In all cases, the goal is to “break the ice” and quickly earn trust to expedite effective communication.<\/p>\n
Whether you are intent on bringing strangers together quickly to form a common-purpose group, on learning exactly what colleagues care about, or on closing a sale with a new client, how you “break the ice” can determine whether you end up with genuine reactions or later-reversed acceptance that leaves you feeling blind-sided.<\/strong><\/p>\n Problems can arise when you latch on to an icebreaker that you feel comfortable using, but that does not have relevance for your target group. With so much changing, if you’re using ice breakers that are older than your favorite device, you’re probably not getting genuine buy-in.<\/p>\n Take a close look at what you do and say or email to earn trust on in group situations or when expecting to take a prospect to client status in one meeting:<\/strong><\/p>\n