A few years ago, Steve Cody, Peppercom’s co-founder and managing partner, hired a professional comic to train his staff in the art of standup. Clayton Fletcher, who regularly performs at the New York Comedy Club, comes in three or four times a year to meet with new employees and verse them in proper comedic technique, from setting up a punch line to timing its delivery. The training isn’t just for fun. Many of the skills used in crafting a standup routine, Cody says, are essential for winning over prospective clients. “If you’re a good comedian, you’re probably a good presenter,” says Cody. Staffers at Peppercom, a New York City-based PR agency, are, in fact, all getting pretty good at delivering one-liners. To read more, click here.