Cold Calling & Comedy
The Psychology of Sales and Stand-Up (Comedy Resources #12)
At some point in time, and it’s usually pretty early on, every stand-up comedian will meet what I call “The Great Wall Of Silence” after a punchline. It’s inevitable and there are many reasons that can happen. But there’s a similar phenomenon in the sales world. You try to make a pitch or sale and the customer shuts you down or turns and walks off. I’ve experienced both. Neither are all that fun, but both can be great learning experiences. And there are many other similarities between stand-up comedy and making sales. In fact, I was surprised how much to learn the psychology of sales and stand-up overlap when I got into Brandon Lemon’s book Cold Call Like A Comedian. Here are several key takeaways.
First Takeaway: As someone whose PhD dissertation focused largely on rhetoric, who has given numerous academic conference papers on rhetoric, and who has written a book titled Introducing Rhetoric, it’s pretty safe to say I have an interest in the matter. When we reach back deep into time, one of the great resources we find is Aristotle’s work titled Rhetoric. In it, he contends that every effective communicator relies on three rhetorical pillars: Logos (logic/data/reason), Pathos (emotion), and Ethos (character/morality). In the sales world, companies often want their salesmen/women to lead with facts and statistics or to inject fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) to “agitate the pain.”
The problem is, if a salesman leads with data, they overwhelm the prospect’s brain. And if they lead with fear (e.g. “Did you know your website is exposed to risk?”) they can come across as a threat. The brain is basically wired to avoid pain, so scaring people causes them to hit the “Click” button so they can escape. So, whether it’s on the floor or on a cold call, if a salesman is trying to sell and by using logos or pathos within the first 10 seconds, failure is likely imminent.
The first 10 seconds should be devoted to ethos (character) before anything else, including the company name. Why? The saleswoman should want to be the kinda person someone wants to talk to. The legendary comedian Bernie Mac used to say, “When I go on stage, I want to relieve your mind, your pressures.” Not only is that the comedian’s job, that’s also a salesperson’s job. Personality and demeanor are more important than product. Being someone refreshing and interesting earns a person the right to sell later. The same goes for being on stage. Those first 10 seconds, that first joke, it should make people want to keep listening.
Second Takeaway: In comedy, there’s a concept known “flipping,” as in “flipping a room.” Basically it just means warming up a room. It’s about taking control of the audience’s attention and shifting the mood from cold to hot. One key strategy for doing this is understanding the “Frame.” Taken from the field of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), a frame is the context in which a mind receives data.
Think about it this way: If a stranger asks for change on the street, you might dismiss them. But if that same person is clean, well-dressed, carrying a crying child, and explains they locked their keys in their car and need to buy a bottle of water for their son, your response will likely change. The request is the same, but the frame is different.
To be successful means to operate from a Frame of Leadership. The best comedians are leaders. Chris Rock’s special Bigger and Blacker is a masterpiece of leadership and salesmanship. Rock repeatedly takes the audience from a premise to a predetermined end, constantly getting buy-in every single step of the way. He’s leading people and they’re following; he’s selling and they’re buying. Leaders set the tone and establish the frame. And when the one leading feels comfortable, the prospect feels comfortable. When the one leading controls the frame, they also control the conversation. This is true whether one’s a comedian or a sales rep.
Third Takeaway: The “failure is not an option” mindset is both silly and toxic. It creates unrealistic and unnecessary tension and it creates a type of desperate delivery that prospects can smell from a mile away. Once a salesman/woman releases the expectation that every call must go a certain way or once a comedian drops the idea that every set or even every joke has to be perfect, it has a way of creating a sense of fearlessness. Viewed this way, failure’s never wrong; it’s a natural part of the process. Failure is feedback.
Fourth Takeaway: Performing well is the result of performing a lot. Comedians often hit four or five open mics in a single night just to refine a single bit. Salespeople need that same mechanical discipline. This is where Lemon’s “2H Time” (2-hour blocks of pure, unadulterated prospecting) concept is helpful. In his view, switching between task such as researching a lead and then calling them destroys one’s “Flow state.” People “in the zone,” so to speak, are often 500% more productive. To stay in that zone, one must control their environment with “Stage Controls.” Here are several:
• Silence is Golden: Work from/in a quiet location.
• The Comfort Kit: Keep things you enjoy within reach; stay comfortable so you can stay confident.
• The Notebook: Keep a physical notebook nearby with your “bits,” whether they’re ideas, premises, points, or research. But also stay flexible.
• Strategic Tools: Keep the tools you find most helpful at your fingertips.
Fifth Takeaway: The foundational rule of improv, as most know, is “Yes, And.” Basically, it means accepting the reality presented by partners and building on it. In sales, this is how one should handle dismissals (which are just “I don’t want to talk right now”) versus actual objections. It’s the same with telling a joke that an audience doesn’t laugh it. It doesn’t mean they don’t want to laugh at the rest of the jokes or even the next joke, it just means “I don’t want to laugh at this joke right now because I didn’t find it funny.”
In sales, if a prospect says, “We already have a vendor,” rapport is easily destroyed by following up by being negative or argumentative. The alternative? Adopt a “thrilled” energy approach. That might look or sound like this, “Oh man, that’s so great that you already have a vendor! I’m glad you see this is a problem worth solving. Let me ask, how are they performing? Are you happy with them?” The point is, by accepting their reality, the opportunity arises to co-create. This is why it’s important to stay positive and non-threatening. It helps earn the right to be critical of a current vendor later. Or, in comedy, this might look like getting no laugh and then cracking a joke about it. “Y’all are right. That joke went over about as well as a day care in Minnesota” (enter any relatable scenario here to “call the moment”).
Sixth Takeaway: Whether we’re making a sale or telling a joke, there are really few things we can control. We can’t, for instance, control the audience. Nor can we control the prospect. We can only control our own “state.” If I’m in a bad mood, if I’m sad or negative, that’s my sign to get in the right mindset before doing anything else. I can go for a walk, listen to music, or call a friend to laugh with. I need to do whatever I can to get back into a pleasant place where I can offer positive energy. Success in sales and comedy comes down to finding the fun. If I can lead myself into a positive state, I can lead my prospects toward a solution.
In the end, Lemon’s book, Cold Call Like A Comedian, isn’t as much about sales tactics or joke structures as it is about human dynamics. It’s about understanding that before anyone buys a product or laughs at a punchline, they’re deciding whether they trust the person in front of them, whether they feel safe, and whether they want to go on the journey being proposed. So, if I can learn to tap into ethos within the first ten seconds, control the frame, embrace failure as feedback, put in the reps, “yes, and” reality, and manage my internal state, I’m not just improving my close rate or tightening my set, I’m becoming a better communicator. And in a world drowning in noise, I think that might be the most valuable skill of all.
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