Humour is one of the most powerful tools we have when communicating with people, yet it’s one of the least talked about in sales, leadership, or optical retail. You can debate how much humour to use, when to use it, or what kind works best. But you can’t deny this: laughter is a universal bond from one human to another.
In this episode of Revenue RX, I explore why humour truly is the final frontier in selling and relationship building. It’s easy to learn your product. It’s easy to learn your customer. It’s even easy to learn the science of selling. But learning how to use humour, and more importantly when to use it, is far more difficult.
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Humour relaxes people. It creates an open atmosphere where trust, friendship, and compatibility can begin to form. That’s why I see it as the last element you add to the selling process, not the first. You use humour after you understand your product, your customer, and the fundamentals of selling. If humour is all you bring to the table without substance behind it, you don’t become effective, you become a distraction.
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that joke telling is risky. Most jokes feel forced, contrived, or worse, demeaning to someone. Stories, on the other hand, are genuine. They come from experience. They allow for self-effacing humour, which is the safest and most powerful kind. Stories are remembered long after facts and figures are forgotten.
We often talk about professionalism in optical retail, but what’s funny about being professional all the time? In my experience, someone who is 50 percent professional and 50 percent friendly and funny will outperform someone who is 100 percent professional, almost every time. Friendly and funny are far more engaging than professional alone.
That said, humour isn’t universal. Not every customer wants it, and you can usually tell quickly. Some people just want to get down to business. In many cases, those are also the people most focused on price. The key is learning to read the room and adapt.
If you don’t think you’re funny, that doesn’t mean humour is off the table. Like any other skill in your career, it can be learned. Pay attention to what makes you laugh. Watch how others use timing, tone, and self-awareness. Take small risks in low-stakes environments. Most importantly, learn to poke fun at yourself. True humour is self-directed. It’s never at the expense of others.
Humour builds trust because it humanizes you. It lowers defences, creates shared moments, and makes conversations more memorable. When people smile or laugh with you, they’re more likely to listen, agree, and ultimately buy from you. In a crowded optical market where products and pricing often look similar, you become the differentiator.
Humour isn’t about being a comedian. It’s about being real, relatable, and relaxed. Used wisely, it’s more than a smile. It’s a strategy.
Joseph Mireault
Joseph Mireault, Optical Entrepreneur, Business Coach, and Published Author.
Joseph was the owner and president at Tru-Valu Optical and EyeWorx for 16 years. During his tenure, he consistently generated a sustainable $500K in annual gross revenue from the dispensary.
He now focuses on the Optical industry, and as a serial entrepreneur brings extensive experience from a variety of different ventures.
Joseph is also a Certified FocalPoint Business Coach and looks to work directly with ECPs in achieving their goals.
Through his current endeavour, the (Revenue RX, Optical Retail Wins podcast) he shares the challenges and solutions of running an Optical business.
His insights are shared with optical business owners aspiring for greater success in his new book, “An Entrepreneur’s Eye Care Odyssey: The Path to Optical Retail Success.”
