Laughter truly is the best medicine.
Laughter decreases stress hormones.
Laughter decreases the risk for heart disease.
Laughter oxygenates the cells and helps fight cancer.
Laughter boosts serotonin levels which helps your mood.
Laughter releases interleukins that boost your immune system.
Laughter releases endorphins that can even cause temporary pain relief.
Laughter works your core muscles, which promotes better spinal alignment.
Laughter also strengthens relationships. Someone who is laughing and smiling immediately looks more “attractive”. The key part of that phrase is “attract”. Smiles and laughter “attract” other people. You know this. You would much rather approach a person who is smiling than someone who is frowning.
Laughter opens the mind, too. People who laugh are more willing to listen, more willing to see things from other points of view, more willing to engage with other people.
So to recap… People who laugh are healthier, happier, more attractive, more engaging and more approachable. People who laugh are more open-minded and listen better.
Sound like the perfect sales staff?
Encourage and foster laughing in your staff and not only will they see benefits, so will your business.
We have three rules of laughter on the sales floor.
- Laughter has to be inclusive. If you are laughing at instead of with, then it has to stop.
- There are no inside jokes. If it isn’t funny to everyone, it doesn’t belong on the sales floor.
- Appropriate laughter should be encouraged at all times.
Not only is laughter good, it fits into our Core Value of Having Fun and our mission – We’re here to make you smile.
So I leave you with this one final thought…
There was a captain sailing on the sea during a battle. His servant came up to him and the captain said, “Bring me my red shirt.”
So, the servant did as the captain said.
After the battle the servant came up to the captain and said, “Why did you say bring me my red shirt?”
The captain said, “Well if I got shot the crew wouldn’t see the blood and be demoralized.”
The next day the servant came up to the captain and said, “There are 50 ships on the horizon.”
The captain said, “Bring me my brown pants.”
-Phil Wrzesinski
www.PhilsForum.com
PS One way to encourage laughter is to play. Have game nights with your staff or join a sports league like softball or bowling. Another way is to have a joke session at your next meeting. Whatever it takes, set up a culture where appropriate laughter is the norm.