Improv Facilitation vs Comedy Entertainment
Improv facilitation vs comedy entertainment: see which approach builds stronger communication, leadership, and collaboration at your next business event.
Your Improv Coachwith Joe Hammer
Hands-on improv training · Scottsdale, ARIZONA
Business doesn’t come with a script.
Joe Hammer’s hands-on improv workshops and training teach your people to listen better, adapt faster and collaborate under pressure. And they’ll actually enjoy it!
Teams that have trained with Joe
Your people can’t script what happens next.
- A customer changes direction.
- A presentation goes sideways.
- A difficult conversation takes an unexpected turn.
- A team needs to solve a problem… now.
They don’t need a script. They need to know how to respond. Joe’s programs use the principles of improvisation to give people an engaging, hands-on way to practice exactly that. Unlike comedians attempting corporate training, Joe has spent decades as a professional speaker and business-development expert, so every exercise ties back to real work.
Three ways to bring the Improv Edge to your team.
Every program is hands-on. Joe opens with a short introduction to improv, then gets everyone involved, because improv can’t be learned by watching.
Conference breakouts & ice-breakers
Hands-on improv for your conference, offsite or leadership summit, as a breakout session or an ice-breaker. A short, energizing introduction, then the whole room is up, involved and connecting.
Team building workshops
Hands-on sessions built around your team’s real challenges. Listening, trust and collaboration, practiced in a way people actually enjoy.
Influential Interactions training
Joe’s communication training program for professionals and leaders: engage, adapt and influence in everyday business conversations.
What your people walk away with.
It isn’t improv for the stage. It’s communication training that sticks, because participants practice it instead of just hearing about it.
1
Listen better
Be present instead of preparing your next response.
2
Communicate clearly
Express ideas with greater confidence and impact.
3
Collaborate effectively
Build on ideas instead of shutting them down.
4
Adapt quickly
Stay effective when circumstances change.
5
Think creatively
Generate possibilities when the obvious answer isn’t enough.
6
Lead with confidence
Stay composed, connected and responsive under pressure.
How a typical engagement flows.
01
Open with energy
Joe opens your conference, offsite or leadership summit with a high-energy look at today’s communication and the skills that make interactions more effective.
02
Practice for real
A hands-on workshop in listening, adaptability and collaborative communication, built around your team’s real challenges… and in a fun way!
03
Keep the habits
Participants leave with practical tools they use immediately for listening better, thinking faster, collaborating more effectively and handling the unexpected with confidence.
Don’t take our word for it.
Joe and his team provided a very fun and impactful experience for our executive team. I immediately saw everyone highly engaged in the art of improv and the perspective it brings to us as leaders. What a fun and valuable lesson to listen carefully before responding while having a ton of fun along the way. I would highly recommend this experience for a team!
Lamont Yoder, CEOBanner Baywood, Gateway and Heart Hospitals and Banner MD Anderson Cancer CenterJoe did a great job getting everybody immersed right from the get-go. It was definitely one of the highlights of our summit. We were so happy we found The Outcasters, were happy to work with them, and would absolutely recommend them to anyone!
Pete DurbinAccount Director, GMR MarketingMeet your Improv Coach, Joe Hammer.
Joe brings an unusual combination to the stage: decades as a professional speaker and business-development expert, the energy of a seasoned entertainer, and the practical communication principles of improvisation.
He is the founder and director of The Outcasters Improv Training Center in Scottsdale, Arizona, and the author of The Improv Edge and Blank to Brilliant. For meeting planners, that means a program engaging enough to capture an audience and substantive enough to keep people talking long after the event.
Ideas your team can use on Monday.
How to Communicate Through Change at Work
Learn how to communicate through change with clear messages, active listening, and practical habits that keep teams focused, confident, and moving forward.
How to Reduce Meeting Misunderstandings Fast
Learn how to reduce meeting misunderstandings with practical habits that improve listening, decisions, ownership, and follow-through across teams daily.
Questions meeting planners ask.
Something else on your mind? Joe is happy to talk it through.
No. Improv can’t be taught from a stage. Joe opens with a short introduction, about 20 minutes, on how improv applies to business communication, then leads hands-on exercises where everyone takes part. People experience the skills instead of just hearing about them.
No. Most participants have never done improv. Joe’s exercises focus on listening, adapting and building on each other’s ideas, not on being funny or performing on a stage, and the environment is supportive and judgment-free.
Joe has spent decades as a professional speaker and business-development expert, working with organizations rather than just performing for them. His programs are built around outcomes, so participants leave with practical tools for meetings, presentations, leadership and everyday workplace communication.
Yes. Joe builds each workshop around your team’s real challenges and goals. When you check his availability, share your group size, dates and primary objectives, and Joe will recommend the right format.
Yes. Joe is based in Scottsdale, Arizona and works on-site anywhere in Arizona, travels nationally for conferences and company events, and also offers a limited number of virtual programs. Teams can also train at his Scottsdale training center.
Use the availability form on this site. Share your event date, location, group size and goals, and Joe will get back to you with options!
Give your team the Improv Edge.
Tell Joe about your event or team, and he’ll recommend the right program.