“Improv teaches you how to think on your feet and how to react and adapt very quickly to unexpected events and things you may not have planned for.”

Lakshmi Balachandra, Improvisational Leadership at MIT Sloan School of Management

If you are with an organization that expects immediate results, experiences constant change, has a variety of personalities to manage internally and externally and struggles with communication issues every now and then, you are already improvising and might not even be aware of it. Strengthening innate improv skills will naturally improve every day life and business.

Improv actors and comics are trained to create content on the spot, respond organically in the moment, and provide spontaneous customer satisfaction … just like YOUR business has to do EVERYDAY!

We customize training programs per your industry needs and objectives to help you approach old ideas in new ways. Your business is constantly changing and is unique from all others with a variety of personality dynamics, thus you need programs that are not cookie-cutter. Our style is non-judgmental and team-oriented with the goal of helping participants “learn by doing” for high learning retention.

Our areas of specialty include customized programs starting in increments of 1/2 day sessions in the areas of:

SALES: Is your sales team in a rut, burnt out or new to selling? In today’s economy with more competition and smaller budgets, creativity and relationship building is crucial to driving business.  If you want to increase sales, it starts with building solid relationships quickly. People prefer to buy from people they know, like and TRUST. Our Sales Training Program includes techniques to help your sales team use soft skills to network and relate to achieve new business, repeat business and more revenue.

CUSTOMER SERVICE: Customer service is not a department. It’s an attitude that anyone servicing a customer or client should possess. Exceeding service expectations increases revenue. To do so, we need to be able to quickly respond in the moment to fast changing situations while building relationships and trust through effective communication. Our Customer Service Training Program includes techniques to improve relationship building, active listening, non-verbal communication and spontaneity.

COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUES: Do you or your team struggle with mis-communication or communication overload between smart phones, email, conference calls and a heavy workload? While we have technology to accomplish more work, our innate skills to actively listen and communicate depreciate if we don’t use those skills. Our  Communication Techniques Program uses improv exercises to improve active listening, non-verbal communication, vocal tone of voice, eye contact and overall hyperawareness of what’s going on in front us. If you’ve encountered the co-worker or store clerk that acts like they don’t see you or hear you, you know what we’re talking about!

TEAM DEVELOPMENT & LEADERSHIP: Our Team Development & Leadership Programs focus on trust, collaboration and active listening, as well as accepting and building on other team member’s ideas. Improv exercises will encourage participants to work together to build ideas and team cameraderie without judgment and discrimination, in addition to treating each other with respect. The goal is to promote “All ideas are ideas to be listened to.”  In the areas of leadership we stress “If no one is following you, you are not leading.” Learn to be a follower AND a leader! If you have a dysfunctional, newly assembled, silo or commuting team, this program will help bring your team together.  Great for morale boosting!!!

PRESENTATION SKILLS: Speaking in front of an audience is the #1 fear for most people (with death following in 2nd place)!  Our Presentation Skills Program will re-train people’s brains to have more confidence, to think on their feet and to handle unexpected changes.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION: In these challenging times your team members’ work loads are heavier than ever as they do the jobs of several people. Your customers and co-workers can be demanding, overworked and difficult to deal with. All of this can lead to stress, high emotions and conflict with both your internal (co-workers, vendors, etc.) and external customers (the ones who buy your products and services). Some times you cannot solve every problem but through our Conflict Resolution Program people can learn to manage the tension of situations through improv exercises that focus on being in the moment, effective communications and laughter.

NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES FOR TRIAL ATTORNEYS: This specialty program teaches attorneys how to extract and communicate their clients’ cases (stories), improve communication skills, overcome presentation anxiety, build trust and credibility with their “audiences”, be more aware of others’ non-verbal communication (to read others), think faster and be more spontaneous in the moment. During this workshop attorneys will be led through a series of exercises that show them how to apply improvisational techniques in various contexts for the purpose of becoming a more effective attorney, mediator and arbitrator. These exercises will also aid in the areas of effective direct/cross examinations, opening/closing statements, storytelling and persuasion in the courtroom and in negotiation situations. Facilitator Gina Trimarco also has studied with TLC graduates and instructors in the area of psychodrama and specficially completed “The Art of Telling Our Clients’ Story”, taught by several trial lawyers, including Joane Garcia Colson, Mary Peckham, Fredilyn Sison, Carl Bettinger and Charles Abourezk. 

Ready to get started? Contact Gina Trimarco at gina@carolinaimprov.com or call (843) 597-6393.

Our training is timeless and relevant, regardless of current business and economic conditions.

Some of the skills learned through improv include:

• Problem Solving
• Active Listening and Verbal Communication
• Being comfortable in front of a group of people (or in front of one person)
• Willingness to collaborate, partner and function as a team
• Conveying and receiving tough messages
• Being innovative and creative
• Being aware of the non-verbal communication cues (body language, facial expressions, vocal tone) of others and one’s self.
• Being engaging and having a presence with others
• Building better relationships with co-workers, clients, vendors, etc.
• Being less judgmental and not fearing being judged
• Making better choices and not fearing mistakes

Everyone can enhance and improve their innate improv skills! Increasingly, businesses are acknowledging the value of skills developed by improv training. In a fast moving and global world we continue to have less time for planning and an ever increasing need for collaboration, innovation and communication. Improv helps re-train the brain to improve skills that translate across language, cultural, and educational barriers.

You don’t have to be funny – just have fun learning! Real life is funny and it’s okay to laugh at it. (We’ll teach you that too!) Studies show that laughter has measurable health benefits – it reduces stress, increases oxygen intake, and gives an overall feeling of well-being by releasing endorphins. The benefits of improv training are visible after the first class. After all, we could all use a little more laughter to get through the day!

