This week a speechwriter told me a story about an irreverent thing she told her client.

"Did he laugh?" I asked.

"No," she said with a laugh. "He can't laugh."

She explained that the guy has been so exalted for so long預nd deals with people so exalted葉hat his business persona is inseparable from his real self.

So much so, that, if his business persona wouldn't think a joke is funny預nd his business persona doesn't think anything is funny揺e can't laugh.

She added that this is often true of top executives: By the time they get to the C-suite, they've ceased to recognize any difference between their real selves and their corporate personas.

"They can't laugh," the speechwriter said with a hint of pity in her voice.

Which brought me to the conclusion that here's yet another job our speechwriters do for our clients, in addition to research, writing and presentation coaching:

We laugh for them, too.