Tag: don’t sell – enable people to buy

13 Killer Sales Questions Your Competitors Aren’t Asking

Questions are differentiators.

With prospects.
With customers
With total strangers!

So, if you want to become That Guy – and if you want to own the MAXIMUM amount of mindshare in your customers’ minds – start by asking better questions.

Now, by “asking BETTER questions,” I mean:

Asking dangerous questions.
Asking disturbing questions.
Asking dumb questions.
Asking guiding questions.
Asking judicious questions.
Asking killer questions.
Asking challenging question.
Asking penetrating questions.
Asking smarter questions.
Asking unexpected questions.
Asking upside-down questions.
Asking well-crafted questions.
Asking well-timed questions.

AND I PROMISE YOU: If you ask questions like THAT, your customers will form an impression of you as someone who is creative, intelligent, observant … and has BIG ears.

That will ENABLE them to buy from you.
That will ENTICE them to come back to you.
That will ENCOURAGE them to tell their friends about you.

Sound good?

Cool.

So, I suggest you start by making a list called “Top Ten Most Common Questions Asked by a Salesperson in My Field.”

Whether it’s during a sales presentation, over the phone or at a networking event, identify the types of questions every other salesperson just like you is asking their prospects.

Examples might include textbook, unoriginal questions like, “How much are you currently spending on…?” or “How happy are you with you present suppliers?”

HERE’S WHY YOU DO THIS: Knowing what questions your prospects are used TO and tired OF being asked is a powerful sales weapon.

Because now all YOU have to do is NOT ask those questions!

(Well, that’s not all you have to do.) You ALSO need to keep an arsenal of killer questions yourself. And those questions need to be easily accessible.

So, that leads to the next step: creating another list.

Title this one, “Killer Sales Questions My Competitors Aren’t Asking.”

Think of the best, most creative and most original sales questions you’ve ever used or heard.

Questions that made customers smile.
Questions that caused customers to stop in their tracks.
Questions that enabled customers to share their needs and wants.

MY SUGGESTION: Spend a few hours searching through your notes, old emails, training manuals, on Google and in the books of your personal success library for the BEST questions you can find.

Over time, edit, update and review your list regularly. Keep it handy on your laptop, bulletin board and in your briefcase. (Or, if you want to be supremely dorky and O.C.D. like me, type out your best questions on a laminated card and keep it in your wallet for easy access.)

THE POINT IS: Cherish that list. It will become a powerful tool for differentiating yourself that will only get stronger over time.

And it will help you make sales forever.

And soon, people will be asking YOU for YOUR best sales questions!

Now, you probably noticed that the title of this article was “13 Killer Sales Questions Your Competitors Aren’t Asking.”

Well, I am a man of my word.

So, to finish up today’s post, I’m going to share my personal list with you.

NOTE: These questions were purposely left incomplete.

I did this so YOU could individually tailor these questions to your industry, customers and products.

So, think of them more as “prefixes” to your own unique questions. Fill them in however you wish. And feel free to use and share them with customers and coworkers today!

13 Killer Sales Questions Your Competitors Aren’t Asking

1. How are you making it difficult for your customers to…?
2. How are you making it easy for your customers to…?
3. How many customers are you losing by…?
4. What are the benefits you’d like to see as a result of…?
5. What are the bottlenecks in…?
6. What are the three biggest mistakes being made by…?
7. What do you think makes the difference between…?
8. What excuses are preventing you from…?
9. What one word do you want customers to use when describing…?
10. When someone comes to your website, what’s the ONE thing…?
11. When someone walks into your store, how do you want them…?
12. When was the first occasion you noticed…?
13. When was the last time you actually…?

REMEMBER: Questions ARE differentiators.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your #1 killer sales question your competitors aren’t asking?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Post your question here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

How many unsolicited referrals did YOU get this week?

Tune in to The Sales Channel on NametagTV.com!

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How much time do you spend preparing yourself to listen?

Rehearsal.
Meditation.
Visualization.
Deep breathing.
Perusing your notes.
Reading affirmations.
Practicing your Powerpoint slide transitions.
Listening to the Rocky IV soundtrack in the bathroom down the hall.

All of these are examples of how someone might prepare herself to speak.

Which brings up an interesting question:

How much time do you spend preparing yourself to listen?

