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During last weekend’s Superbowl party we ordered a few pies from Pizza Hut. When the delivery guy handed them to me, I noticed some unusual writing on the box: “10 Fun Questions for Kids to Ask Their Parents.” And underneath was another section with a headline reading “5 Fun Questions for Parents to Ask Their Kids.” This is BRILLIANT. Open ended questions that start with “What’s your favorite…?” are…

This week I took my car into the shop for a few repairs. When asked what kind of rental I wanted, I noticed a black Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab and said, “I’LL TAKE THE TRUCK!” I’ve never driven a truckfor an extended period of time before. But I found it to be an interesting experience. My “Auto Approachability” changed when other drivers began to treat me differently. People…

The profession most commonly associated with nametags is food service – and rightly so. If there’s anyone whose attention you must be able to grab ASAP, it’s the person delivering your food! But like so many others, I too worked in food service for many years as a waiter, busboy, bartender and food runner. So I know the value of self-disclosure through the offering of names to expedite and…

India’s most famous woman guru, Mata Amritanandamayi, (Amma, for short) whose name means “mother of absolute bliss”, is renowned for many things, namely, she hugs peopleas a blessing and therapy. Her followers call the act of hugging darshan, or seeing, the word used by Hindus to describe an audience with a deity. LET ME ASK YA THIS… Do people need to hug each other more? * * * *…

I recently stumbled across a website for consulting company on which the contact page said, “Whether you’re an email person or a phone person, it’s easy to get in touch with us!” It was like music to my eyes. According to this article from Online Publishing News, more than 80 per cent of business people prefer using email to telephone communication. No less than 74 per cent of respondents…

Andrew Fischer, 20, of Omaha, who put his forehead for sale on eBay as advertising space, received $37,375 on Friday to advertise the snoring remedy, SnoreStop. Learn more about him on Human Ad Space. He’s sharing his brilliant business and culture decision with the world! Here’s what he said on his ebay auction: “In this age where media rules our wallets, we are buying whatever we are told is…

The St. Louis Post Dispatch ran a brilliant article about the annoyances and frustrations stimulated by cell phone users’ over-disclosure in public places. Also, check out an organization called Shhh! which is the Society for Handheld Hushing. They offer downloadable cards you can give to annoying cell phone users. LET ME ASK YA THIS… What’s the MOST personal information you’ve heard someone publically reveal on a cell phone? *…

How did you get your start in business? Did you “fall” into your line of work? Perhaps there was an interesting anecdote, epiphany or event that caused the birth of your business. If so, this is called Your Story. Now, it’s not your Elevator Speech or your 30 Second Commercial. It’s your story. And it’s a fundamental tool for helping people and potential customers get to know you. Here’s…

Helping customers “get to know you” isn’t just about names, it’s about information. In other words, it’s about self-disclosure, which is the process of revealing your personal information to another. This process starts with a small piece of information, i.e., your name. Then, as the relationship develops, it progresses into more intimate territory with the sharing of opinions, preferences and experiences. What’s more, because of its reciprocal nature, self-disclosure…

Welcome to Project Hello! In an effort to give homeless individuals names and put the growing homeless issue in the face of the public and politicians, more than 5,000 Hello My Name Is… signs are being distributed around the world to those living on the streets. LET ME ASK YA THIS… How do nametags affect your identity? * * * * Scott Ginsberg Author/Speaker/That guy with the nametag www.hellomynameisscott.com