Kammed Laughter: Taking humour seriously in negotiation....

Given the current financial climate, gallows humour might best describe any attempt at levity as a relief from the doom and gloom…  Incidentally, looking over the precipice (doom) does not necessarily go hand-in-hand with ‘gloom’. In fact extreme, unprecedented change should be seen as a breakable window of opportunity (‘doom and boom’?) for positive KAMs, while competitors wait in vain for a return to ‘normal’…

Laughter defined

Given that laughter is a nervous reaction to tension (a comedian deliberately builds this up via the story, causing puzzlement, anxiety and even suppressed anger on the part of the recipient to a point where the tension is ideally released via explosive/convulsive relaxation of the jaw muscles, nasal passages (or worse), the only proviso being that the longer the build-up, the better had be the punch-line!

Factories have been closed down for less…..

Delicate use of humour in negotiation

In the KAM role, skilled use of laughter can be an aid in optimising a negotiated agreement.

For instance, in delivering serious news/data to a buyer, if humour is totally absent, the only way to indicate ‘more serious’ is to up the volume or emotion, even more intimidating, leaving no guns in reserve….

However, a KAM that is able to manage well-placed levity allows emphasis of serious interventions as required, thus adding to one’s control of the overall negotiation session.

Operating safely....

To operate safely at this level requires a high degree of focus on the buyer’s combination of Job or Functional needs, whilst also taking into account the complex set of unspoken emotional needs that are not supposed to, but in fact greatly influence the progress to negotiated settlement.

To achieve these levels it is obviously best to practice on those in your circle where abject failure does not result in loss of job or divorce…in other words, sharpen your skills on those you still regard as your friends…obviously avoiding those who are also your buyers…

Incidentally humour can and should be funny too...

Go on, have a ‘witty’ weekend by practicing on your friends, from the NamNews Team!