It Limited My Upward Mobility, and I'd Do It Again

I never took myself too seriously in business. It certainly limited my upward mobility in a sterilized corporate culture.

At Bazaarvoice, I got the entire exec team to do a "More Than Words" mockumentary music video. For a B2B SaaS video, 12k views was pretty good, and it generated comments... rare for corporate content. At Mass Relevance, we ran several fun video series. At both companies, I threw parties that became the talk of the show.

The point was always the same: connect with people in a way that's entertaining and fun. It beats pitching features. In B2B, the sale is about relationships and trust first. Features come second.

There's a study I think about every time I build a pitch, an ad, or a hard email. Psychologists split Texas A&M students in two. Half heard a lecture tape. Half heard Steve Martin's comedy album, "A Wild and Crazy Guy." Afterward, a stranger asked each listener the same thing: "I left home without any money today. Could you spare some so I could eat?"

The group that had just been laughing gave, on average, 2.5 times more money than the ones who sat through the lecture. Nothing about the ask changed. Only their guard did.

If you want someone to say yes to something, a request, a pitch, a hard conversation, in my experience the fastest way in isn't more logic. It's opening the door with a laugh first. Mirth moves mountains.

What's a moment humor helped you land something logic couldn't?