Thursday, March 31, 2005
I once read an article about a seedy bar in North Carolina called
He’s Not Here. The name originated from an owner who was accused of attracting customers of the, shall we say,
unfaithful nature. And because of the fear of jealous wives rampaging for their husbands, the bartender always answered the phone by saying, “He’s not here!”
Now, although the
personal brand of that business isn’t exactly proper, you’ve got to admit – that’s a damn clever way to answer the phone. And consistent. And memorable. And funny.
Sadly, only a small percentage of people do this; either because they’re too lazy, they’d rather just utter the canned “This is Jim…” or they can’t think of anything
creative.
A few years ago I was invited to be a guest on a local morning show to talk about my first book,
HELLO, my name is Scott. But I knew the DJ’s would give me a hard time. So, when they dialed my number (on the air) and waited for me to pick up, I answered with, “HELLO, my name is Scott…?”
The three DJ’s started laughing so hard, I had to hold the phone away from my ear! They were dying! They even complimented my creative approach to answering the phone. And so, ever since then, I’ve never answered the phone another way – and people still laugh almost every time.
LET ME ASK YA THIS...
How could you answer the phone in a more memorable and creative way?
* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
Author/Speaker/That guy with the nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com
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Monday, March 28, 2005
Doug Hall is known as "America's #1 Idea Guru." I watched him speak at a NSA Convention, and he was absolutely brilliant.
One of the key points I recall was "The Hockey Puck Concept." Here's how it works: whenever you have a meeting and experience and awkward pause, the leader points to someone says and "Hockey Puck!" Then the selected member has to quickly propose the most ridiculous, obscure and stupid idea he can possibly imagine!
According to Hall, "Hockey Puck" eliminates the discomfort, encourages fun and stimulates new, creative ideas. Pretty cool, huh?
Similarly, my friend Alyssa recently told me about her own version of "Hockey Puck" called The Awkward Box (patent pending.) Here's how this one works: in the corner of her friend's apartment sits an empty cardboard box. And whenever there's an awkward pause in the conversation, someone has to quickly grab the box and throw it across the room! Works every time!
For tips on dealing with awkward pauses, check out this
article from Pyschology Today.
LET ME ASK YA THIS...
How do you handle awkward pauses?
* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
Author/Speaker/That guy with the nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com
[Read the Full Post...]
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
I think
Murphy Lee said it best in his famous hip hop tune when he asked, "What the hook gonna be?"
That's the question of the decade, isn't it? And you know, the more I research it, the more I discover that everyone has their own name for it:
The Purple Cow
You, Inc.
The Brand Called You
The Personal Branding Phenomenom
Becoming an Expert
Your USP
What the hook gonna be?
Personal Differential Advantage
Being "That Guy" (this one's mine...)
So no matter what phraseology is used, the commonality is individuality. Uniqueness. Personality. It reminds me of a quotation from one of my new favorite movies, The Incredibles: "Your identity is your most valuable posession."
You gotta have it. Without it, you're just another face in the crowd.
LET ME ASK YA THIS...
What's your hook?
* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
Author/Speaker/That guy with the nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com
[Read the Full Post...]
Monday, March 21, 2005
(Click on this image to get a closer look!)
Recently I took 66 business cards I've collected over the years and spread them out on the table. I closed my eyes for 30 seconds, opened them and took note of which cards
stood out the most. And here's what I noticed:
Red: every card that had red on it stood out.
Picture: only a few cards had pictures of the cardholder. This not only made them stand out, but helped me connect faces with names and companies.
Vertical: several cards were formatted vertically, which caught my eye.
Black Background: most cards are white. The black ones REALLY stood out.
Image: cards with some sort of colorful image that took up at least one fourth of the total surface area captured my interest.
This was a very cool exercise that I recommend to everyone. Give it a shot and find out what makes effective business cards stand out! And don't forget to put your OWN business card in the pile. You might be amazed at what you find. Or don't find...
LET ME ASK YA THIS...
What makes your business card stand out?
* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
Author/Speaker/That guy with the nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com
[Read the Full Post...]
Friday, March 18, 2005
I gave a speech a few days ago during which I asked the audience one of my favorite "Let Me Ask Ya This..." questions:
"What's the one book that has most influenced your business?"The responses were excellent...and varied. People yelled titles ranging from
The Bible to
How to Win Friends and Influence People to
The Yellow Pages (nice creative thinking on that last one.)
Then I read a post by Seth Godin called
Part of the 30, which lists his required reading for his "Personal MBA."
Several other bloggers followed suit,
The 30 Book MBA in Entrepreneurship, for example, and also
Josh Kauffman's Personal MBA Reading List.
