8 Ways to Move Quickly on New Opportunities

“Ideas are free; execution is priceless.”

That’s one of my mantras.

And it all starts with that first step.

Go! Now! Start! Let’s move! Giddy up!

LESSON LEARNED: Move quickly on new opportunities.

Here are seven ways to do so:

1. WRITING things down as soon as you hear them.
Because if you don’t write it down, it never happened.

2. ASKING yourself, “What’s the next action?”
Because ultimately, that’s the only question that really matters.

3. LISTING all the steps you need to take to leverage an opportunity.
Because listing is the quickest, most efficient way to organize all of your thoughts. (Ahem…)

4. GOOGLING various elements of your idea as soon you get it.
Because you need to find out if someone else is already doing it.

5. ASKING for feedback from smart people right away.
Because they can ask questions and see things you can’t.

6. REGISTERING domains as soon as you get the name of the idea.
Because he owns the domain owns the idea.

7. EMAILING someone right away with a action-oriented question.
Because initiative is attractive.

8. SCANNING your opportunity radar constantly.
Because now that your mind is fixated, related ideas will be attracted to you.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s the first thing YOU do when you get a new idea?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For a list called “49 Ways to become an Idea Powerhouse,” send an email to [email protected] and I’ll gladly motivate your melon!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

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No worries! Perhaps my melon can be of some assistance.

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NametagTV: Watch Your But’s!

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Watch the original video on The Frontline Channel here!

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When someone says “but,” how does it make you feel?

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* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

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Customers not telling their friends about you?
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The ONE WORD that makes you sound like a good listener

“Honey, I got fired this afternoon.”
“Wow.”

“Boss, I lost the Gregory Account today…”
“Wow.”

“Dude, I’m thinking about moving to Pamplona!”
“Wow.”

“Yes, um, your airline recently lost both of my bags!”
“Wow.”

“Wow.”

It’s a great word. A beautiful word.
It’s a complete sentence. A wonderful sentence.

And, it’s an effective way to show someone you’re listening.

For LOTS of reasons…

First, here’s what WOW is:

WOW … is a neutral term.
Because it doesn’t agree or disagree.

WOW … is a versatile term.
Because your inflection and body language shift its meaning.

WOW … is an empathetic term.
Because it exudes concern.

WOW … is a non-judgmental term.
Because it doesn’t accuse or condescend.

WOW … is an emotionally nonreactive term.
Because it’s more of a statement of observation.

That’s what WOW is.

Secondly, here’s what WOW does:

WOW … avoids over actively listening to someone.
Instead, it simply acknowledges someone’s statement and then shuts up.
And this passes the ball back into the their court.

WOW … offers an immediate answer, thus laying a foundation of affirmation.
Which makes people feel valued, validated and important.
And this is the objective of growing bigger ears.

WOW … buys you some time, until you can define your official response.
Which will come later, after you’ve heard the whole story.
And this prevents Foot In Mouth Disease.

WOW … helps you maintain composure when presented with unexpected, difficult or crucial information.
Which reduces your emotional reactivity.
And this grounds you in a non-defensive posture.

WOW … creates space in the conversation, which grants the speaker permission to continue.
Which enables healthy and honest communication to openly flow.
And this moves you both closer to a connection and a solution.

That’s what WOW does.

And it’s only one word.

It’s only one sentence.

And yet, it’s still a powerful practice for growing bigger ears!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What words make someone sound like a good listener?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your Phrases That Payses here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

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52 Random Insights for Growing Your Business

We had a blast at the annual “Fire Sessions” @ Brains on Fire this week. I got to share the stage with Richard Tait, creator of Cranium. Coolest CEO ever!

Spike “Wrong Way” Jones has a nice wrap-up of the conference here.

Then, I flew across the country to Seattle to work with my friends from The American Gem Society. Also awesome! And last night Vogue put on their annual fashion/jewelry show.

Eep! Those models were taller than ME!

Anyhoo, I had lots of travel time this week. Sure enough, I was able to pump out (yet another) ridiculously long list.

Enjoy!

