 | More Resources: Humorous Stories 20 Tips for a Successful Meeting Improve Participation in Meetings Team-Building Techniques Handling Problem Participants | Prepackaged Sales Meetings Facilitator Resources Books Business Humor: Jokes and How to Deliver Them By Gene Perret (Sterling Publications, 1998; $9.56) A humor veteran, who has written for Bob Hope, Phyllis Diller, and Carol Burnett, dishes out advice on how to inject a splash of humor into your sales meetings. Plus, he coaches on how to tell jokes without offending people. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Podium By Herbert V. Prochnow (Prima Publishing, 1998; $7.99) Need a killer anecdote to drive home a point with your salespeople? The author of the bestselling The Public Speaker's Treasure Chest returns with a collection stuffed with more than 2,000 stories, epigrams, definitions, proverbs, and literary quotations. Great Session Openers, Closers, and Energizers: Quick Activities for Warming Up an Audience and Ending on a High Note By Marlene Caroselli (McGraw-Hill, 1998; $27.96) Start off your sales meetings with a bang and keep salespeople energized throughout with these ready-made activities designed to reinforce your key points and keep antsy practitioners’ attention. 101 Ways to Captivate a Business Audience By Sue Gaulke (AMACOM, 1996; $12.76) The founder of the Speaker’s Training Camp organization provides a nuts-and-bolts approach to putting together a successful business presentation. Use the ideas for sales meetings and listing presentations. Playful Activities for Powerful Presentations by Bruce Williamson (Whole Person Associates, 1993; $24.95) Quick exercises to break the ice and run an effective sales meeting through play. Playing Along: 37 Group Learning Activities Borrowed from Improvisational Theater by Izzy Gesell (Whole Person Associates, 1997; $24.95) No stage experience is necessary to enact these short (5-10 min.) step-by-step exercises to loosen up sales meetings and produce group cohesiveness. Presenting and Training with Magic!: 53 Simple Magic Tricks You Can Use to Energize Any Audience by Ed Rose (McGraw-Hill, 1997; $19.96) A profusely illustrated guide to using illusions to emphasize your points and achieve—presto!—magical understanding with your salespeople. Web Sites Real Estate Humor Subscribe to a free public speaking newsletter from trainer Tom Antion & Associates. A sample one-liner: “Why do you have your front door leading right into the dining room? So my relatives won't have to waste any time.” Icebreakers Icebreakers and meeting starters compiled during a conference organized by the Ithaca, N.Y.-based Cornell Trainer Network. For instance: “Ask participants to introduce themselves, with each person talking briefly about the most ridiculous thing they've done in their working life.” About.com Icebreakers A short list of online references compiled by About.com, including a list of icebreaker sites to add to this list, if you’re keeping one, and ways to facilitate introductions, especially if you have new salespeople on your team. Creighton University Leadership Resource Library Public speaking resources, including motivational tips, icebreakers, and teamwork and problem-solving activities. | |