Odds are, not that much.

And this is dangerous. Because listening requires just as much energy, focus and mindfulness as speaking – if not more!

So, today we’re going to explore four practices for preparing yourself to listen.

1. Consult your materials. Gather all your notes, ideas, reports or any other documents relating to the conversation you’re about to have. Take a few minutes to scan them. Look for patterns. Get to know the person and the situation better. Jot down any specific questions, concerns or issues you’d like to raise during the interaction.

2. Listening reminders. Take a minute to re-read all of your listening reminders. This is a great way to keep your philosophies and practices fresh in your mind. NOTE: if you haven’t already created listening reminders for your office, consider writing a few of the following ideas on sticky notes to keep yourself accountable:

o L-I-S-T-E-N = S-I-L-E-N-T
o 2 ears, 1 mouth
o Attention, acknowledgment, appreciation and affirmation.
o Responses, not answers.
o Listening, not waiting to talk.
o NO Agenda.
o Don’t react; respond.
o Ask; don’t tell.
o Curious, not judgmental. http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
o You don’t own their problem.
o Listening isn’t a performance.

If you want to see the FULL list of listening reminders, check this out.

3. Breeeeeeathe deep. Taking in fresh oxygen will lower your blood pressure and relax your mind, body and spirit. It will also lay a foundation of mindfulness that will enable you to ask the right questions and tap into your intuition during the listening process.

A few secrets for breathing exercises (that I learned from my buddy Robert Friedman) include:

o In through your nose, out through your mouth.
o Make your exhale twice as long as your inhale.
o Consider reciting silent mantras to focus your attention.
o Close your eyes and visualize yourself Growing Bigger Ears.
o Relax your body, let go of tensions, especially in your shoulders and neck.

4. Affirmations. This last practice might sound kind of silly, but it’s also the most effective. Write out three lists of affirmations, each of which start with “I will, I choose or I am.” Be sure to keep them positive and focused on what you want and not what you DON’T want!

See, by reciting these to yourself before the other person comes into the room, you will lay a positive, forward-thinking foundation of listening effectiveness.

Here’s a quick list of potential affirmations for your list. Consider reading these to yourself before meeting with clients, patients or customers; or if you hold a leadership/management position, before walking into work every morning:

I WILL…
o I will listen today.
o I will say what I see.
o I will ask WHAT or HOW.
o I will take organized notes.
o I will think and pause before responding.
o I will listen at least twice as much as I talk.
o I will listen to myself as well as the other person.
o I will listen to ideas that make me uncomfortable.
o I will lead the other person where they want to go.
o I will listen to the silences between people’s words.
o I will acknowledge, appreciate, affirm and give attention to the speaker.

I CHOOSE…
o I choose to monopolize the listening.
o I choose to remain emotionally objective.
o I choose to use engaging, generative language.
o I choose to give advice ONLY when asked for it.
o I choose to ask and say the things that want to be said next.
o I choose to be conversationally selfless by giving the other person the stage.
o I choose to show the other person that I trust them to develop their own answers.
o I choose to listen with my eyes, arms, hands, fingers, legs, heart, mind and soul.

I AM…
o I am a giant question mark.
o I am curious and fascinated.
o I am now fully prepared to listen.
o I am making it a safe place to open up.
o I am prepared to receive the other person.
o I am making space to accept new ideas and thoughts.
o I am giving myself and the other person permission to open up and feel comfortable.
o I am a Listening Midwife who enables the other person to give birth to their thoughts, feelings and emotions.
o I am a still body of water in which the other person can see their reflection, which will lead to breakthroughs of their own making.

– – –

Admittedly, this is a lot of work. Probably more than most people are willing to put in for a soft, intangible skill like listening.

In fact, even I was hesitant to take on this practice at first.

Until recentlty.

I had two Rent Scott’s Brain consulting sessions this week. Both were great successes, inasmuch as my two clients gained clarity as well as few SOLID strategies for their businesses.

I, of course, didn’t do that much, other than listen.

Because that’s my job. And I now realize that by adopting this practice of listening preparation, I was able to facilitate and to give birth to breakthrough thinking.

It was pretty cool!

So, what about you?

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How much time do you spend preparing yourself to listen?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your best practices for listening preparation here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

…only 4 more days until NametagTV.com goes ON AIR!

