An improv class is not just for comedians. It may help you better your sales and customer relationships. That’s why business professionals across the country are signing up for improv classes.
“I believe improvisation and stand-up comedy classes can be a tremendous supplement to traditional sales training,” Troy Piekarski, an advocate for standup comedy training, told Forbes.com. “The quick thinking, engagement, and connection required help sales people cope better in the field when up against unpredictable scenarios.”
Improv can you teach you to better connect with people, forcing you to make connections with others beyond just your impressive resume, says Will Ness, a lawyer and standup comedian. You’re forced to find a common ground with others and you start to realize the similarity in experiences, and the connection from laughing can help you build relationships offstage too, Ness says.
Improv helps you to improve your listening skills as well, says Matt Wohlfarth, author of
The ABC’s of Stand-up Comedy.
“Standup comedy and improv classes teach you to connect with your audience and your improv partners in a unique way. They both teach ‘active listening,'” Wohlfarth says. “Standup comedy teaches you to listen to all the cues that your audience is giving you, both verbal and nonverbal signals. It makes you an expert at body language, which is a vital skill in the business world. Improv classes are exceptional tutorials in the ‘how to’ of active listening. These are the precise skills needed to make a clever improvised scene and help you deliver your business presentation with confidence.”
Source: “Want to Improve Your Business Skills? Try a Stand-Up Comedy or Improv Class,” Forbes.com (March 29, 2017)