52 Random Insights for Growing Your Business

1. Be careful of being too anxious to prove your value.

2. Be willing to walk away from every sale.

3. Be worth the price of admission.

4. Become like the companies and people you admire.

5. Brand your honesty.

6. Build an asset so attractive that buyers will come looking for it.

7. Build things worth noticing.

8. Clearly define what you are a steward of.

9. Create a product people can easily become obsessed with.

10. Develop a system for dealing with customer complaints.

11. Discover whether or not this is your own thinking.

12. Do something you would do for NOTHING.

13. Don’t do stuff that doesn’t need to be done by anyone.

14. Don’t tune out the moment you realize it doesn’t apply to you.

15. Enable customers to purchase your experience.

16. Figure out what is SO YOU, then do that. (Thank you, Greg Cordell!)

17. Figure out who has your money in their pockets; then find a way to get it into your pockets.

18. Find a job that people couldn’t pay you NOT to do.

19. First, increase your character. THEN your talent.

20. Hang with people whose thinking sparks your own.

21. Help people recall their high performance patterns.

22. Help your customers build their businesses.

23. Help your customers do your marketing for you.

24. Identify the types of situations that bring out the best in you. Revisit them regularly.

25. If you want to be a great writer, just leave out the parts people skip.

26. Keep histories of your creative initiatives.

27. Learn marketing from musicians. Those dudes are smart.

28. Learn what people treasure.

29. Let experiences change you.

30. Listen for your own ego in your words.

31. Make adding value part of your daily lifestyle.

32. Make it easy for customers to complain.

33. Make your customers smarter.

34. Multitasking is usually disrespectful.

35. Muster the courage to turn away business.

36. Never let ‘em see you coming.

37. On a daily basis, empty yourself of yourself.

38. Please the people who are attracted to your vision.

39. Profit from every experience.

40. Put lots of free samples of your work out there.

41. Put more decisions in the hand of your customers.

42. Quietly start things.

43. Reading books isn’t enough. You have to study them and live them.

44. Recognize threats to your ownership.

45. Reduce the possibility of being proved wrong.

46. Reduce your customer’s perception of risk.

47. Refuse to associate with people who sap your enthusiasm.

48. Return your calls faster than your competitors.

49. Send yourself to your room.

50. Show people that their feelings are legitimate.

51. Take note of whom and what consistently makes you happy.

52. Test your organization for its responsiveness.

– – –

That’s it.

Have a perfect weekend!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What are your three BEST pieces of “Business Growth” advice?

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Share ’em here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

If they can’t come UP to you; how will they ever get BEHIND you?

Buy Scott’s new book and learn daily practices for becoming a more approachable manager!

Pick up your copy (or a case!) right here.

6 Service Secrets Learned from a Whole Foods Bulletin Board

While pounding some spicy tuna hand rolls @ Whole Foods recently, I noticed this comment board.

VERY cool. Six service lessons to be learned…

1. It’s handwritten. So, it’s personal. It’s human. It’s approachable. It shows that someone (actually) took the time to read the comment and write out an answer.

What’s more, this proves that Whole Foods respectfully treats their customers as PEOPLE. As HUMANS. Not numbers, statistics or a means to an end. Just people.

So, consider these three questions:

o What, specifically, are you doing to earn your customers’ trust?
o What, specifically, are you doing to earn your customers’ loyalty?
o How are you using handwritten materials to reinforce the human touch?

2. It demonstrates listening. Which gives the perception that there is a respectful collecting of opinions.

So, it demonstrates that, unlike a lot of companies, Whole Foods actually listens to their customers AND takes their ideas serious as potential suggestions to improve their company.

So, consider these three questions:
o How are you publicly demonstrating your willingness to listen?
o How are you allowing customers to participate in your brand?
o What innovations do your customers initiate?
3. It’s transparent. I like that the store is willing to (publicly!) admit to their mistakes. That they don’t know everything. That they screw up from time to time.

This is MUCH better than some anonymous comment box, one of those annoying web forms or a private 1-800 number where customers leave messages that never get heard. No. It’s actually public for the entire world to see!

So, consider these three questions:
o Are you willing to admit to your ignorance?
o How often do you publicly admit to your mistakes?
o How are you VISUALLY reinforcing your authenticity?

