Why passion works

When passion is involved, the rules change.

The shy become outgoing.
The introverted become assertive.
The disconnected become engaged.

Customers. Prospects. Employees. Managers. Whoever.

SO, HERE’S THE SECRET: Whatever your goal is, find a way embed people’s passion into the pavement that leads the way.

Because if you do this, three things will happen:

1. People will arrive at their destination faster and better.
2. People will have more fun and take more ownership of their endeavors.
3. People will (actually) take CARE of the path that led them there because THEY designed it.

AND REMEMBER: If you don’t know what your passion is, discovering your passion can become your passion until you find your passion.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How are you incorporating passion into everything you do?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “86 Passion-Finding Questions to Discover What You Love,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

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

New website go live this week?

Tune in to The Entrepreneur Channel on NametagTV.com!

Watch video lessons on spreading the word!

There is no secret

There is no secret.
It’s about hard, smart and long work.

There is no secret.
It’s about discipline.

There is no secret.
It’s about getting up and going to work, every single day.

There is no secret.
It’s about focus.

There is no secret.
It’s about leverage.

There is no secret.
It’s about commitment.

There is no secret.
It’s about courage.

There is no secret.
It’s about the willingness to be a little crazy.

There is no secret.
It’s about consistency.

There is no secret.
It’s about dedication.

There is no secret.
It’s about contribution.

There is no secret.
It’s about validation.

There is no secret.
It’s about usefulness.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your non-secret?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called “65 Things I Wish Someone Would Have Told Me When I First Started My Company,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

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

Is your frontline IN line?

Tune in to The Frontline Channel on NametagTV.com!

Watch video lessons on delivering unforgettable service!

The #1 secret to building a fan base

You’re a writer. Or an artist. Or a performer. Or a blogger. Or a consultant.

Whatever. A Creative Professional.

That means one of your goals is to build a following.

A fan base.
A community.
A group of people who admire or support your movement.

Sound overwhelming?

Because it isn’t.

It’s actually (really) simple.

In fact, I can boil it down to four words.

One at a time.

Here’s what that means:

One person at a time.
With the knowledge that, after a while, they start to accumulate. And before you know it, you’ve got thousands of fans. How many new fans did you get last week?

One blog post at a time.
Writing for your ideal reader, contributing to your Hot Body of Work and eliciting comments, ideas and feedback. Which isn’t really that much work, if you do a little each day. What did you write today?

One email address at a time.
Obtaining permission from your fans to stay in touch with them and start an ongoing dialogue. Because he who has the best list (and the best relationship with that list) wins. How are you capturing the email of everyone who comes to your website?

One email conversation at a time.
Connecting and conversing with fans individually, even if it’s a simple email reply, “Glad you enjoyed my article, Gary!” Because you must always be thankful for your followers. Which one of your fans did you email this morning?

One in-person conversation at a time.
Getting out there to meet your fans, even if it’s a simple, “Nice to meet you Terri – thanks for being here tonight!” Because individual tethering is the heart of building a following. Who are you having lunch with this week?

One at a time.

That’s the secret.

P.S. I’m back on Twitter again, posting every day, for those of you who are curious about the random thoughts that swirl through my mind at 4 AM.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How are you building a following?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “20 Ways to Make Fans Super Happy,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

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

Nobody talking about your business?

Bummer. Perhaps I could help on a more personal, one-on-one basis.

Rent Scott’s Brain today!


Do people really care what you do?

When someone asks you, “So, what do YOU do,” they’re (actually) asking any number of questions.

Technically, you could respond in any of the following ways:

1. There’s what you DO.
A sound-bitey, value-driven description of the service you provide.

For example:

o I teach real estate agents how to sell more homes.
o I inspire high school students to be all they can be.
o I help IT professionals get placed in the workforce.

2. There’s what your JOB is.
A basic description of your role.

For example:

o My job is to keep this police force in line.
o My job is to make sure no animals escape from this cage.
o My job is to sit on this lifeguard stand and make sure nobody drowns.

