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I recently spoke at The Turnaround Conference at the St. Peters Church of the Shepherd. My keynote address pointed out the dichotomy of Unforgettable First Impressions. In other words, GOOD Unforgettable vs. BAD Unforgettable. Judging by the audience’s response, the speech went excellent. They were volunteering, echoing, clapping – everything a speaker hopes to hear. I also had the opportunity to meet many attendees afterwards who shared stories and…

I picked up some delicious Popeyes chicken a few months back, and I’d agree that their recipe is one of the best. But here’s what I found to be slightly annoying/inconsistent with the particular store I went to… I approached the counter to order. The clerk was busying herself in the register, not even acknowledging my presence. Eventually she closed the drawer, looked up with a scowl and impatiently…

I’ve already blogged about ways to leverage your voicemail greeting, but now it’s time to discuss the name announcement. This is the recording someone hears when you leave a message on his or her phone, i.e., “Next message…received on March 21st…from…Scott Ginsberg.” When you set up your new voicemial program, the operator usually says, “Please record ONLY your first and last name after the tone. When you are finished,…

A few weeks ago I finished Self-Promotion for the Creative Person: Get the Word Out about Who You Are and What You Do, by Lee Silber. It was fantastic! Here are some of my favorite one-liners: If nobody knows you exist, it doesn’t matter how good your work is. The most effective form of self-promotion is tooting your own horn, loud and clear. Talking, speaking, having a website, writing…

Exciting news! The Riverfront Times – St. Louis’s alternative newsweekly – ran an interview/review about my new book, The Power of Approachability. I’ve been a loyal reader of the paper for many years. And I wasn’t surprised to find my article printed in the Unreal section. Because now that I think about it, the fact that I’m know as “The World’s Foremost Expert on Nametags,” is, in fact, pretty…

Last weekend I gave a presentation to the First Impressions team at a Cincinnati Church. We began talking about creative voicemail techniqueswhen Rick, one of the team members, offered his own outgoing message as an example: “Every single day I change my voicemail by putting a new quotation in the message. I’ve been doing it for years now and some people even call every day just to hear my…

Next time you’re driving down US 40 between Effingham and Indianapolis, stop off at Exit 62 and go to the Hardee’s on Vandalia Road. Here’s why: It was 8:00 PM. This Monday night. I just finished hosting a seminar in Cincinnati and still had 4 hours to drive before returning to St. Louis, at which point I would pass out for 5 hours, wake up and give another speech….

John Moore works with Brand Autopsy Marketing Practice – a marketing consultancy dedicated to not only alleviating the pain and suffering marketing problems are inflicting upon companies … but also dedicated to leading companies on a path to live a healthier and more prosperous life. So, it’s no surprise that at the WOMMA Summit – at which most attendees dress in dark suits – John stood out by wearing…

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,…

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…