Chapter 21
Sense of Humor
Sharing a laugh with someone is an excellent way to create a mini-bond. Laughing drops the defenses, has amazing physiological effects, and can make a new contact seem like an old chum. A moment of true laughter can stem from a situation, a funny comment, or a joke.
When it comes to jokes, it's a tough call. Some people can tell jokes; some people can't. It's important to acknowledge in which category you fit. If you're not sure, assume you can't.
There is a fine line between appropriate and inappropriate humor in business settings and, unfortunately, as people become more familiar with contacts, the lines become even blurrier. When you are at a business function you should be acting in a professional capacity on behalf of your company. Know your audience and err on the side of caution to ensure you are presenting a positive, professional image at all times.
Once you've decided that a joke is appropriate for your environment and audience, determine if the length of the joke can survive the hustle and bustle of an event. Jokes that take longer than three sentences to complete are very difficult to deliver effectively in mingling environments because you're bound to be interrupted before you deliver the punch line. It's a common occurrence for people to restart the same joke to include newcomers or because people lost track of the plot. Unless the story is really engaging, you'll lose people. Generally their attention spans are short.
Save inappropriate ...