4. It builds employee accountability. If you look closely on the cards, team members actually sign their names under each comment! This keeps them accountable AND allows them to take ownership of their problems.

So, by sticking themselves out there, employees are making themselves open to criticism as well as positive feedback. This enhances their courage, which helps them grow thicker skin.

So, consider these three questions:
o How often do your employees put themselves on the line?
o How do your employees take ownership of customer problems?
o Is what you’re doing today going to bring this customer back tomorrow?

5. It demonstrates a question-friendly environment. So, here’s what happens: A complaint goes up on the board. An employee answers.

But then, OTHER customers start to notice the comment board. And as a result, they are granted permission to voice their own concerns. This leads to more feedback. Which leads to more employee/customer communication. Which leads to improved service.

So, consider these three questions:

o How are you making your customers smarter?
o Do you have a Comment Box or a Question Box?
o How are you creating an environment that enables, supports and rewards authentic dialogue?

6. It helps the store find out where they suck. Complaints are gifts. Opportunities to get better in areas you can’t recognize when you’re on the inside because you’re too close to the problem.

And, not only does this make it easier to complain, but creates a system for handling complaints.

So, consider these three questions:
o How do you find out where you suck?
o What’s your system for handling complaints?
o How are you making it easy for customer to complain?

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What other companies do stuff like this?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your examples here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

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8 Ways to Make Your Telephone Personality More Attractive

1. May I ask who’s calling?
a. Is it unique?
b. Is it unexpected?
c. Does it build pre-call excitement and curiosity?
d. Does it make the entire office laugh when they hear it over the PA system?

2. Greeting/Answer
a. Is it short?
b. Is it simple?
c. Is it engaging?
d. Is it memorable?

3. Note Taking
a. Are letting callers know you’re taking notes?
b. Are you reading back from your notes to demonstrate listening?
c. Are you emailing the other person a summary of your notes after the conversation is over?

4. Questions
a. Are they unexpected?
b. Are they open-ended?
c. Are they thought provoking?
d. Are they the same questions every other person asks?
e. Do you have a running list of your best questions for each situation?

5. Growing Bigger Ears
a. Are you listening twice as much as you talk?
b. Are you only interrupting for clarification or elaboration?
c. Are you pausing after questions and answers to make space?
d. Are you being emotional objective, non-judgmental and calm?

6. Before We Go
a. Did you cover everything?
b. Did you set the next appointment?
c. Did you ask if there were any other questions?
d. Did you give the other person a Call to Action?
e. Did you make sure you accomplished the objective of your call?

7. Exit Line
a. Is it memorable?
b. Is it brand consistent?
c. Is it boring and expected?
d. Does it reinforce your value?
e. Does it leave a lasting impression?

8. Voicemail
a. Is it fun.
b.Is it short?
c. Is it engaging?
d. Does it deliver value?
e. Does it encourage callers to share?
f. Is it just like every other voicemail you’ve ever heard?

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What makes your telephone personality attractive?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For a list called “20 Ways to Make Customers Feel Comfortable,” send an email to [email protected] and I’ll share the secrets!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

Satisfaction not enough?
Customers not telling their friends about you?
Want to learn how to deliver unforgettable service?

Buy Scott’s new book and learn how to get your frontline IN line!

Pick up your copy (or a case!) right here.

Nametag Guy LIVE: Word Ownership

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What word do you own?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For a list called, “24 Questions to Discover Which Word You Own,” send an email to [email protected] and I’ll hook you up!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Coaches? Consultants? Bah!

How about a professional listener and creative midwife?

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62 Types of Questions and Why They Work

So, I have this running list of about 4000 questions.

Questions to ask yourself.
Questions to ask your team.
Questions to ask your customers.

And I update it whenever I’m asked, hear, read or think of a good question. Probably about twenty new ones a week.

Fortunately, they’re sorted by category, i.e., “Creativity,” “Sales,” “Leadership,” and the like.

Otherwise, going through that list would (as my girlfriend says) make my eyes bleed.

Anyway, a few months back I heard a question that has become one of my new faves:

“What words govern your questions?”

A question about questions. Imagine that 😉

Interestingly, when I first read that question, I thought it might be cool to go back through my list of 4000 to look for some language patterns.

