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Casual Articles - Improvisation Techniques Will Boost Sales
The power is in the air! Well, I am not talking about aero planes or the military but on something we have taken for granted. It's about the air we breathe. Invisible to the naked eye, you can get a lot of power from it if you know how.Do you know that the air compressor is a very important piece of machinery on board a diesel operated ship? It is the heart of the starting air system for the diesel electrical generators and the main diesel engine. Without these engines, everything comes to a standstill.The compressed air that is stored at 25 to 35 bars in air reservoirs has the capacity to start the ma
In our group, some people had trouble accepting and building. We asked the person who blocked an idea to try again, using “Yes, and. . .”
If your team begins a sales meeting with this game, all the participants can agree to only use “Yes, and . . . “ throughout the rest of the meeting discussion. See what happens.
The payoffs of “yes, and . . . . “ to you
Bullying has come into the spotlight this week, with a record number of complaints made about Celebrity Big Brother (UK). Whilst Jade Goody is bearing the brunt of the criticism, she was not alone in her appalling behaviour and was joined by 2 other housemates, who thought it was fair game to target another contestant.Nearly everyone is bullied at some time in their lives. Bullying doesn't stop when you leave school; it can happen to anyone at any age, and people can become bullies at any stage in life. Although it is hard to believe, bullying isn't always deliberate and bullies are not always aware of the ha
What I didn’t know was:
There are rules for improvisation; If we followed some of these rules in business we would quickly increase the ability to trust our teammates and bosses, think more effectively under pressure, se11 and manage more powerfully, and have a lot of fun in the process. Above all, improv is about teaching kindness. Who knew?
For example, we played a game called ‘Hotspot’. As a group we turned our faces to the wall, and one of us had to go into the middle of the room and start singing. Of course, the first person was embarrassed. Very quickly, one of us facing the wall had to save the singer by taking his place and starting to sing. Then we repeated the process: save and sing, save and sing. The goals of the exercise are to take a risk, not let your teammate look silly for too long, and to save each other graciously, even making the previous singer look good.
What a concept! What if that was the focus of how we interact with each other in sales meetings? Take a risk . . . I will save you when you risk embarrassment . . . and I’ll try to make you look good. sales meetings could even become enjoyable, and more people would look forward to attending them.
Here are some other improv exercises that could help living up your meetings, teach some valuable skills, and boost business at the same time. Each activity only takes minutes.
‘Yes, and…’ (versus ‘No, but…’ or ‘Yes, but…’)
The intent: To tell a story by accepting and building on each other’s ideas rather than by blocking them.
The process: One person starts a story by saying a simple sentence, such as, “Joe went to the store”. The next person adds to the storyline, beginning the sentence with “Yes, and… he bought an ice cream cone.” Keep going, starting every sentence with,”Yes, and…” until the story concludes. If, after everyone has had at least 2 – 3 turns, an ending isn’t in sight, ask the next few people to start concluding.
In our group, some people had trouble accepting and building. We asked the person who blocked an idea to try again, using “Yes, and. . .”
If your team begins a sales meeting with this game, all the participants can agree to only use “Yes, and . . . “ throughout the rest of the meeting discussion. See what happens.
The payoffs of “yes, and . . . . “ to your
In general gifts are given in business to promote goodwill and foster good relationships. They are also given to show appreciation. How do you know what is a proper gift?First off, if you are dealing in international trade you should make yourself knowledgeable about the customs of those you would like to gift. For example if you are dealing with oil barons or emirates from the Middle East you wouldn’t want to give them a gift of wood no matter how intricate. The reason is that they perceive would to be of very low value, not making any brownie points there.Another big consideration is to give a gift t
For example, we played a game called ‘Hotspot’. As a group we turned our faces to the wall, and one of us had to go into the middle of the room and start singing. Of course, the first person was embarrassed. Very quickly, one of us facing the wall had to save the singer by taking his place and starting to sing. Then we repeated the process: save and sing, save and sing. The goals of the exercise are to take a risk, not let your teammate look silly for too long, and to save each other graciously, even making the previous singer look good.
What a concept! What if that was the focus of how we interact with each other in sales meetings? Take a risk . . . I will save you when you risk embarrassment . . . and I’ll try to make you look good. sales meetings could even become enjoyable, and more people would look forward to attending them.
Here are some other improv exercises that could help living up your meetings, teach some valuable skills, and boost business at the same time. Each activity only takes minutes.
‘Yes, and…’ (versus ‘No, but…’ or ‘Yes, but…’)
The intent: To tell a story by accepting and building on each other’s ideas rather than by blocking them.
The process: One person starts a story by saying a simple sentence, such as, “Joe went to the store”. The next person adds to the storyline, beginning the sentence with “Yes, and… he bought an ice cream cone.” Keep going, starting every sentence with,”Yes, and…” until the story concludes. If, after everyone has had at least 2 – 3 turns, an ending isn’t in sight, ask the next few people to start concluding.
In our group, some people had trouble accepting and building. We asked the person who blocked an idea to try again, using “Yes, and. . .”
If your team begins a sales meeting with this game, all the participants can agree to only use “Yes, and . . . “ throughout the rest of the meeting discussion. See what happens.