ZOINKS! The customer actually came to ME! Now what?

Do you remember the first time you were asked out on a date?

It probably caught you a little off guard.

Holy crap. You really want to go out with ME? Like, you came up to MY locker and asked for MY number? Oh-boy-oh -boy-oh-boy! Hot dog! This is so exciting! Someone was seeking ME out for a change! What time should I pick you up?

Wow. Can you imagine what the prospective date would think if you said that out loud?

Des-perate!

Nice move, Casanova.

LESSON LEARNED: Don’t telegraph neediness.

Businesspeople do the SAME THING all the time. They get an email out of the blue from a prospective customer. And, just like that nervous, awkward adolescent, they respond the same way:

Wow! You really want to work hire ME? Like, you came to my website and now you actually want to pay me money for my services? Oh-boy-oh-boy-oh-boy! Hot dog! This is so exciting! A customer seeking ME out Where do I sign?

And the same principle applies.

If you act surprised when customers come to YOU, they might start to question your professionalism. To wonder about your busyness. And the silent dialogue becomes, “Wow, sounds like this guy REALLY needs my business…”

So, if you want to project confidence and coolness when YOU’RE the one being pursued, follow these three guidelines:

1. Just relax. Play it cool. Respond as if this happens all the time. Forget about the fact that if this client doesn’t hire you, only ONE of your daughters will get to go to college.

Give the impression that you’re in high demand. That you’re used to customers pursuing YOU for business. Yep, just another day at the office.

FOR EXAMPLE: If someone wants to book you for their upcoming corporate event, one of the most liberating responses you could offer is, “What year?”

2. Watch your emotions. Sure, it’s exciting when a new prospect calls out of the blue. But it’s also a stroke to your ego. So, be careful that your emotions don’t cloud your response. Strive to maintain emotional objectivity.

A few years back, I was asked to give a speech in Jamaica. And I got SO excited and felt SO honored … that I charged the wrong fee! Woops!

REMEMEBER: Overreacting can lead to under charging.

3. Understand your position. Because the customer came to YOU, you’re in a unique situation. First of all, it’s a position of strength, since you’re not the one threatened by rejection. And the ability to walk away from a sale is a tremendous advantage.

Secondly, it’s a position of choice. Since the buyer is pre-qualified, the next question isn’t IF she should use you; it’s HOW she should use you.

THE GOOD NEWS IS: The more this happens; the more you will normalize your routine. Patterns will emerge, encounters will become more predictable and you will develop an unconscious competency for handling unsolicited requests.

And eventually, YOU will become the selector – not the selected.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How do you respond when customers come to YOU?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the #1 way to (actually) get prospects to come to YOU, send an email to [email protected] and I’ll share the secret!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

…only 6 more days until NametagTV.com goes ON AIR!

Study ordinary things intently

All creativity begins with curiosity.

About how things work.
About how things could work BETTER.
About why things are the way they are.
About why people do things they way they do.

But don’t MY word for it. Let’s hear what three of the world’s most notable creativity gurus had to say about the value of curiosity…

1. Leonardo Davinci. He called it curiosita, defined as, “An insatiably curious approach to life and an unrelenting quest for continuous learning.”

“The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding,” Davinci remarked. “Therefore, be always curious and observant.”

2. Edward DeBono. He encourages people to embrace curiosity by constantly saying, “Now that’s interesting…”

“Be able to find interest in almost anything,” DeBono says in How to Have a Beautiful Mind. “Be curious. Explore things. Bring up a discussion. Get people’s opinions, ideas and values. Explore, elaborate and make connections.”

3. Mihály Csíkszentmihályi. He reminds us to fascinate ourselves with the ordinary.

“Evaluate critically every novelty you encounter,” he wrote in his book Creativity. “One of the surest ways to enrich life is to make experiences less fleeting.”

LESSON LEARNED: study ordinary things intently.

When you can learn to do this – every single day – three things will happen:

You will BOOST your creativity.
You will FLOOD your mind with new ideas.
You will BUILD a solid foundation of curiosity.

And the combination of those three results will mold your melon into an attractive, valuable commodity that your clients will want to access to.

See, clients don’t want to hire consultants or marketers or coaches – they want to hire cool, smart people who happen to do those things.

