Humor in Business Communication: The Fastest Way to Capture Attention
Earlier this week, a journalist asked me:
“With attention spans shrinking, do you think humor is becoming more relevant in business communication?”
You probably won’t be surprised to hear I nearly pulled a muscle racing to answer, “Yes!”
Humor and the Attention Economy
I spent 15 years doing stand-up before becoming a top leadership communication speaker. When it comes to grabbing an audience’s attention, comedians don’t have the luxury of time.
If we don’t create an emotional connection with our audience nearly immediately, we’re not just in a hole — we’re down a well.
It’s not so different in business. You may have a bit more time before your audience starts heckling you and pelting you with chicken tenders, but not much.
The ability to capture and hold attention is a critical business skill.
✅ In sales: Keep prospects actively listening
✅ In internal comms: Drive buy-in for a new initiative
✅ In leadership: Align teams and ease resistance during change
When time is short and attention spans are shorter, you need something that opens the door fast.
Here’s one way to do it:
🎥 Watch the short video here: How to Capture Attention with Humor
The Bottom Line: You Can’t Convert Until You Connect
Humor isn’t fluff — it’s strategy. In a business world where everyone’s fighting to be heard, humor cuts through the noise and gives your message emotional traction.
Humor builds trust, lowers defenses, and gets people to lean in. Once you’ve connected emotionally, clarity and persuasion come naturally.
You don’t need to be the funniest person in the room. You just need to use humor to create that shared moment of understanding — the one that makes your audience think, “This person gets it.”
That’s when communication turns into connection, and connection turns into action.
Don’t think of it as humor. Think of it as humanity.
Humor as a Business Advantage
Humor isn’t about telling jokes; it’s about making ideas memorable. In business communication, humor can:
Turn a presentation into a conversation
Make data and strategy relatable
Humanize leaders and brands
Help teams re-engage during change
When you use humor as a tool — not entertainment — you make your message stick.
If clear, confident communication and genuine connection are things your team needs to level up, humor is the fastest way to get there.
👉 Learn more about my most-requested keynote and workshop topics.
👉 Or explore my one-to-one coaching services to elevate the impact and engagement of your team’s pitches and presentations.
Work With Beth Sherman
Humor isn’t just entertainment — it’s one of the most powerful leadership tools you have.
With 30 years of professional comedy writing, stand-up, and 7 Emmy Awards, I help executives, managers, and teams use humor to:
Rebuild culture and connection
Communicate with clarity and impact
Engage audiences in ways data and slides can’t
👉 Ready to make humor your leadership advantage? Work with me.
About Beth Sherman
I’m a comedian, 7-time Emmy-winning comedy writer, and top leadership communication speaker who helps leaders and teams use humor as a tool for connection, clarity, and engagement. With over 30 years of experience in stand-up and television writing, I’ve learned how to make communication not just heard, but felt — and that’s what changes everything.
👉 Learn more about my story on my About page.
