Why Learning to Tell Jokes Is Good for Business

Good comedians are usually good presenters. So can doing stand-up help close the deal?

In her previous career, Alison Meyerstein was a lawyer. So as she steps onto the stage for her first comedy act, there is one small detail she knows she must clarify. "I feel obliged to give a legal disclaimer," she says."Lawyers aren't funny."

Meyerstein gets a laugh. …