So, if you want to use curiosity to attract more ideas (and more clients!), follow this four-step game plan:

1. NOTICE. On a daily basis, take the time to stop what you’re doing and say things like, “Huh. That’s weird,” or “Now that’s interesting…”

2. EXPLORE. Study ordinary things intently. Then, start a dialogue. Ask other people questions like, “So, why do you think she said that?” “Hey, did you guys notice that?” and “It would be interesting to see if…”

3. RECORD. Remember, if you don’t write it down, it never happened! So, consider keeping a Curiosity Journal. Make daily entries about things you noticed and what you learned from them.

4. EXPAND. Continue to learn, ask and research these new ideas you’re curious about. Constantly run them through your personal filter of expertise by asking, “How does this fit into my picture of the universe?”

With these four steps, your curiosity will become a weapon!

Both for you AND the customers you serve.

Now … isn’t that interesting?

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What ordinary thing have you recently studied intently?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your observations here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Enjoy this post?

If so, perhaps I could help on a more personal, one-on-one basis.

Rent Scott’s Brain today!

Manage the environment

I’ve been reading Joe Meyers’ new book, Organic Community.

And here’s what I’ve learned:

You have (some) control over the environment.

Some.

But you have little or no control over the people IN the environment.

SO, HERE’S THE SECRET: let things organically and naturally occur.

Don’t sell.
Create and manage an environment in which customers are enabled to buy.

Don’t network.
Create and manage an environment in which strangers naturally connect.

Don’t make people friendlier.
Create and manage an environment in which people are likely to become friendlier.

Don’t get people to ask questions.
Create and manage an environment where people feel comfortable, empowered and non-threatened so they are more likely to ask questions.

Don’t make art.
Create and manage an environment from which art is inspired.

Don’t become a celebrity or an expert.
Create and manage an environment that constantly augments, reinforces and enhances your celebrity/expert status.

Don’t increase the number of participants.
Create and manage an environment where healthy participation naturally emerges.

Don’t get people talking about your new idea or product.
Create and manage an environment that enables, supports and rewards authentic dialogue.

If you create the right kind of environment, the right atmosphere, the right space and the right energy, the people inside of it will (hopefully) take care of themselves.

REMEMBER: we are not free to determine the contents of experience.

Just the environment.

Thanks, Joe!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How do you manage your environment?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Read Joe’s book. Today.

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Enjoy this post?

If so, perhaps I could help on a more personal, one-on-one basis.

Rent Scott’s Brain today!

The advantage of being an outsider

In the month of October alone, my clients include: inner-city librarians, municipal landfill owners, funeral directors, paper shredding companies, school lunch ladies and recruiters.

God I love my job!

Anyway, this made me realize something: objectivity is equity.

And this is GREAT news for you if you’re a consultant, speaker, facilitator or other form of independent contractor.

See, my clients tell me that employees are tired of listening to their bosses.

Same old information. Same old company. Same old industry.

BOR-ING.

They need fresh air.
They need new perspective.
They need someone from the outside.

And that’s where you come in.

SO, REMEMBER THIS: being an outsider is a position of value.

Here’s why:

1. OUTSIDERS … can be truly objective.

o Because they have little or no bias.
o Because they can recognize patterns immediately
o Because they have no stake in the company or organization.
o Because they don’t bring vested interests to an existing problem.
o Because they can explore the structure of an organization with fresh eyes.
o Because they’re not viewed as a threat, which diffuses defensiveness and increases the willingness to listen.

2. OUTSIDERS … don’t face traditional barriers.

o Because they are unaware of common creative blocks.
o Because they’re not subject internal politics of the organization.
o Because they can explore assumptions the organization that were never thought of or taken for granted

3. OUTSIDERS … can deliver independent thought.

o Because their thinking patterns are different.
o Because they’re detached from the outcomes.
o Because they’re not so close to the situation and therefore have limited agendas.
o Because their wealth of diverse background experience applies cross-industrially.

So, next time you’re trying to secure a new client, just remember: it’s OK to be an outsider.

Outsiders observe, think and speak from a position of value and equity.

REMEMBER: it’s a lot easier to break the limit when you don’t know the limit exists.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you an outsider?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Post your best story or example in which being an outsider enabled you to help your clients!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Are you a friend of The Nametag Network?

