Penny Stones Blog
Archive for the ‘icebreakers’ Category
Friday, September 3rd, 2010
Wow! We’re the HOT IDEA OF THE DAY :
Scatter a handful of Penny Stones on banquet rounds, and ask attendees to answer the questions printed on each. Questions include, “What is a favorite summer memory?” and “What would you love to try?” The topics will get strangers talking, and the stones themselves, made of recycled glass, might become a conversation piece as well. Each bag of 21 stones costs $15; aim to purchase one stone per person. If you have more time than stones, ask attendees to answer the opposite of the questions, i.e., “What are you loath to try?” (330) 998-2509; pennystones.com
Link: http://www.meetings-conventions.com/articles/penny-for-your-thoughts/d36108.aspx
Tags: communication skills, conversation starters, ice breakers, interpersonal skills, meeting planners, Penny Stones
Posted in Conversations, Penny Stones, Small Talk, conversation starters, ice breakers, icebreakers | No Comments »
Thursday, August 26th, 2010
A great site for moms in the Columbus, Ohio area, Kids Eat Out, just reviewed Penny Stones as a Fab Find:
Here’s an excerpt:
So you need a fun, reasonably priced, unique “______” gift. (hostess, housewarming, baby shower, birthday, teacher, you-name-it!)
Well, look no further than Penny Stones.
And they’re giving two sets of Penny Stones away, Original and Slumber Editions. Enter today!
http://www.kidseatout.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=105:pennystones-review&catid=36:fab-finds&Itemid=56
Tags: communication, communication skills, conversation, conversation starters, ice breakers, icebreakers, interpersonal skills, Penny Stones
Posted in Conversations, Penny Stones, communication skills, conversation starters, ice breakers, icebreakers | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010
Penny Stones were just selected for Sweet Sixteen and Quince party ideas:
Sweet Sixteen and Quince Party Ideas
http://www.woai.com/entertainment/story/Quince-party-and-gift-ideas/FigTl5EoO0qFY0JJTfcyZg.cspx?rss=1484
And we made the TV spot too! Penny Stones are recommended for table decorations to get the conversations flowing.
http://www.woai.com/entertainment/story/Quince-party-and-gift-ideas/FigTl5EoO0qFY0JJTfcyZg.cspx?rss=1484
Tags: conversation starters, ice breakers, icebreakers, parties, Penny Stones
Posted in Conversations, Penny Stones, communication skills, conversation starters, ice breakers, icebreakers, press, publicity | No Comments »
Friday, August 6th, 2010
Last month, I had the pleasure of attending the Phi Mu National Convention in Phoenix, AZ. It was an impressive event with even more impressive women! I had a fantastic time. I was asked to give a workshop on conversation skills and I have to say it went even better than I had hoped.
Phi Mu Foundation Luncheon
During lunch, each of the 550 attendees received a Penny Stone and we used them in the workshop I gave afterwards. The highlight for me was when I asked the ladies to ask their partner a typical icebreaker: “Where are you from? What’s your major? or How are you?” The room felt flat. Then I asked them to ask their partner a Penny Stones question. The room lit up! There was laughter, animation, and they didn’t want to stop talking. One of the ladies turned to me a said, “These things really work!”
Tags: communication skills, conversation, conversation starters, ice breakers, icebreakers, Penny Stones
Posted in Conversations, Penny Stones, Photos, communication skills, conversation starters, ice breakers, icebreakers, interpersonal skills | No Comments »
Friday, August 6th, 2010
I stumbled across this fun idea at www.group-games.com: http://www.group-games.com/ice-breakers/mm-game.html
Ages: All. Recommend number of people: Groups of 3-12. Messiness factor: No sweat. Materials required: A large bag of M&Ms or any candy with multiple colors (e.g. Skittles).
M&M Game
This icebreaker is a simple way to help people introduce facts about themselves. It’s very flexible and adaptable – and (if you have a sweet tooth) delicious too! The M&Ms Game goes by other names: the Skittles Game, the Candy Game, the Color Game, among other names.
Setup
Pour M&Ms or any other multicolor candy into a bowl. Have everyone in the group grab as much or as little as they like from the bowl. Make sure that no one eats their candy right away.
How to Play
For each piece of M&M candy they took, they will have to answer a question, depending on its color. For example, you can designate:
- Red candy: favorite hobbies
- Green candy: favorite foods
- Yellow candy: favorite movies
- Orange candy: favorite places to travel
- Brown candy: most memorable or embarrassing moments
- Blue candy: wild cards (they can share anyone they choose)
You can be creative and choose any questions you think would be fitting for your group. The facilitator will then call out the color topic and everyone will go around the room sharing 1 answer per M&M. As an example: if you chose two red pieces of candy, you will have to name two of your favorite hobbies. After the individual has shared that color with the group, he/she may then eat their candy. Continue to go around the room until each color topic has been shared.
