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I published my first book when I was twenty-two. There was no plan. No marketing strategy. No publicity campaign. No social media push. No finely orchestrated plan in perfect alignment with my personal vision statement and life purpose. I just handed out copies to every single person I knew. With one catch: Every copy of the book came with two free nametags. One for you, one for a friend….

LET ME ASK YA THIS… What’s your act? LET ME SUGGEST THIS… For the list called, “71 Things Customers Don’t Want to Hear You Say,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free! * * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Author, Speaker, Publisher, Artist, Mentor [email protected] Never the same speech twice. Now booking for 2011-2012! Watch The Nametag Guy in action…

Screens are fine. But we can’t solely filter our lives through pixels. Not if we want those lives to matter. Face-to-face is making a comeback. Which doesn’t mean information is irrelevant. It’s just that contact offers an unquantifiable humanness that content can’t provide. Only face-to-face can you truly learn who you are. Only face-to-face can you truly discover how the world works. Only face-to-face can you truly resonate with…

“I just have so many questions!” I get that a lot. When people find out I wear a nametag everyday, they’re instantly curious about a number of issues. And I’m happy to oblige. Comes with the territory. I once met a guy in a jazz club in Hell’s Kitchen. Noticing my nametag, he asked me if I had just come from an episode of The Price is Right. Good…

The greatest gift you can give someone is to shove them over the wall. I remember the exact moment this happened to me. I was twenty-two years old. I was finishing the manuscript for my first book. I was working full time as a furniture salesman to make ends meet. I got a call from the president of a local Rotary Club. He asked if I could come give…

I often wear multiple nametags. One on each layer of clothing. Not just for consistency purposes, but also for safety purposes. It’s a dangerous world out there. Should I run into trouble, should I encounter somebody whose behavior is threatening, or should I confront an individual who needs to calm down, it’s always good to know I can simply open my jacket and say: “We got a problem here?”I…

Everyone I meet responds to the nametag a little differently. I was at the park. A guy told me that he would never want to wear a nametag, as it would ruin his lifelong dream of becoming a spy. I was at a potluck. When I was introduced to the host, he asked if I had any extra nametags. I said yes. He wore it all night. I was…

Going through airport security with a nametag is a fascinating experience. One time a particularly cranky and compliant agent asked if my nametag was embroidered onto my shirt. Just for fun, I told her that I wore it because if I died, the police would have an easier time identifying the body. Wrong thing to say. She stared at me, emotionless, for five seconds – then told me I…

I almost got kicked out a wedding for wearing a nametag. Let me explain. I was eating an appetizer, minding my own business. When out of nowhere, the bride noticed me and started marching in my direction. And she was wearing her crazy face. “Why are you wearing a nametag to my black tie wedding?” “Oh, I’m Jason’s friend. I always wear a nametag.” “Really?” “Really.” “That’s so weird….

Engagement is the new marketing. How people experience you, plus how people experience themselves in relation to you, is now what determines your success. Straight from my column on monthly column on American Express Open Forum, here’s what smart entrepreneurs know about engaging their customers: 1. Master the power of personalization. If your customers wore nametags, would you give them better service? Sure you would. Names reduce the distance…