This is the ‘Win with Stories’ newsletter. Every week I send an email with a message wrapped in a short story. I also share one actionable tip and a recommendation for you to enhance your storytelling skills.
Everyone agrees that having a ‘sense of humour’ is an asset in life, and even in business. Some months ago, I wrote a post on Linkedin about adding humour to business communication. Some people supported the idea, but the real problem they faced was they didn’t know how.
I have been watching a lot of talks and interviews featuring Girish Mathrubootham, the CEO and founder of Freshworks, over the past few days. His company was recently listed on NASDAQ and is valued at 13 billion USD. Apart from the fact that he is a great storyteller, what stands out is his sense of humour. So this edition is about bringing the funny back in business.
Girish Mathrubootham’s business stories with a dash of humour.
In 2015, Girish and his company Freshdesk(that’s what Freshworks was called back then) participated in YourStory’s MobileSparks conference. Girish had made a 20 minute long presentation about how to build a winning global team. I am certain that 8 out of 10 Indian professionals would have used the opportunity to throw jargon and buzzwords to sound impressive.
Thankfully, Girish isn’t among the ones who take that approach.
Let me share a few examples:
He said, “We were global from day one. We had two clients from the US, two in Europe, one in Asia and one in Australia.” Knowing Girish, the humour in the statement might be deliberate.
At one point in the presentation, he mentioned Costa Coffee. And followed it up by saying he was introduced to the brand when someone in Bangalore said, “Let’s meet at Costa Coffee. Cafe Coffee Day is so boring.” Girish had originally suggested that they meet in CCD.
Towards the end Girish referred to the Prime Minister’s statement that the IT industry grew so fast because the government did not understand anything about the industry and decided to stay out of it. He used this anecdote to make his point that Freshdesk built a formidable team despite the absence(or probably because of the absence) of an HR person in the company.
The result of Girish’s simple and humour-infused talk is that the session was fun and his messages stuck.
That brings me to an important point. What you want to say is important, but what you make people feel is even more so. Because in the end, if people feel good interacting with you, they are more likely to work with or do business with you.
Communication tips for today.
No.1: Don’t be original.
The problem most people face with humour in business communication is that they try to act like a stand up comic. Girish Mathrubootham regularly quotes lines from Rajnikant movies, which are inadvertently funny. That he is a die-hard fan helps a lot. In the same way, all you have to do is remember borrowed jokes, quotes and anecdotes that can be linked to your presentation’s content or messages. You don’t need to have original jokes, it’s not a part of your KRAs or OKRs.
Another thing you could do is to take the burden off your shoulders completely. Play funny videos and laugh with the audience, the result is the same. You will break the ice with the audience and feel pretty comfortable thereon.
No.2: Laugh at yourself:
Girish’s admission that he did not know about Costa Coffee is a case in point. Many times, we are the butt of jokes and sharing those is another low-risk approach to humour. The only caveat here is to stay close to business and other dispassionate topics till the time you get a hang of this craft. Stay away from personal stories, religion, sex and politics.
Though tbh, they are funnier and you know it 🙂
No.3: Have a ‘sense of humour’ towards life.
Many professionals present as if their life depends on the outcome. It doesn’t.
More than his funny anecdotes or Rajni quotes, it is Girish’s outlook that makes him affable. I am yet to come across a talk or interview where he seems to be carrying the weight of the world. He is an easy-going guy(or at least that is what he makes you feel) and that comes across in his talks.
So remember to smile and laugh at yourself every once in a while. Allow yourself to make mistakes and own them up. This will add more humour to business communication than any technique or template ever will.
I also understand that for many people this attitude comes with time. So another suggestion is to speak in front of audiences as many times as you can and write like you are speaking(without the fillers and slang, of course).
One thing you could watch today:
To understand these examples and tips, it is best that you watch Girish’s presentation at MobileSparks in 2015. Here it is.
If you enjoyed this email, you will certainly like our webinar that is scheduled tomorrow. I will be deconstructing Girish Mathrubootham’s storytelling(Thursday, 28th October 2021, 6pm IST). We have three final seats left – click the link here and register.
Thanks to every reader of ‘Win with Stories’ who has registered, I look forward to interacting with you tomorrow 🙂
That’s it from me today. Hope you enjoyed this edition.
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