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Let’s start with two facts: 1. The word “testimonial” is defined as “writing testifying to one’s qualification or character.” 2. The word “testimonial” is derived from the 1432 French term testimonie, which means “evidence, statement of a witness.” So, does a testimonial for your business HAVE to be a piece of letterhead from one of your customers? Au contraire, Mon Fraire! Your job is to SHOW and PROVE, not…

That Guy is… Somebody who reminds everybody of nobody else. Call it personal branding. Call it USP. Uniqueness. Remarkability. Whatever. That Guy is… The best. THEE, not a. The only one. The obvious expert. The go-to person when it comes to your area of expertise. That Guy is… Known FOR something. Known AS something. And if you’re NOT That Guy, customers will gladly and easily choose someone else who…

You can’t control your online image. You can only participate in (and monitor) it. So, the big question is: How do you know who’s talking about you? HERE’S THE FIRST ANSWER: Get Google Alerts. Google Alerts uses its unique Web Intelligence technology to track the entire web for your personalized topics and send you new results by daily email. You can use Google Alert to keep track of anything,…

PICTURE THIS: you’re one unhappy customer. You just discovered that something is wrong with your checking account. So, on your lunch break you leave work and head over to the bank to get some answers. But. When you walk into the lobby and approach the front desk, nobody seems to be available to assist you! Now, it’s not like nobody works there. Several employees DO mull about behind the…

In Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, she insists upon a daily ritual called “Morning Pages.” I’ve been doing them for about seven months, and they’ve absolutely changed my life. AND I PROMISE YOU: it’s the greatest thing you could ever do for your writing career. Ever. Here’s how they work: 1. First thing in the morning (even before checking email!) open a blank document, either on paper or on…

ATTENTION ANYONE UNDER 25! If you’re a “young blade,” as my Grandma likes to say, you need to take a good look at the veterans of your industry. I suggest: Meet them. Observe them Hang out with them. Ask questions of them. THEN: create a picture of the type of person that someone who does what you do often becomes. This is something you need to know going in….

Anonymity is the greatest barrier to business success. Especially online. Because if you don’t exist on the Internet, you don’t exist. HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS: even the painfully shy, even the most introverted souls, can still become Virtual Extroverts. A Virtual Expert voices her opinion … online. A Virtual Expert takes the first step … online. A Virtual Expert sticks herself out there … online. Here’s a list of…

The first words out of your mouth MUST project confidence. That way, you build the right frame for your argument. In a speech. In a classroom. In an audience. In a boardroom. In an interview. When I was a marketing student at Miami University, my professor, Dr. David Rosenthal, stressed the importance building the right frame. “Avoid Immediate Personal Discounting,” he stressed. IPD, as we learned, was a dangerous…

Enjoy these “video cliff notes” for my latest book! LET ME ASK YA THIS… Have you ever made video cliff notes of your philosophy? LET ME SUGGEST THIS… Post your clips here! * * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag www.hellomynameisscott.com Are you the luckiest person you know? Watch Scott’s interview on 20/20! add to del.icio.us * digg it! * email this post

I plugged your blog. I plugged your book. I plugged your show. I plugged your website. I plugged your product. I plugged your company. I plugged your new movie. I plugged your new album. Don’t you love it when someone says that to you? It means you’re pluggable. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word plug didn’t take on its “promotional” meaning until 1902. Today it’s defined as…