Read more blogs!
Rent Scott’s Brain!
Download articles and ebooks!
Watch training videos on NametagTV!

Make a name for yourself here…

Ball in Their Court Questioning

PICTURE THIS: you’re chatting with someone you just met.

During a conversational lull, you ask the default question, “So Mike, what do YOU do?”

And all of the sudden, his posture weakens. His eyes avert. And his smile fades.

“Actually, um, I’ve been out of work for the past 8 months, so…”

“Oh.”

Well, good thing I brought THAT up! you think.

A few minutes later on your way to the hardware store to purchase a crowbar to pry your foot out of your mouth, something occurs to you.

You made assumptions.

That Mike had a job.
That Mike was defined by his work.
That Mike had a career he enjoyed talking about.

None of which were true.

And as a result, your connection was botched.

SO, THAT’S THE CHALLENGE: avoiding assumptive language.

Being curious, not judgmental.

And your job as an approachable communicator is to ask questions that are specific, yet STILL give someone permission to direct the conversation in manner that makes him most comfortable.

Because your NUMBER ONE GOAL in every conversation is to make the other person feel comfortable as soon as possible.

An effective tool you can use is called Ball in Their Court Questioning.

For example:

Instead of saying, “What do you do?”
You could say, “What keeps you busy all week?”

Instead of saying, “What’s your job there?”
You could say, “What’s your role there?”

Instead of saying, “Did you get hired yet?”
You could say, “What kind of progress have you been making on the job hunt?”

Instead of saying, “Are you actually making a living at this?”
You could say, “How are you moving forward towards your goals?

Ball in Their Court Questioning. (BTCQ, for short.)

And BTCQ is more than just asking open-ended questions.

IT’S ABOUT PERMISSION…
For someone to engage comfortably with you about topics important to them.

IT’S ABOUT PREVENTION…
From you looking like an idiot, and from the other person feeling embarrassed.

IT’S ABOUT POSITIVITY…
Framing your conversation with a positive, goal-oriented tone.

And ultimately, when you make these minor changes in your verbiage, you create MAJOR results in your conversations.

So, next time you meet someone new; transform assumptive language into approachable language.

And you’ll never need to use that crowbar again.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How long have you been working in the People Business?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your additional thoughts on the nature of this “industry.”

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Are you a friend of The Nametag Network?

Read more blogs!
Rent Scott’s Brain!
Download articles and ebooks!
Watch training videos on NametagTV!

Make a name for yourself here…

On working in the people business

It doesn’t matter what you sell.
It doesn’t matter what you create.
It doesn’t matter what your job title says.
It doesn’t matter what service you provide.

You work in the People Business.

As such, it’s important to remember several things:

1. People buy people first.

2. People like to do business with their friends.

3. People don’t trust companies; they trust people.

4. People aren’t loyal to companies, they’re loyal to people.

5. People only do business with you for three reasons: they’ve heard you, they’ve heard OF you, or someone they TRUST has heard of you,

6. When people like each other, the rules change. (Jim Henderson)

7. The only thing people can judge you on: how engaging with you makes them feel. (Seth Godin)

8. The more we meet and interact with people, the more likely we are to become friends with them.

9. People either check you on or check you off.

10. The more shopper-employee contacts that take place, the greater the average sale. (Paco Underhill)

11. People don’t give to causes; they give to people.

12. People don’t want to hire consultants, speakers, trainers or recruiters. They want to hire smart, cool people who happen to consult. Or speak. Or train. Or recruit. Or whatever. So be smarter and cooler.

13. Which means: lead with your person; follow with your profession. Values before vocation. Individuality before industry. Humanity before statistics. Personality before position.

14. AND REMEMBER: if they like you as a person, they MIGHT hire you. But if they don’t like you as a person, they DEFINITELY won’t hire you.

And last but not least, the summation of the first 14 points:

15. Friendly always wins.

So…

It doesn’t matter what you sell.
It doesn’t matter what you create.
It doesn’t matter what your job title says.
It doesn’t matter what service you provide.

You work in the People Business.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How long have you been working in the People Business?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your additional thoughts on the nature of this “industry.”

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Are you a friend of The Nametag Network?

Read more blogs!
Rent Scott’s Brain!
Download articles and ebooks!
Watch training videos on NametagTV!

Make a name for yourself here…

Deliver __________ value.