Pretty neat exercise. Teaches you a lot about yourself.

So, here’s what I came up with:

62 Types of Questions and Why They Work

1. Are you saying…?
Identifies someone’s language patterns.

2. Are you willing to…?
Tests someone’s limits.

3. Can you give me…?
Encourages examples and specifics.

4. Can you remember…?
Taps into someone’s memory.

5. Did you ask…?
Questions someone’s questions.

6. Have you considered…?
Non-threatening proposal of options.

7. Have you given any thought to…?
Suggestive, yet doesn’t sound like advice.

8. Have you thought about…?
Forces someone to think!

9. How are you constantly…?
Promotes consistency of action.

10. How are you creating…?
Proves that someone has a choice.

11. How can you become…?
Future oriented, motivational.

12. How can you make…?
Enlists someone’s creativity.

13. How could you have…?
Focused on past performance improvement.

14. How do you feel…?
Feelings are good.

15. How do you measure…?
Clarifies and specifies someone’s statement.

16. How do you plan to…?
Future oriented, process oriented, action oriented.

17. How do you want…?
Visualizes ideal conditions.

18. How does this relate to…?
Keeps someone on point, uncovers connections between things.

19. How else could this be…?
Encourages open, option-oriented and leverage-based thinking.

20. How long will it take to…?
Clarifies time specifics.

21. How many different ways…?
Enlists someone’s creativity, explores various options.

22. How many people…?
Clarifies and specifies.

23. How might you…?
All about potential and possibility.

24. How much energy…?
Identifies patterns of energy investment.

25. How much money…?
Identifies patterns of financial investment.

26. How much time each day…?
Identifies patterns of (daily) time investment.

27. How much time…?
Identifies patterns of energy investment.

28. How often do you…?
Gets an idea of someone’s frequency.

29. How well do you…?
Uncovers abilities.

30. How will you know when/if…?
Predicts outcomes of ideal situations.

31. If you could change…?
Visualizes improvement.

32. If you had to…?
Possibility thinking.

33. If you showed your…?
Imagining what others would say.

34. If you stopped…?
Cause-effect question.

35. If you were…?
Ideal situation.

36. In what areas…?
Searching for multiple answers.

37. Is anybody going to…?
Deciding if something even matters.

38. Is there any other…?
Challenges someone to find ONE more answer.

39. Is there anything else…?
Yep, there probably is. Answers are rarely absolute.

40. Is your idea…?
Forces someone to think objectively.

41. On a scale from 1 to 10…?
Putting a number to an emotion clarifies it.

42. What are some of the…?
Encourages list making.

43. What are the biggest mistakes…?
Negative based for preventative measures.

44. What are the keys to…?
Searching for best practices.

45. What are the patterns of…?
Uncovering commonalities.

46. What are the things that…?
Because there’s probably more than one answer.

47. What are the ways…?
Freedom (not) to resign to one solution.

48. What are you currently…?
Assesses present situations.

49. What are you doing that…?
Assesses present actions.

50. What are you willing to…?
Explores limits.

51. What can I do to…?
Demonstrates a desire to serve.

52. What can WE do to…?
Partnership-oriented.

53. What can you do right now…?
Focuses on immediate action being taken.

54. What can you do today…?
Focuses on daily action being taken.

55. What causes your…?
Uncovering true motives without the dreaded, “Why?”

56. What challenges are…?
Identifies barriers.

57. What did you learn…?
Because people don’t care what you know; only what you learned.

58. What do you need to…?
Needs assessment.

59. What does that tell you about…?
Encourages someone to figure out the answer individually.

60. What else can you…?
Because there’s always options.

61. What evidence…?
Because specificity is persuasion.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What words govern your questions?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your list of question prefixes (and why they work) here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

If they can’t come UP to you; how will they ever get BEHIND you?

Buy Scott’s new book and learn daily practices for becoming a more approachable manager!

Pick up your copy (or a case!) right here.

“So, how many copies have you sold?”

I get that question a lot.

And I’m not sure why.

I guess when (some) people meet an author, that’s the first piece of information they’d like to know.

Maybe it’s curiosity. Maybe it’s an accountability measure.