Ready to get started? Contact Gina Trimarco at gina@carolinaimprov.com or call (843) 597-6393.

Opportunities for Training:

There are so many ways to incorporate our interactive training into your organization, such as …

• New Employee Orientation
• Company Retreats
• Annual Meetings
• Conferences
• Strategy & Brainstorming Sessions
• Team Building Events
• Mergers & Acquisitions 

Ready to get started? Contact Gina Trimarco at gina@carolinaimprov.com or call (843) 597-6393.

How Does It Work:

1. Meeting or conference call is scheduled to discuss your needs
2. Proposal is submitted and discussed; pricing is based on needs and training location requirements
3. Training is scheduled at our location or a location of your choice. We travel anywhere in the world to accommodate your needs.

Resources:

• Learn more about how other companies and industries have applied improv to their businesses for success by viewing our Resource Tab below.

Ready to get started? Contact Gina Trimarco at gina@carolinaimprov.com or call (843) 597-6393.

We have proudly provided customized training and / or entertainment for the following organizations …

• Blue Green Timeshare
• Greensboro Housing Authority
• Sonic Drive-In
• Indigo Physical Therapists
• Myrtle Beach Housing Authority
• Riverbanks Zoo
• Ripley’s Aquarium
• Integra Fabrics
• Doric Burial Vaults
• South Carolina Manufacturing Alliance
• Beneteau USA
• Marriott Resort & Spa Myrtle Beach
• Beyond Management
• CVS Minute Clinics
• Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce
• Carolinas Council of Housing Re-Development & Codes Officials
• South Carolina Student Financial Aid Advisors Association
• Rape Crisis Center
• Metro Parks Tacoma

Some Testimonials …

“The Carolina Improv Company encourages and incorporates team building through entertaining, energizing exercises. I would highly recommend this to any organization.”  - Paul Nunez, HR Generalist, South Carolina Aquarium

“The most fun I have had in a workshop. The workshop gave me new insight into different aspects of customer service.” – Trish Ladensack, Wilson Housing Authority, Chief Financial Officer

“I would heartily recommend the Carolina Improv Company to any group or convention looking to do a little something different from the ‘same old same old’ and spice up their event!” – Cindy Hull, Marriott Myrtle Beach Resort & Spa

Ready to get started? Contact Gina Trimarco at gina@carolinaimprov.com or call (843) 597-6393.

Improv Training Resources

Many of our clients say “How can I sell this concept of training up the chain to my boss?” Great question! Improv training is best understood through experiencing it or watching it happen. Schedule a meeting with us and we’ll do a quick demonstration at your office to show you some of the benefits. If you’re interested in seeing some video clips of our training examples, email gina@carolinaimprov.com for a weblink and password.

We’ve put together a list of articles and resources about how to apply improv in business. Check it out!

Articles About Applying Improv in Business …

Hotels, Hospitality & Customer Service:

• Hotels Try Training with Improv and iPods - New York Times 

Communication Skills:

• Improv For Better Communication
• Communications Skills for Pharmaceutical Students

General Business:

• Why Using Improv to Teach Business Skills is No Joke – CNN 
• Intensive On-Your-Toes Comedy Training Can Be A Boon To Business –
• Applying Improv In Business – Financial Times
• Improvisation and the Jaws of Life – Fast Company
• Improv in Business School – Wall Street Journal
• Finance Improv – Business2Community.com
• Bellingham class teaches how to use improv to succeed in – Bellingham Herald
• Hotels Try Training with Improv and iPods - New York Times 
• 25 Improv Tricks To Make You A Better Business Person

Leadership:

• Improv for CEOS: It’s No Joke – Chief Executive
• Why Using Improv to Teach Business Skills is No Joke – CNN 

Team Building:

• Acting Out: Improv Exercises Cultivate Team Building – HR Magazine

Sales:

• Improv Your Way To A Sale – Colorado Biz Magazine

Health/Medical:

• Improv for Alzheimer’s: ‘A Sense of Accomplishment’ – National Public Radio
• Communications Skills for Pharmaceutical Students

Spirituality/Religion:

• Improv Comedy Meets Spirituality – Time Out Chicago

Higher Education:

• Communications Skills for Pharmaceutical Students
• Improv in Business School – Wall Street Journal

 Youth Development & Programming:

• Improv Classes Geared to Middle School – The Daily Tar Heel

Lawyers:

• Improv Comedy and the Practice of Law – CEB Blog
• Improv Trial Warrior by Carl Bettinger

Ready to get started? Contact Gina Trimarco at gina@carolinaimprov.com or call (843) 597-6393.

Carolina Improv Company founder Gina Trimarco, a native Chicagoan, founded the company in 2008 to provide cutting-edge training options to both individuals and organizations who are interested in personal and professional learning and development that are fun and highly retainable. Trimarco studied improv at the famed Second City, in addition to Players Workshop of The Second City and DSI Comedy Theater. She completed her undergraduate education at DePaul University in Communications and has more than 20 years experience in marketing, sales, public relations, operations and personnel management in a variety of industries, including tourism, hospitality, non-profit, higher education and entertainment. Gina has also spent time training with trial attorneys with Trial Lawyer College credentials in how to apply improv and psycho drama in the courtroom. All facilitators of Carolina Improv Company have diverse business backgrounds in addition to improv training. We customize and facilitate programs based on our clients’ industries and objectives.

Ready to get started? Contact Gina Trimarco at gina@carolinaimprov.com or call (843) 597-6393.

For more information or a quote, contact:

Gina Trimarco, gina@carolinaimprov.com, (843) 597-6393