The payoffs of “yes, and . . . . “ to you
Let’s assume that you are one of the millions of family-run businesses that form the very core of the typical local Yellow Page directory. Say you’re the area plumber, auto repair shop, electrician, insurance agent, or restaurant owner. You have a YP ad because it seemed like the right thing to do when you opened up a few years back. Your YP rep helped draw up the ad and it looks pretty good. It has a picture of your shop, which he took with his digital camera. There’s a nice map and you even opted for some color too. The headline is the business name and you’ve also increased the size a few times. So, how is it wor
What a concept! What if that was the focus of how we interact with each other in sales meetings? Take a risk . . . I will save you when you risk embarrassment . . . and I’ll try to make you look good. sales meetings could even become enjoyable, and more people would look forward to attending them.
Here are some other improv exercises that could help living up your meetings, teach some valuable skills, and boost business at the same time. Each activity only takes minutes.
‘Yes, and…’ (versus ‘No, but…’ or ‘Yes, but…’)
The intent: To tell a story by accepting and building on each other’s ideas rather than by blocking them.
The process: One person starts a story by saying a simple sentence, such as, “Joe went to the store”. The next person adds to the storyline, beginning the sentence with “Yes, and… he bought an ice cream cone.” Keep going, starting every sentence with,”Yes, and…” until the story concludes. If, after everyone has had at least 2 – 3 turns, an ending isn’t in sight, ask the next few people to start concluding.
In our group, some people had trouble accepting and building. We asked the person who blocked an idea to try again, using “Yes, and. . .”
If your team begins a sales meeting with this game, all the participants can agree to only use “Yes, and . . . “ throughout the rest of the meeting discussion. See what happens.
The payoffs of “yes, and . . . . “ to you
A musician spends years honing his craft. He writes world-class songs and performs them in a manner that moves his listeners to tears. He records a demo tape and sends it to record labels. He gets a contract and becomes rich, famous and adored.The lesson: demo tapes are the secret of becoming a famous musician.Wait, you say, the demo tape was just a tool, just his way of conveying his talent. It's his ability as a musician that got him the contract and made him famous.You're right, of course. He could have become just as famous if a record executive saw him in person, or heard about hi
‘Yes, and…’ (versus ‘No, but…’ or ‘Yes, but…’)
The intent: To tell a story by accepting and building on each other’s ideas rather than by blocking them.
The process: One person starts a story by saying a simple sentence, such as, “Joe went to the store”. The next person adds to the storyline, beginning the sentence with “Yes, and… he bought an ice cream cone.” Keep going, starting every sentence with,”Yes, and…” until the story concludes. If, after everyone has had at least 2 – 3 turns, an ending isn’t in sight, ask the next few people to start concluding.
In our group, some people had trouble accepting and building. We asked the person who blocked an idea to try again, using “Yes, and. . .”
If your team begins a sales meeting with this game, all the participants can agree to only use “Yes, and . . . “ throughout the rest of the meeting discussion. See what happens.
The payoffs of “yes, and . . . . “ to you
A series of articles exploring the seven critical areas that can indicate a partnership is in trouble.Competitive, Not Complementary ActionJames Carville and Mary Matlin are public relations spokespeople for the Democratic and Republican parties, respectively. They are each articulate, sharp and feisty. Sparks fly when they debate in favor of their parties, so much so that they seem like arch enemies who couldn't possibly exchange a friendly word. I remember the shock reaction I had (how many years ago was it?) hearing that they were getting married. I pictured a contentious loud fighting household. every sentence with,”Yes, and…” until the story concludes. If, after everyone has had at least 2 – 3 turns, an ending isn’t in sight, ask the next few people to start concluding.
In our group, some people had trouble accepting and building. We asked the person who blocked an idea to try again, using “Yes, and. . .”
If your team begins a sales meeting with this game, all the participants can agree to only use “Yes, and . . . “ throughout the rest of the meeting discussion. See what happens.
The payoffs of “yes, and . . . . “ to your business can be huge: breaking down barriers, generating ideas, and increasing cooperation and trust. You can also do this exercise on the phone, so it works well for virtual teams.
Environment Build This is a physical variation of ‘Yes, and…’ I’ve started using this activity in my training classes, and it is hilarious.
The intent: To quickly create a frozen scene with three people, each person building on the action.
The process: Everyone stands in a circle. One person moves into the centre of the circle, announces what object he or she is, then freezes in that position (i.e., “I am a tree.”) A second person comes in, announces what he or she is, and freezes in that position (“I am a dog walking toward the tree.”) A third person enters the scene, announces the next part of the tableau, and freezes in that position (“I am the owner of the dog, holding the leash.”)
The first person then takes him/herself and one other out of the scene. (i.e., removes the tree and the dog.) The next scene begins,” I am the owner of the dog, holding the leash.” The next two people build on that scene, creating something entirely new, and so on.
The business payoff: When people have fun creating together, they can come up with innovative ideas for tackling sales and other business issues. Also, it is impossible to make mistakes in this activity, so it is very safe to include everyone (even those who are shy or contained) and reap a variety of ideas from all participants.
Tongue Twisters
The intent: Loosen up everyone’s lips before a meeting begins.
Try these words as a group (repeat each about 10 times, very quickly)
Unique New York Toy boat Red leather, yellow leather She stood on the balcony, inexplicably mimicking him hiccupping, amicably welcoming him in. (Good luck with this one! It’s not as bad as it looks.)
The business payoff: Everybody has already tripped over their tongues in front of the group, so they can participate comfortably. This is another great exercise for virtual teams.
Talk back: I’d love to hear how you are using improv techniques in your company, and what the business payoffs are.
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