Recently, I taught a two-day sales training class in São Paulo, Brazil. I love teaching these classes; they’re filled with role playing sessions and interactive discussions, interspersed with lively, good-natured joking. And the less I lecture and the more students talked and got emotionally involved, the more they enjoyed the class, and the more they learned.
The first morning I entered a large room with rows of chairs and desks facing a raised platform Arriving at the platform, I turned to see 25 professionally-dressed seriously-caffeinated faces staring at me. Each had a blank note book open with pen in hand, determined to listen attentively and quietly while taking notes. These were students from schools that demanded obedience. Would they be brave enough to tell me their names?
Immediately I know this would be disaster. What could I do to break the ice?
I said, “I want everyone to take a piece of paper”; they complied like dancers in a chorus line. I took a piece as well. “Now, do as I am doing please, very carefully, put the paper in your hands, and crumple it up in a ball just like this”. They all followed me with neither a quizzical look nor smile.
“Now, I tend to speak fast, and I know that English is not your first language, so every time I speak too fast, the way to slow me down, is to take this paper ball and throw it at me.” I then threw my ball over everyone’s head. “Now don’t throw it too hard, because you might hurt me. So throw those balls at me, right now!” Everyone threw their paper balls at me and smiled. Fortunately, no one knocked me out but a few throws did hit me solidly, to the laughter of the crowd.
I had them. The ice was broken. It was a great class.
© Marc Gedansky, 2011
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