D.. Effects 407-422 (lY74). Il.
McGhee, Francisco,
P.. Humor: 197’).
12. Morreall, J.. Tukiq York Press. Albany.
of Humor
on Persuasion,
Its Origin and Development. Laughter Seriously. State lY83. pp. l-60.
Sociometry 37. Freeman,
University
San
of New
13. Murphy, J.. Cunningham. 1.. an d Wilcox, G.. The Impact of Program Environment on Recall of Humorous Television Commercials, Journul of Advertisirq 8. 17-21 (1979). 14. Stanley. R. E., Promotion: Advertising, Publicity. Prr.sonal Selling, Sales Promotion. Prentice-Hall. Englewood Cliffs, NJ. 1982. pp. 295 ~ 300. IS. Tamborini. R.. and Zillman. D., College Students’ Perception of Lecturers Using Humor, Perceptual and Motor Skills 52, 427-432 (1981).
INTRODUCTION Humor abounds in both mass media and interpersonal communications. It is a device systematically embedded in advertising of all types. Because humor is considered to have positive effects in mass media promotion and because of the high frequency of interpersonal humor, it is reasonable to propose that humor might be able to play an important role in personal selling and in the dyadic relationship that develops between the industrial buyer and the salesperson. It is important to ask whether or not humor aids or, possibly, damages the likelihood of an industrial sale. In addition, it is necessary to determine which selling tasks and sales goals, if any, might be positively influenced by the use of humor. To accomplish this task, the generally accepted format of the Address Marketing,
correspondence to: Professor Northern Illinois University.
John S. Wagle, Department DeKalb. Illinois 60115.
Industrial Marketing Management 14, 221-226 (1985) 0 Elsevier Science Publishing Co., Inc., 1985 52 Vanderbilt Ave., New York, New York 10017
of
steps of the sale were examined with respect to the potential use of humor in each step. Also, the possibility that sales presentation goals can be facilitated by humor was explored. The steps of the sale using humor include prospecting, the preapproach, the approach, the sales presentation, meeting objections, the close, and the follow-up. HUMOR AND THE STEPS OF THE SALE Using humor in the steps of the sale first becomes relevant in the planning stage: the preapproach (Table 1). In the preapproach, it is important to determine a priori the kinds of humor that will be appropriate for the individual industrial buyer(s) to which a presentation will be made. In the approach, the buyer and seller come into physical contact. In this step of the sale, it is critical to obtain the buyer’s attention and interest. It is also necessary to create a favorable impression of the salesperson. Humor can be used to attain attention and interest. If the type of humor used is appropriate, it can also aid in creating a favorable impression of the salesperson. The sales presentation phase of the steps of the sale must accomplish a number of significant goals. These goals are presented in Table 2. Generally, in the sales presentation, the salesperson can use humor to help accomplish goals related to attention and maintenance of a favorable interpersonal association. The salesperson can also reduce buyer hostility and anxi221 0019-8501/85!$3.30
TABLE 1 The Steps of the Sale and the Use of Humor Sales step
Selling task
Use of humor
Prospecting
Locating prospective customers through interpersonal, secondary information, and company sources.
Not relevant.
Preapproach
Studying the prospective buyer to determine the most effective approach, needs, methods of sales presentation. meeting objections, and closing.
Discover humor characteristics Determine if the presentation to a committee.
Approach
Seller meets prospective buyer; goals interest and attention of the prospect.
Gain attention. intcrcst. and a favorable impression salesperson. and reduce hostility through humor.
Sales presentation
Salesperson presents the potential or service and the product/service
benefits of the product characteristics.
Humor used to develop rapport and group solidarity. Humor should be based upon the type of buying situation. the buying problem, and the goals of the sales presentation.
Meeting
Salesperson them.
objections
Humor used to reduce anxiety, hostility, and maintain attention. soften the meeting of objections, or distract the buyer from the objection.
Closing
Follow
objections
the sale
up
determines
prospect’s
include
gaining
and allays
Salesperson’s goal is to obtain action; either a sale or a future commitment to continue product/service consideration.
Humor
Uncovering encouraging
Humor used to maintain and regain attention.
problems that have occurred postsale, new purchases, and maintaining rapport.
ety if they occur during the presentation. In the fifth step of the sale, meeting objections, the industrial salesperson is likely to encounter buyer anxiety. This is partly due to the fact that objections are based upon real concerns the buyer has about product/service characteristics and the alternative characteristics otherwise available in the marketplace from the salespersons’ competitors. It may also be due to the fact that a number of the techniques of meeting objections are likely to create buyer anxiety or hostility. Humor can be used to dissipate buyer anxiety, hostility, and objections. The close is a critical step in the selling process, and many view it as the most important step. A number of closing techniques have been developed. Stanley lists the closing techniques as asking for the order, continued affirmation, the assumptive close, closing on a minor point, standing room only, offering a special inducement, summarizing talking points, erecting barriers, closing on an objection, and offering to alter the product [ 141. Although anxiety may be present in the close, it may not be profitable for the salesperson
of industrial buyers. is to an individual huyer
222
of marketing
of the
inappropriate.
rapport
and group
solidarity.
