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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…

I think Murphy Lee said it best in his famous hip hop tune when he asked, “What the hook gonna be?” That’s the question of the decade, isn’t it? And you know, the more I research it, the more I discover that everyone has their own name for it: The Purple Cow You, Inc. The Brand Called You The Personal Branding Phenomenom Becoming an Expert Your USP What the…

I gave a speech a few days ago during which I asked the audience one of my favorite “Let Me Ask Ya This…” questions: “What’s the one book that has most influenced your business?” The responses were excellent…and varied. People yelled titles ranging from The Bible to How to Win Friends and Influence People to The Yellow Pages (nice creative thinking on that last one.) Then I read a…

I spent a day in Memphis last week. AMAZING city, and if you’ve never been there before, definately try to make it out a soon as possible. People were extremely friendly, as I expected. After a slab of ribs at the famous Rendevous I was stopped by a woman on the street. “Hey Scott, do you know you’re still wearing a nametag?” “Yeah…I always wear a nametag! It makes…

Recently I added images of my two books onto my business cards, and the reactions have been incredible! It looks great, stands out and creates instant credibility and expertise. This is a perfect example of “Show, Don’t Tell,” a phrase pounded down the throat of every writer. I learned it from Stephen King in his book, On Writing, where he examines the idea to its fullest extent. Yet, “Show,…

Recently, my friend Paul told me to change my “from” line on my outgoing mail. It used to simply have my email address, but then I changed it to say HELLO, my name is Scott, my personal brand, which also happens to be my website URLand the title of one of my books. And as soon as I made the change, Paul said it stood out amidst all the…

During a National Speakers Association seminar over the weekend, I discovered two new networking tips for attending meetings: 1) Sit in the back. You will be able to see the bulk of the people in the audience. This allows you to pre-screen: Who is there you ALREADY KNOW Who is there you WANT TO KNOW Who is there you WANT TO KNOW YOU Honestly, I only learned this tip…