As an entrepreneur pitching a new concept, telling your origin story at the beginning of your pitch is one of the most powerful ways to:

• Differentiate yourself from your competition

• Build stronger connections with your audience (investors, employees, customers)

• Reveal your character and build trust

As a sales leader, have you ever stopped to consider what you could learn from the world of stand-up comedy?

While closing deals and making audiences laugh may seem worlds apart, the parallels between perfecting a sales pitch and crafting a killer stand-up set are striking.

Being a great salesperson is a lot like being a great comedian. You need to deeply understand your audience and seamlessly adapt your material to connect with them on a personal level.

In this post, we look at how techniques from stand-up comedy can help you better gauge and influence buyer intent during the sales process.

Stand-up comedy may seem like an unlikely source of inspiration for sales teams. But some of the skills mastered by talented comics can pay big dividends in the world of sales.

Read on for unique techniques from the comedy stage that you can use to connect better with prospects and ultimately win more deals.

Let’s focus on three key areas that will separate high-performance sales teams over the next year:

1. Lead with Human Connection, Not Technology

2. Deliver Value Throughout the Sales Process

3. Customize Sales Strategy Based on Buyer Intent

Mastering these capabilities will enable sales teams to build credibility, strengthen relationships with prospects, and win more deals.