Deliver ADDITIONAL value.
Because it exceeds customers’ expectations.

Deliver BUZZ-WORTHY value.
Because people who get talked about get business.

Deliver CONSISTENT value.
Because consistency is far better than rare moments of greatness.

Deliver DAILY value.
Because nobody wants to read a newspaper (or a website) that’s two years old.

Deliver DOWNLOADABLE value.
Because customers need to be able to take you with them.

Deliver UNEXPECTED value.
Because the most effective way to capture someone’s attention is to b-r-e-a-k her patterns.

Deliver FOCUSED value.
Because niches = riches.

Deliver LOCAL value.
Because everybody loves a homeboy.

Deliver MAXIMUM value.
Because … well, just because.

Deliver ONLINE value.
Because if you don’t exist on the Internet, you don’t exist.

Deliver PREDICTABLE value.
Because predictability creates familiarity, which creates trust.

Deliver SOLID value.
Because content is king.

Deliver SPECIFIC value.
Because credibility comes from specificity.

Deliver UNARGUABLE value.
Because customers can’t object to it.

Deliver UNFORGETTABLE value.
Because being “memorable” isn’t enough.

Deliver UNIQUE value.
Because being “different” merely means to stand out, while being “unique” means to be THE-ONLY-ONE.

Deliver UNMATCHED value.
Because the best way to eliminate the competition is to (not) have any.

Deliver WEEKLY value.
Because branding is about repeated impressions.

Deliver WORLD-CLASS value.
Because, as Seth Godin says, being average is for losers. Be exceptional or quit.

Deliver WRITTEN value.
Because writing is the basis of all wealth.
LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What types of value do you deliver?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Consider this post a checklist. Ask yourself how well you deliver each of these types of value.

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Are you a friend of The Nametag Network?

Read more blogs!
Rent Scott’s Brain!
Download articles and ebooks!
Watch training videos on NametagTV!

Make a name for yourself here…

Always have something to give

PICTURE THIS: you plop down next to a friendly guy on the plane.

After a brief greeting, he asks about your work.

“I’m an author,” you say.

“Cool! What kind of books?” he asks.

So you tell him. And he becomes very excited. Obviously, he’s a perfect reader for you.

“Wow, that sounds great,” he replies. “My entire office needs to read your book! You wouldn’t happen to have an extra copy in your bag, would you?”

“Oh, uh … no. Sorry,” you say. “But I’m sure your local Borders has it in stock.”

“Oh.”

Yeah. “Oh” is right.

LESSON LEARNED: being in the right place at the right time does you no good…

Until you deliver VALUE.

That’s one of the keys to sticking yourself out there: always having something to give.

As an author, I don’t go anywhere without at least one of my books.

Because you never know whom you might meet.
You never know who might ask for one.
And you never know what business opportunities might arise by one.

Of course, this isn’t just about authors.

This is about ANY entrepreneur, artist, solo practitioner, consultant, writer, speaker, performer or musician … who wants to make a name for himself.

Always have something to give.

See, people need visuals. They need proof that you’re the real deal.

Unfortunately, first impressions don’t take very long. That’s why having something to give the perfect shortcut.

I remember a few years ago, I was chatting with a guy while waiting in line at Kinko’s. Turns out he was an up-and-coming DJ.

When I asked him if he had any of his music handy, he said, “Sure, follow me…”

We walked over to his car, he popped the trunk, and this guy had five boxes of CD’s ready to go!

“Here ya go! I always keep a few copies handy, just in case,” he laughed.

Think that guy is going to be successful?

Absolutely!

Because he’s always ready to pitch on a moment’s notice.

Because he always has something to give.

See, Strategic Serendipity is about preparation.

And if you want to make a name for yourself, consider all the potential things YOU could be ready to give!

1. Philosophy cards
2. Tip sheets
3. Demo Videos
4. Copies of your CDs
5. Copies of your books

…all of these items deliver value, support your brand and enable a conversation to go from mundane to memorable.

So whether it’s in person, on the plane or even waiting in line at Kinko’s, remember this:

Being in the right place at the right time does you no good…

Until you deliver VALUE.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Do you always have something to give?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Make a list of 10 potential freebies you could give away at a moment’s notice. Try one a week.

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Are you a friend of The Nametag Network?

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