Many years ago, while pitching Oracle Financials to the British Library, we met an evaluation committee member whose questions reached… let’s just say new levels of ambition

They were essentially asking for functionality that would require the software to read your mind before you’d even had the thought

The rest of the committee clearly recognised the impossibility, and our pre-sales consultant, who had been getting progressively more exasperated, finally responded with a perfectly straight face:

“In the next version, we’re introducing full telepathic mode.”

I nearly spat my tea out
Thankfully, the client burst out laughing too

And yes… we won the deal

Conclusion

Sometimes it’s not just the product that wins the customer, it’s the humanity, humour, and connection in the room

A well-timed joke can cut through tension, build rapport, and remind everyone that business doesn’t have to be boring