And because I'm an avid reader (2 books a week), I thought I'd pull a Seth Godin and share my Personal MBA Reading List:
SALESThe Sales Bible, Jeffrey Gitomer
The Greatest Salesman in the World, Og Mandino
The Little Red Book of Selling, Jeffrey Gitomer
MARKETING
The Brand Called YOU, Peter Montoya
The Tipping Point, Malcom Gladwell
Purple Cow, Seth Godin
CREATIVITY
The War of Art, Steven Pressfield (my favorite book in the world)
A Whack on the Side of the Head, Roger von Oech
Thinkertoys, Michael Michalko
MOTIVATIONAL
The Power of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peale
Shut Up, Stop Whining and Get a Life, Larry Winget
See You at the Top, Zig Ziglar
Love is the Killer App, Tim Sanders
PRESENTATION/WRITING SKILLS
Public Speaking for Dummies, Malcom Kushner
On Writing, Stephen King
How to Give a Damn Good Speech, Philip Theibert
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS/NETWORKING
Asshole No More, Xavier Crement
Conversation, Theodore Zeldin
How to Connect in Business in 90 Seconds or Less, Nicolas Boothman
Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty, Harvey Mackay
The Networking Survival Guide, Diane Darling
Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam
Influence, Robert Cialdini
LET ME ASK YA THIS...
What's your Personal MBA Reading List?
* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
Author/Speaker/That guy with the nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com
[Read the Full Post...]
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
I spent a day in Memphis last week. AMAZING city, and if you've never been there before, definately try to make it out a soon as possible.
People were extremely friendly, as I expected. After a slab of ribs at the famous
Rendevous I was stopped by a woman on the street.
"Hey Scott, do you know you're still wearing a nametag?"
"Yeah...I always wear a nametag! It makes people friendlier."
She gave me a puzzled look, "But...you're in
Memphis!"
Southern hospitality: you gotta love it. I, of course told the woman I was from St. Louis and ALWAYS wore a nametag, despite the inherent friendliness of certain cities. But, an interesting point, nonetheless.
This
article reports that Sydney, Australia has been voted "The World's Friendliest City."
LET ME ASK YA THIS...
What's the friendliest city you've ever visited?
* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
Author/Speaker/That guy with the nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com
[Read the Full Post...]
Monday, March 07, 2005
Recently I added images of my two
books onto my business cards, and the reactions have been incredible! It looks great, stands out and creates instant credibility and expertise.
This is a perfect example of “Show, Don’t Tell,” a phrase pounded down the throat of every writer. I learned it from Stephen King in his book,
On Writing, where he examines the idea to its fullest extent. Yet, "Show, Don't Tell" is another one of those concepts that carries over into just about any discipline, insofar as its ability to create UNFORGETTABLE communication!
Here are some suggestions for showing instead of telling:
- Instead of telling your customers how great you are, show them a testimonial of someone else who says how great you are.
- Instead of telling your spouse you love her, write her a love poem.
- Instead of telling a colleague you want to help him improve his confidence, buy him a book on the subject.
- Instead of telling a prospect what you can do for her, invite her to come to your office or next event to see you in action.
LET ME ASK YA THIS...
In what ways do you SHOW instead of tell?
* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
Author/Speaker/That guy with the nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com
[Read the Full Post...]
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Recently, my friend Paul told me to change my “from" line on my outgoing mail. It used to simply have my email address, but then I changed it to say HELLO, my name is Scott, my personal brand, which also happens to be my
website URL and the title of one of my
books. And as soon as I made the change, Paul said it stood out amidst all the other emails and enticed him to read my message first!
The “from” line is a perfect, yet underused hot spot to stamp your personal brand. Let’s say you’re known as “The Tax Law Queen.” Great. Put that instead of your email! It will stand out among the hundreds of emails in your recipients’ inboxes.
(However, still be careful what you write. Email "from" lines are often controversial issues when it comes to
spam.)
Try this quick exercise – it’s deliciously fun. Go to your inbox right now, start at the top, and slowly scroll down through ALL of your emails. Then look at the “from” lines. Which ones stand out?
Here are some of the “from” lines in my inbox:
NOTE: My inbox has 511 emails, and these were the
only 6 that stood out. That’s exactly 1.1%. What does that tell you?!
LET ME ASK YA THIS...
How do you make
your email stand out?
* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
Author/Speaker/That guy with the nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com
[Read the Full Post...]
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
During a
National Speakers Association seminar over the weekend, I discovered two new networking tips for attending meetings:
1)
Sit in the back. You will be able to see the bulk of the people in the audience. This allows you to pre-screen:
- Who is there you ALREADY KNOW
- Who is there you WANT TO KNOW
- Who is there you WANT TO KNOW YOU
Honestly, I only learned this tip because I arrived about 40 minutes LATE. (Thanks for nothing, Mapquest.) But I wouldn't have sat in the back otherwise. So from now on, I always will!
You can also take this opportunity to
practice people's names. I've been doing this trick for years. As soon as you take your back row seat, look around the room and say the names of every single person you can (from memory OR their nametags). This way, you'll feel more comfortable approaching them when you talk later.
2)
Switch seats. After the major breaks, i.e., lunch or session gaps, try a new seat. Get to know another person. Find open chairs, politely ask if the seats are taken and introduce yourself. Don’t worry; the person sitting next to you won’t mind. This will give HIM an opportunity to meet someone new as well. (Of course, be careful not to steal anyone’s place. Choose wisely.) But moving around will help you
maximize the number of people with whom you converse.
LET ME ASK YA THIS...
How do you maximize your presence at a meeting or seminar?
* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
Author/Speaker/That guy with the nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com
[Read the Full Post...]
