Humor: The Secret Ingredient to Building Client Trust
One thing I love about being a Business Owner is the ability to be my authentic self. I am the best version of myself because I have the space and freedom to operate just as I am. What I love most is I can truly use humor as a way to connect with people on a much deeper level. Of course, as an entrepreneur, building trust with clients is essential to your success. You want your clients to feel comfortable and confident that their information and their business are safe with you. I have learned that a great way to go about this is to start building trust using humor.
I know we all are very different and we all may not even consider ourselves as funny or comedies but hear me out. Making someone laugh actually helps both you and the person you are communicating with. It makes difficult conversations less difficult, builds comfort, and trust. So I wanted to give you a few tips on how you can implement just a taste of humor when building the trust of your clients.
Here are my top 5 five tips:
Be familiar enough with your client to ensure your humor is always appropriate. The last thing you want is to make a joke that offends your client or makes them feel awkward. When using humor, always remember to be respectful and avoid topics that could be seen as politically incorrect or offensive.
Stay true to who you are and use your own brand of humor. Everyone has a different sense of humor and not all jokes will be appreciated by all people. Don’t be afraid to be yourself and use humor that you think is funny. This will help to build trust as your clients will know that they are working with someone who is authentic and genuine.
Find ways to lighten up difficult conversations. If you have a difficult conversation or topic to discuss with a client, find ways to use humor to lighten the mood. This will show your client that you are not just focused on the business, but that you also care about their well-being.
Use humor to show your expertise. When you can use humor to show that you know your stuff and that you are confident in your skills, your clients will be more likely to trust you. This can be a great way to show your expertise and build trust with your clients.
Laugh with your clients and at their jokes! Listen to your clients’ humor. Pay attention to how your clients use humor and try to use humor in a similar way. This will show your clients that you are listening and that you understand their needs. It will also help to build a stronger relationship with them.
I am a certified class clown, so trust me, making someone laugh is worth it! Especially in business because we already have so many things to be serious about. A little laughter goes a long way and that is also how a person can go from being merely a client to a lifelong friend.