TABLE 2 Humor Use and the Goals of the Sales Presentation
Sales presentatton
Often
goal
Maintain the favorable relationship established in the approach. Shift attention from salesperson product/service.
Humor use Rarely Never
x to x
Presentation of product/service characteristics
x
Dcvclopment of product/service characteristics into product/service benefits. Discovery of product/service benefits most relevant to the industrial buyer. Discovery rclcvant Reaffirm
and elimination product/service
of least benefits.
attention.
Direct attention productiscrvicc
toward relevant benefits.
Mate product/service benefits with product/service characteristics.
x
Obtain long-term productiservicc
X
retention of characteristics.
x
Trial close. JOHN S. WAGLE is an assistant professor Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois.
or
at Reaffirm attention relationship.
and interpersonal x
Humor can be used to reduce buyer hostility and objections to reduce closing anxiety. Evidence concerning the persuasiveness of humor also suggests that humor and the close are incompatible. As a result, attempting to use humor during the close is not recommended. At the end of the sales interview, the salesperson has either been successful in closing the buyer or has not successfully made a sale. In the latter case, the salesperson must not view this as a failure to sell but, rather, must consider this to be a postponed sale, in most instances. Therefore, the salesperson will want to re-establish rapport with the (future) industrial customer, maintain the previously established interpersonal relationship, and redirect the prospective buyer’s attention from the product/service back to the salesperson. Humor can be used as an aid in accomplishing these tasks. If a sale has been made, the salesperson must still follow up the sale. The goals of the salesperson in the follow-up are to uncover problems that have occurred after the sale and to encourage new purchases. Clearly, the salesperson would wish to maintain rapport and continue the established interpersonal relationship. To do this, the buyer’s attention must be redirected from the product/service back to the salesperson. These are the same goals as when no sale was made. Humor can be used advantageously at the end of a sales interview, regardless of the outcome, because the salesperson’s basic objectives are the same, independent of whether or not a sale has been made. As a cautionary note, it must be observed that the professional salesperson is not a practicing comedian. Humor has its place in the salesperson’s role in the selling process, but humor, like any other sales technique, should not be overdone. So far in this article, the steps of the sale in which humor can be used have been overviewed. The intent is not to suggest that humor should be attempted at every point that its usage may be possible but, rather, to identify the goals that may be accomplished through humor use in the steps of the sale. Equally important is the identification of the step of the sale in which humor should
not be used-the close-and humor cannot accomplish.
goals and tasks
that
HUMOR AND THE GOALS OF THE SALES PRESENTATION In Table 2 the use of humor is recommended in certain goal situations and not recommended in others. These recommendations are based upon the empirical and theoretical literature concerning humor from a wide variety of disciplines. For example, the first of the goals of the sales presentation that humor can help accomplish is for the salesperson to maintain the favorable impression that was established in the approach, regardless of whether the salesperson is facing an individual buyer or a buying group. This recommendation is based upon findings from 10 empirical and 3 theoretical sources. The weight of evidence from these sources is that humor aids in establishing and maintaining rapport between individuals and within groups. Theoretically, humor is a device that creates understanding between individuals and is often a shared, binding experience for the group. The group is often hostile toward third parties, and it may become necessary for a salesperson to come to be perceived as a member of the group. One way this may be accomplished is through humor [9, 121. In addition, groups and individuals solve social problems through humor [8]. Bryant et al. found that college instructors can increase their appeal to students by using humor [2]. Tamborini and Zillman found that humor use had a generally positive impact on the appeal of an instructor to students but did not influence students’ perception of the professor’s intelligence in either direction [15]. It is significant that college professors, who are professional interpersonal communicators, were observed in one study to provide an average of one humorous message every 15 minutes [ 11. A few of the other sources that support or modify the principle of humor establishing or maintaining rapport (both in and out of the class-
223
room) include Markiewicz [lo], Gutman and Priest [7], Gruner [6], Chapman and Wright [3], Freedman and Perlick [4], and McGhee [ 111. All of these sources cited evaluate the hypothesis that humor may help establish or maintain rapport. Other points made in this article are supported and modified by equally lengthy quantities of literature. For purposes of brevity, it will be impossible to present a complete literature review. As a result, the remainder of the article will be directed toward implications of humor for marketing management without detailed reference to specific sources. Nevertheless, each point made is based upon numbers of authorities. In exploring the goals of the sales presentation (Table 2), it can be seen that humor is often recommended for tasks that require the salesperson to establish or maintain a favorable interpersonal relationship and to attract or direct attention toward the salesperson or the product/service. In addition, the salesperson may occasionally use humor to accomplish goals related to the presentation of information and the hoped-for retention of information by the industrial buyer. Provided that appropriate humor is used, the salesperson can expect humor to reliably accomplish tasks related to the favorable development of interpersonal relationships and to gaining and maintaining attention. However, information gain and retention (of product characteristics, for example) through humor is likely to be successful only if certain other conditions are also present. Continuous humor appears to create a threshold and direct attention so that the humor is retained and the information is lost. As a result, humor designed to develop information gain and retention must be noncontinuous and centered directly on the point of information that the salesperson wants the prospective buyer to retain. If the salesperson wishes to develop information gain and retention through humor, humor should not be used to accomplish other goals and should be specifically about the information to be retained by the buyer. This is also true for humor in consumer and industrial advertising. Using humor in either a trial close or a final close is not recommended. The empirical literature clearly states that humor is not favorably persuasive toward a subject or object (although, equally clear is the conclusion that humor is favorably persuasive toward the presenter of humor) [lOJ. Some authorities have suggested that the evidence is that humor is not