Or, maybe some people are just SO annoyingly attached to numbers that they simply REFUSE to stamp your creative passport until they’ve been given scientific evidence of your success.

Either way, I’ve never really liked that question.

Which is why I usually answer it the same way every time:

“I have no idea how many copies I’ve sold.”

Now, interestingly, some people are REALLY surprised when they hear that answer come from an author.

Like Marty, the guy I met in Starbucks yesterday. Apparently he’d read an article in our local paper about one of my books.

So, naturally, he just HAD to ask.

And when I offered my standard answer, here’s how he responded:

First, he furrowed his brow.
Next, he chuckled slightly.
Then, he asked:

“Well, Scott … I mean, shouldn’t YOU – as a small business owner – um, like, KNOW how many copies you’ve sold?”

“Well, that depends,” I replied.

“First of all, you’re operating on the assumption that ‘number of copies sold’ is how I measure my success as an writer … which it isn’t.

See, for me, success (as a writer) is a function of a few questions:

1. Am I having fun while writing?
2. Are people enjoying my writing?
3. Is my writing contributing to the world?
4. By writing, am I validating my existence as a human being?

If so, great! That means I’m successful. No matter how many copies I’ve sold. It’s about detaching yourself from numbers and outcomes.”

Marty nodded in agreement.

But then (as I stood taller on my author’s soapbox!) I expanded on my answer.

“Also,” I continued, “‘number of copies sold’ is basically an irrelevant statistic IF you practice the philosophy that your book isn’t really a book.”

“Hmm,” he replied. “What do you mean?”

“Well, here are two examples:

First of all, sometimes a book is nothing more than a really expensive marketing tool for your business.

Because you KNOW that writing a book adds value for your existing clients, and also delivers value to attract new clients.”

Marty nodded.

“Now, that doesn’t mean ‘write a book with ZERO substance that does nothing more than cross-sell your other products and services for 130 pages,’” I clarified.

“Ha! Riiiiight…” Marty chuckled.

“Because a lot of authors do that,” I said.

“But that’s not what it’s about. It simply means reframing your definition of the word ‘book.’ I mean, I could certainly call my printer and a get a rough number; then again, I give away so many free books, it would be IMPOSSIBLE to know how many copies I’ve sold!”

“Got it,” he replied.

“Now, here’s my second example of ‘a book not being a book,” I said.

“See, other times, is book is nothing more than a tool for enhancing credibility, legitimacy and expertise. After all, when I started my company, I was 22 years old! Do you really think ANYBODY would have taken me seriously if I didn’t have a book?”

“Yeah, that’s a good point,” Marty replied.

“So, anyway, that’s my long-winded answer to your question. Sorry for the rant!” I laughed.

“Nah, that’s cool!” Marty said.

“Yeah,” I concluded, “I guess there’s just a common misconception when it comes to the topic of ‘number of copies sold.’”

“Well, thanks for explaining it to me. I guess I never thought of it that way,” Marty admitted.

“No problem. In fact, thank YOU for asking! I think I might go home and write a blog post about our conversation.”

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
As a writer, how do you measure your success?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For a list called, “100 People (Not) To Listen To,” send an email to [email protected], and I WILL listen to your request 😉

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Not a consultant, coach or therapist.

I’m just someone who listens and challenges your thinking so you can grow your business.

Rent Scott’s Brain today!

NametagTV: Outtakes, B-Rolls and PSA’s

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Who needs a real job?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Go play a joke on somebody today 😉

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

Sick of selling?
Tired of cold calling?
Bored with traditional prospecting approaches?

Buy Scott’s new book and learn how to ~~sell~~ enable people to buy!

Pick up your copy (or a case!) right here.

Subscribe

Month: April 2008

8 Ways to Move Quickly on New Opportunities

NametagTV: Watch Your But’s!

The ONE WORD that makes you sound like a good listener

52 Random Insights for Growing Your Business

6 Service Secrets Learned from a Whole Foods Bulletin Board

8 Ways to Make Your Telephone Personality More Attractive

Nametag Guy LIVE: Word Ownership

62 Types of Questions and Why They Work

“So, how many copies have you sold?”

NametagTV: Outtakes, B-Rolls and PSA’s