Networking Insight: Product Review: 52 Ways to Break the Ice...

October 31, 2007

Product Review: 52 Ways to Break the Ice...

Relationship expert, Lillian D. Bjorseth of Duoforce Enterprises, Inc. and author of Breakthrough Networking: Building Relationships That Last, has designed a unique system that provides a structured approach to help you build relationships and increase sales. Her product, 52 Ways to Break the Ice & Target Your Market, comes with an instruction manual and two decks of cards – Ice Breakers and Market Targeters.

Ice Breakers

The Ice Breaker cards are to be used for one-to-one interaction. Each card has a question or statement that is a good starting point for any conversation. Many people are not comfortable talking with new individuals at meetings or events so this is a great way to break the ice. The cards allow meeting planners to add an element of structure before or during an event.

The Ice Breaker deck includes 25 cards and 1 “De-Icer” card, which, if chosen, allows a person to give a 60-second business pitch to all attendees. Here are some of the questions/statements that you will find in the deck:

- If you could go back to the beginning of time, whom would you most like to meet and why?
- Expound on your two major business strengths.
- Share your verbal business card, i.e., what you do, in 10-20 seconds.
- Who was your most influential teacher?

With 25 questions/statements, many people can get involved in this activity. People should be paired in twos and then ask each other the question. If done right, then individuals will get to know something about each other, which is a great foundation for building a relationship.

The intended users of these cards include: business leads groups, chambers of commerce, meeting planners, and speakers.

Market Targeters

Unlike the Ice Breaker cards, which are mostly used for one-to-one interaction, the Market Targeters cards can be used in groups to facilitate interaction between several people. The concept behind these cards is to help entrepreneurs though Fortune 100 employees use brainstorming and feedback to better refine their marketing strategies. The preferable group size for this activity is 4-6 people, which encourages interaction.

The Market Targeters deck includes 25 cards and 1 “Bull’s Eye” card, which, if chosen, allows a person to give a 5 minute presentation in front of the group. Here are some of questions/statements that you will find in the deck:

- What is your company’s competitive advantage?
- Why does your target market buy what you provide?
- Who are your major competitors?
- List the four key messages in your marketing campaign.

The cards are great to get conversations started within small groups. Not only will some beneficial dialogue occur, but also some learning will take place . It is great to have these conversations with your peers because each person can provide a unique perspective. As a result, some great relationships will be born.

The intended users of these cards include: business leads groups, coaches, entrepreneurs, and marketing and sales associations.

Recommendation

Overall, these cards are a great way to engage your attendees with one another. Event planners and associations should take advantage of 52 Ways to Break the Ice & Target Your Market because with so many events nowadays, it is challenging to stand apart.

By providing a structured component to your gathering, people will come away with some new relationships and knowledge. The more stickiness you can add to your event, the more people will come back. So, it is worth trying these cards out if you want to try something different.

Posted by Jason Jacobsohn | Permalink

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