www.ShiftSpeakerTraining.com

• Intro - Cruising the Atlantic!
  
• BTS Tip: "Just get started!"
• Article: Icebreaker Activity Ideas
• Joanna Recommends: The ABCs to Increase Your Income from Speaking This Year

Hi!

This week’s newsletter will find us mid way across the Atlantic!  We’re due to arrive in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday.

Greg, Tamara, Vanessa and I are swanning our way across the seas and having a great time!  We’re on board “Independence of the Seas” a huge luxury cruise-ship, with Million Dollar Masterclass Members Terri Billington, Pauline Bright, Heather Yelland, Tricia Jenkins; and also the lovely Pam and Steve Brossman.  Plus a fabulous bunch of other Information Entrepreneurs.

As some of you have guessed though, I’m not writing this newsletter from the ship.  I’m on holiday for heaven’s sake!  Instead I’m pre-preparing it from the comfort of home prior to boarding.  But I can tell you sitting here that I promise to take loads of photos, and shoot loads of inspiring Behind the Scenes video tips on board so that you too can benefit from the adventure.

We’ll no doubt get loads of great tips from countless other entrepreneurs too- so watch out come mid-December for “BTS- CRUISE STYLE!”

Hope you’re having  a great week.  Enjoy the tips and articles this week.  Let me know what you’d like to know more about.

Love,

"Just get started!"

Icebreaker Activity Ideas

In a recent article I discussed the value of icebreaker exercises to capture people’s attention and get them engaged in your presentation.  Nothing is easier to do when it comes to building rapport, and raising the energy and involvement of your audience.

So what sort of things can you use as “Icebreaker Activities”?

Here’s a few simple examples that you’re welcome to use.

1. Long Lost Friends.  Nothing breaks the ice like pretending someone’s a long lost friend.  I invite people to go and meet 5 people that they don’t know, but greet them like they are “long lost friends”.  This usually works well in a personal development type environment, but might not be too crash hot in corporate.
2. What’s your intention? In this exercise you send people off to introduce themselves to 3 new people they don’t know.  Have them share their name, occupation and what their intention is for the workshop.  This is a great idea because it has the added advantage of getting people thinking about why they are there and what their outcomes are.
3. Share a Dream Holiday.  This is a great one because it gets people instantly in a good mood!  Have participants introduce themselves to 5 people, share their name and and where they would most like to visit on a dream holiday and why.
4. Memorable Moments.  I like this because again it raises the emotional energy.  Invite people to introduce themselves and tell the most memorable moment in their life so far, in a wildly inspirational way.

For my Icebreakers I prefer to send people off into small groups, or to network and meet people personally rather than having each participant stand up and introduce to the whole group.  The reason is that the intention of my icebreaker activity is not only to get to know each other, but to raise the energy in the room.  So the more noise, and fun, and hub-bub we can create, the better.

I also like to play some fun music underneath!

Would you like to use this article on your website or in your ezine? You can, as long as the information below stays intact.

About the author:

Dr Joanna Martin

Dr Joanna Martin is an internationally acclaimed speaker and sought-after educator who has taught over 40,000 people on three continents.
Today, she trains entrepreneurs and professionals alike in key communication, leadership, and presentation skills. With her partner Greg, through their business, Shift Lifestyle they provide strategy and support for business owners who want a lifestyle, not just a living.

For more information go to: www.ShiftSpeakerTraining.com

If you need a speaker for your upcoming events, please contact our office.

Joanna's travel arrangements for the next 6 months:

• London: September 19th - 23rd November
• Floating Success Seminar: 23rd November - 6th of December
• USA 6th December - ?
• London 6th of January- 28th January
• Australia: 28th January- end of March

If you require international travel, we are open to this.  Please contact us at info@shiftlifestyle.com or call our office to discuss.

Upcoming Events

Here's where you can see me live...

• 9th February, 2010: Nationwide Networking Melbourne, Australia
• 19th - 21st March, 2010: Presentation Profits Intensive Melbourne, Australia
  

“The ABCs to Increase Your Income from Speaking This Year”

 As a preview  to the Presentation Profits Intensive in Melbourne, Australia in March 2010, I'm running a free webinar series- chock full of the usual generous gems I enjoy sharing.  Each month for the next 4 months we'll be focussing on a different crucial building block of you successful speakng business. 

Our next call is in a little more than a week away on the 10th of December. Don't leave it to the last minute, get registered for the series now if you haven't already. Why not start your New Years resolutions early and make 2010 your year to inject presentation profits into your business. I'll see you on the call!

Register for the ABCs webinar series

Opportunity International Australia provides people living in poverty with access to basic financial services – including small loans, savings accounts, insurance and business training. These services are know as microfinance, and they assist people who wouldn’t usually qualify for regular banking services because they have no form of collateral or formal identification.

Here’s how it works…

By helping a mother to buy a sewing machine to start a tailoring business or a father to buy seeds to plant a vegatable garden, small loans enable people in poverty to earn an income and provide for their families. 97% of loans are paid back, so the cycle can continue for years! Each successful business feeds a family, employs more people and eventually helps to empower a whole community.

Did you know that for only a $200 donation you can help one family start a business and employ one other person? This one loan once paid back can be used again and again. Many of us spend more than that on a night out with friends and once that money is gone, it’s gone!

Find out more about Opportunity International and how you can make a difference by visiting their website:

www.Opportunity.org.au