224
more persuasive than information presented without humor. This has been interpreted to mean that humorous presentations are equaily persuasive to nonhumorous presentations. The validity of such an interpretation is doubtful. Research designed to test the persuasive capability of humor typically presents identical information in the control and experimental groups, with humor added to the information in the experimental group. When no differences for persuasion (no attitude change differences, for example) are detected between groups, it is likely that the correct interpretation of the data is that equal information is equally persuasive independent of humor, not that humor is equally persuasive to information. Because there is evidence to support the contention that humor can accomplish other important tasks, such as attention acquisition and group belongingness, and because there are proven techniques other than humor that are successfully persuasive (the methods of closing), it seems appropriate to conclude that humor should not be used as a persuasive device for a product or service during the close.
USING HUMOR TO REDUCE ANXIETY AND HOSTILITY AFTER MEETING OBJECTIONS Stanley lists the methods of meeting objections as direct denial, indirect denial, pass up, boomerang, question, and compensation [14]. As can be deduced by the labels Stanley chooses, most of these methods of meeting objections are likely to cause anxiety, hostility, or both in the potential buyer. Several of the theories of humor support the idea that humor is a mechanism that reduces anxiety and/or hostility. When an individual is in an anxious or hostile state, a number of physical, chemical, and mental processes have brought the individual to the “alert.” Humor may be used to trigger laughter, and laughter causes the processes to discharge into a more favorable physical and mental state. To put it in theoretical terms, humor and laughter cause a “swift demobilization” of hostility and anxiety. A salesperson should carefully observe the prospective customer for body language, voice tonality, physical signs, or verbal statements that indicate an anxious or hostile state in the buyer. When such signs are evident, it is appropriate to use humor to cause a swift demobilization of the anxious or hostile state so that the buyer may become
more receptive to further information or sales techniques the salesperson wishes to develop. Although anxiety and hostility are most likely to be associated with meeting objections and the close, humor can be used to reduce them in any step of the sale in which the salesperson becomes aware they have occurred and believes their reduction to be important, except for the close, as previously suggested.
in these can be should training sessions taught
ADDITIONAL INDUSTRIAL
CONCLUSION
USES OF HUMOR AS AN MARKETING MANAGEMENT
“groups.” Because of the range of tasks that facilitated by humor, industrial marketers consider incorporating humor in marketing sessions-both as a means to make the more successful and as a technique to be to the employees in training.
TOOL
Most of the discussion in this article has been centered upon using humor in the management of the sales situation by the industrial salesperson. Humor can also be used in the management of other elements of the industrial promotion mix and in the interpersonal management of marketing personnel. Evidence has been developed that suggests that humor in advertising enhances the corporate image, although it does not apparently influence product or service image favorably [5, 131. This finding is consistent with the conclusions about interpersonal humor, which show that the presenter of humor is favorably viewed, but favorable object persuasion does not occur in such a presentation. Taken together, these points imply that humor can be used in industrial advertising when the goal is to enhance corporate image and in the public relations or publicity elements of the promotion mix for both interpersonal public relations (such as a press conference or a trade show) or in print media.
Humor can be used by the industrial marketing manager and by members of the sales force to accomplish a number of important specific goals. When used judiciously, that is, when implemented to meet goals that humor can fulfill, humor will be a valuable addition to the tools available to the marketing manager and the salesperson. Still, humor should be viewed as an addition to current sales and management skills, rather than as a substitute for them. It must also be observed that it is important to forego using humor incorrectly. The value in studying humor is as much to determine when and how humor should not be used as the reverse. Generally, as we have seen, humor is best used to enhance presenter image, to establish group membership and solidify group belongingness, and to acquire attention and interest. Humor would not seem to be of substantial value in closing a sale or in developing a product or service image. Using the guidelines suggested in this article should make humor an efficient and effective tool for industrial marketing management and promotion.
Using humor in either a trial close or final close is not recommended, With respect to management of marketing personnel, it would seem that-all of the general principles about interpersonal humor could be applied by a sales or advertising manager to the sales force or advertising team. The benefits of interpersonal humor would accrue to the sales or advertising manager, especially since they are already relevant members and leaders
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