Sunday, October 31, 2004
The origination of the term
break the ice dates back to old trade practices that involve, well,
breaking the ice. When cargo ships became icebound for weeks at a time due to bitter, frozen winters, smaller ships were sent out to break the ice in order to make a path that would enable future trade.
In other words, if you (as a boatman) wanted to get down to business - you had to
break the ice.LET ME ASK YOU THIS...
How do you break the ice with someone you've just met?
* * * *
Scott GinsbergAuthor/Speaker/That guy with the nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com
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Friday, October 29, 2004
People don't treat email with the same care as face to face interactions. It's almost as if they're so complacent with the speed of email that their ability to use it in an effective manner diminishes with every message. As a result, they're less approachable - even via technology.
Check out Scott Kirsner's fantastic article on email effectiveness called
The Elements of Email Style.Also read Joel Heffner's list of
14 Ways to Write Effective EmailsLET ME ASK YA THIS...
What's the most common problem in the emails
you receive?
* * * *
Scott GinsbergAuthor/Speaker/That guy with the nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com
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Sunday, October 24, 2004
It was late in the 1977 season. Dusty Baker of the Dodgers was rounding third, heading for home, having just hit his 30th home run. And the Dodgers were heading for a National League pennant. The on-deck hitter was Glenn Burke, enjoying his second season in the big leagues. As Baker crossed the plate Burke raised his hand. Baker responded by raising his. The two hands slapped together and a bit of history was made.
The first high-five.
Here's two cool facts: there is, in fact a National High Five Day, and yes, high-five is in the dictionary!
LET ME ASK YA THIS..
Are you a supporter or opponent of high-fives?
* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
Author/Speaker/That guy with the nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com
[Read the Full Post...]
Friday, October 22, 2004
Building
business front porches follows the
C-BEB Model™, (
kuh-bebb) which stands for:
- Creating Comfort...WITH CUSTOMERS
- Breaking the Ice...WITH CUSTOMERS
- Empowering Communication...WITH CUSTOMERS
- Building Rapport...WITH CUSTOMERS
Here's a great
Gallup article about how Sak's 5th Avenue welcomes new customers.
LET ME ASK YA THIS...
How you do you welcome new customers?
* * * *
Scott GinsbergAuthor/Speaker/That guy with the nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com
[Read the Full Post...]
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Chris Ray's blog,
Interactively Speaking, posted a link to an online BBC
survey that tests your ability to detect fake smiles.
Take the test! It's amazing. And it makes you think twice about every time you've felt the sensation that someone wasn't
really smiling.
This topic is also has relevance to making an
UNFORGETTABLE™ first impression - not just a "good" first impression.
LET ME ASK YA THIS...
How can you tell when someone's smile is insincere?
* * * *
Scott GinsbergAuthor/Speaker/That guy with the nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com
[Read the Full Post...]
Monday, October 18, 2004
The Second Domain of Approachability™ is:
capable of being reached.In other words...
- If you have your business cards with you at all times,
- If you include email signatures at the end of your letters,
- If you cross reference contact information on all materials and websites,
- And if you return your calls and messages as soon as you can,
You are capable of being reached. You are approachable. Your front porch is open for business.
LET ME ASK YA THIS...
How else can you make yourself capable of being reached?
* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
Author/Speaker/That guy with the nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com
[Read the Full Post...]
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Cell Phone Etiquette: Debating the Caller ID.
I've done quite a bit of research on this topic, including
CNN,
Monster.com, and this great list of cell phone etiquette
resources.Still, nothing is more frustrating than to be on the other end of the “Caller ID Debate.” If you’re not familiar with this atrocity, here are the four steps. (1) Your conversation partner gives you the “just a minute” index finger, (2) checks their caller ID, (3) tilts their head and stares at the phone for 2-5 seconds, and (4) makes a decision to answer the call or return to your conversation. This is terribly uncomfortable. You actually watch your friend (?) decide whether or not there’s someone else she’d rather talk to. Ouch.
LET ME ASK YA THIS...
What are your cell phone pet peeves?
* * * *
Scott GinsbergAuthor/Speaker/That guy with the nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com
[Read the Full Post...]
Sunday, October 10, 2004
There’s only one feeling worse that forgetting someone: devaluing someone. In your organization, club, business or association – there are bound to be dozens, possibly even hundreds of members you’ve never met. That’s okay. You can’t keep a tab on everybody. People come in and out of organizations all the time, and not everyone comes to every meeting.
Beware of questions like, "Are you a new member?"
Don’t assume that someone is The New Guy simply because you don’t know them. Even if you think “Oh, I know everybody,” there are always people on the fringes. Perhaps they joined the organization five years ago. Maybe they’ve been out of town for a few months or their schedule conflicts with certain meetings or events.
SUCCESS SENTENCE: “I don’t believe we’ve met before – my name’s Scott.”
LET ME ASK YA THIS...
How do you approach people you don't know in your organization?
* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
Author/Speaker/That guy with the nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com
[Read the Full Post...]
