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Given the current business downturn there seem to be relatively few opportunities to have a laugh. But here’s some good news from the world of persuasion. Not only can laughter improve morale, according to a new study it can also make our business more profitable. Many of us use online communications to deal with complex interactions. Take negotiations. Often they might start with an email exchange between two sides before progressing to phone calls or a video conference. Then a face-to-face meeting might be arranged to conclude the deal.

In such situations, any ideas to make negotiations more successful are worth considering. Persuasion researchers think they have a good idea — send the person you are negotiating with a cartoon first.

In one study, businesspeople were asked to negotiate on a specific and complex contract via email. Half the group were paired up and simply asked to get down to business. The other half were paired up and one side was given a funny (and inoffensive) cartoon about negotiation. That person was instructed to send the cartoon to the person they were negotiating with prior to getting down to business.  

The researchers believed that the funny cartoon would create increased trust between the negotiators and lead to higher gains for both. And they were right. The group that sent the cartoon generated not only higher levels of trust but also 15 per cent larger profits.

But what about situations where the ability to negotiate is limited because of set pricing structures or limited terms? Could the cartoon influence negotiations in these groups too? It turns out they it did. The increased trust gained by sending the cartoon first resulted in their negotiating partner being less extreme when putting down an offer. Negotiators who received the cartoon were more than twice as likely to make a first offer that was within the boundaries of acceptable terms compared to those that didn’t receive the cartoon. This simple change resulted in more efficient negotiating, saving unnecessary time and suspicion.

The practical applications for being more persuasive are clear and should apply to other business communications too. Having some sense of “the other side” as a real person and not just an email address seems to help build trust and create better agreements.  

In times where businesses are looking for any small changes that can make their business more successful, maybe laughter is the best medicine.

Steve Martin is co-author of Yes! 50 Secrets from the Science of Persuasion, scieneofyes.com