Why humor works when cold calling government IT

A while back, I picked up a call from an unknown number. As soon as I answered, the rep said:

“Sir, would you reward my honesty if I told you this was, in fact, a cold call?”

I laughed — even though I didn’t want to.

I wanted to be stern. I wanted to cut it short, say I wasn’t interested, and move on with my day. It had all the makings of a call I usually decline before the first sentence is over. But instead, I paused. He’d caught me off guard in the best way.

The line was funny — but more than that, it was real.
He didn’t pretend we’d met. He didn’t name-drop someone I barely knew. He didn’t try to trick his way past the first 10 seconds. He was honest — and it worked.

I listened to his short pitch. And while I wasn’t ready to buy anything, I didn’t hang up. I didn’t forget him. I didn’t roll my eyes and mark the number as spam.
Instead, I walked away with a surprisingly positive impression — and that’s not something I say often about cold calls.

Why It Worked

Most cold calls follow a stale formula. But this one didn’t. It was:

1. Unexpectedly honest.
   He named the elephant in the room — and earned trust instantly.

2. Refreshingly human.
   No pitch deck. No nonsense. Just a person being themselves.

3. Genuinely disarming.
   Humor doesn’t have to be hilarious. It just has to be authentic. This was.

I get dozens of vendor pitches a week. And I don’t expect them all to be amazing. But when someone breaks through with self-awareness and sincerity, they earn more than a few seconds. They earn a shot at the next conversation.

A Word of Caution

This doesn’t mean you should start every cold call with a joke. Forced humor falls flat. Fake casualness reads as fake.

The point isn’t to be funny — it’s to be yourself. If humor is part of your voice, let it shine. If not, focus on being clear, honest, and respectful.

Takeaways for Vendors:

• Be direct. If it’s a cold call, just say it. You’ll stand out.

• Sound human. Drop the script. Speak like someone worth listening to.

• Respect the moment. If you’re interrupting someone, be aware of it — and make it worth their time.

• Don’t try to close — try to connect. Relationships start with trust, not pressure.

In government IT, we’re used to sales tactics. But we’re still human — and sometimes, the fastest way through the wall is a little honesty, served with a smile.