Tags: communication skills, conversation starters, ice breakers, icebreakers, school counselors
Posted in Games, children, communication, communication skills, conversation starters, ice breakers, icebreakers, school counselors | No Comments »
Friday, June 11th, 2010
When starting a new conversation, which is the best question to ask?
- What do you do for a living?
- What’s new?
- Are you a Browns fan?
- None of the above
The answer is 4 – none of these questions are great openers.
“What do you do for a living?”: Unless you’re at a work function or event like this, try to avoid career talk. Consider the possible outcomes: their occupation may be of no interest to you, or in this economy, they could be out of work. Ultimately, it’s better to try to talk about something that you are truly interested in.
“What’s new?” or “How are you?”: Too open-ended, you’ll get equally boring answers like “Nothing” or “fine”
“Are you a Browns fan?”: A yes or no answer is not a great opener, and only a die-hard fan would admit to being a Browns fan these days.
The best kinds of questions to ask are open-ended: start your question with Why, How or In what way…
Closed-ended questions ask for one- or two-word answers. Try to avoid: Are, Do, Who, When, Where, Which, Have you… ?
Here are some stock questions to keep on hand:
“What person would you most like to meet?” (pause) “Why?”
You can also introduce a topic with “My friends and I were just talking about…” and add what you’d like to talk about:
* Favorite place to visit
* What you’d love to try
* Your dream job
* Favorite childhood show, game or gift
* Favorite summer memory
Stock questions above are from Penny Stones - great ice breakers on glass stones.
Tags: communication, communication skills, conversation starters, ice breakers, Penny Stones
Posted in Conversations, Penny Stones, Small Talk, communication skills, conversation starters, ice breakers, icebreakers | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010
We sent Kristin of Coupon Scribbles a set of Penny Stones to review and she and her family loved them. You can check out her review at:
Penny Stones make a great Father’s Day and graduation gift!
Tags: communication skills, conversation, conversation starters, Gifts, ice breakers, icebreakers, Penny Stones
Posted in Gifts, Penny Stones, conversation starters, ice breakers, icebreakers | No Comments »
Friday, May 21st, 2010
Here are some rules to go by when mingling:
- Most conversations = a few minutes
- Use information you’ve heard to change topics
- Optimum mingle time = 10 minutes
- Keep eye contact while the other person is talking. You can look around the room while you have the floor.
Tags: communication, communication skills, conversation, conversation starters, first impressions, interpersonal skills, parties, tips
Posted in Conversations, Small Talk, communication, communication skills, conversation starters, ice breakers, icebreakers, interpersonal skills | 10 Comments »
Thursday, May 6th, 2010
Tammy Gentry, creator of Penny Stones at The Gathering
Inspirational Gift Trends Bulletin just reviewed gifts from The Gathering, a conference in Louisville, KY for Christian bookstore managers, April 21-23, and Penny Stones made the list:
Although Tammy Gentry’s Penny Stones (www.pennystones.com) conversation-starter sets are already in some chain stores, she was glad to introduce the line-launched two years ago and a top 10 Moms in Business award winner last year-to independents.
Containing glass stones stamped with ice-breaker questions for families, friends and groups, the sets-including a Faith-Based edition as well as Love & Marriage and New Parents-retail for $14.95 each. “The response has been great,” Gentry said. “People are looking for things that are new and different and reasonably priced.”
Tags: conversation starters, Gifts, ice breakers, icebreakers, Penny Stones, Small Talk
Posted in Gifts, Penny Stones, Small Talk, Trade Shows, conversation starters, hostess gifts, ice breakers, icebreakers, interviews | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
While many people struggle to find the “perfect” opener, research has shown that what you say is relatively insignificant. The important thing is to say something instead of letting an opportunity pass you by. If the other person is interested, they’re likely to help you continue the conversation.
According to Alan Garner, author of Conversationally Speaking, there are really only three topics to choose from:
1. The situation
2. The other person
3. Yourself
And three ways to start:
1. Asking a question
2. Giving an opinion
3. Stating a fact
Asking a question gets the other person involved, so that’s the best option. Find something to say that you will both be interested in, either about the situation or them. People like to talk about themselves and will be pleased to respond to your questions or comments. So when in doubt, ask an ordinary question about the other person. Once you start talking, you’ll find common interests and get the conversation going.
So the next time you see someone you’d like to meet, strike up a conversation. And don’t worry too much about what you say. Remember that the act of saying something is more important than the words themselves.
Tags: communication, communication skills, conversation starters, first impressions, ice breakers, icebreakers, interpersonal skills, topics
Posted in Conversations, Small Talk, communication, communication skills, conversation starters, ice breakers, icebreakers, interpersonal skills | 6 Comments »