3. There’s what your TITLE is.
An official designation that summarizes what your role is.

For example:

o I’m an Administrative Assistant.
o I’m the Chief Inspiration Officer.
o I’m the Director of Customer Listening

4. There’s where you WORK.
The physical place or company where you spend your workdays.

For example:

o I work at Monsanto.
o I work down at the plant.
o I work out of my living room. (My favorite!)

5. There’s what your OCCUPATION is.
A generic, familiar category that describes the work that occupies your time and that you are paid for.

For example:

o I’m a chef.
o I’m a contractor.
o I’m an accountant.

6. Then there’s your CRAFT.
A generic description of your unique skill or talent.

For example:

o I make music.
o I weld steel bars.
o I create training materials.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What do YOU do?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For a copy of the list called, “19 Telltale Signs of the Perfect Job,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

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

Who’s telling their friends about YOU?

Tune in to The Marketing Channel on NametagTV.com!

Watch video lessons on spreading the word!

Why hotel rooms are your ticket to creativity

A few weeks ago I missed my flight from Toledo to St. Louis.

I ended up staying in some dumpy hotel next to the airport, ordering a pizza, renting a movie and calling it a night.

I flew home the next morning.

This type of thing happens to me every so often. Maybe once a year.

And while it used to frustrate me, I’ve now come to realize an important truth:

Hotel rooms provide a sterile, neutral environment where your heart can sing loudly.

Nothing on the walls but whiteness.
Nothing on the desk but plainness.
Nothing on the bed but blankness.

Ah, the hotel room. A beautiful place to be creative!

It’s just you and … YOU.

A venue to constantly confront yourself, just BE, and just WRITE.

Sigh…

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What unexpected venues heighten your creativity?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “9 Things Every Writer Needs to Do Every Day,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

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

What’s YOUR approach?

Join The Nametag Forums! Share stories, best practices and connect with a like-minded community of business professionals who stick themselves out there!

Why your competitors are attracting more attention than you

They’re working longer than you.
What time do YOU leave the office?

They’re working harder than you.
What time do you arrive AT the office?

They’re working smarter than you.
Does everything you do lead to something else you do?

They’re better positioned than you.
What are you known for?

They’re easier to get a hold of than you.
How many different ways can people contact you?

They’re asking better questions than you.
Do you have a stockpile of creative, unexpected questions that only YOU ask?

They’re blogging more regularly than you.
What’s your excuse for not blogging everyday – or at all?

They’re ranked higher on Google than you.
What happens when somebody googles YOU?

They’re calling customers back quicker than you.
How quickly do you get back to people?

They’re publishing more online content than you.
What did you write today?

They’re building a bigger permission asset than you.
How big (and how good is your relationship WITH) your email list?

They’re more focused with their marketing than you.
What slice of a slice have you chosen to specialize IN and be known FOR?

They’re being talked about more frequently than you.
Are you giving people a reason to tell their friends about you?

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What is your Attention Attraction Plan?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “23 Ways to Make Your Fans Super Happy,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

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

Nobody talking about your business?

Bummer. Perhaps I could help on a more personal, one-on-one basis.

Rent Scott’s Brain today!


33 Ways to Spy on Yourself

How often do you spy on yourself?

You know, to see how you’re doing. Checkin’ yourself out. Observing various situations and experiences behind that internal pane of two-way glass, taking furious notes.

It’s becoming kind of a hobby of mine.

But it’s not easy. Part of this process comes from your ability to detach, disassociate and sort of “get out of yourself” for a while, looking inward at your own behavior.

One practice I’ve found to be successful is self-questioning. Gently poking your inner landscape with an inquiry or two about what’s going on in the now.

Here’s a list of 33 Questions to add to your Self Spy Skit.

NOTE: Pick maybe 2-3 examples from this list. (You don’t want to flood your head with TOO many questions or else your brain might explode.)

Practice asking yourself these types questions on a regular basis in a relaxed, yet curious manner.

1. Am I contributing something?
2. Am I learning something?
3. Did I freely choose this value?
4. Do I truly cherish this value?
5. Have I considered other alternatives to this value and explored them fully?
6. Have I directly experienced this, or just heard it many times?
7. How am I making decisions?
8. How am I stepping out of my comfort zone?
9. How am I treating my own intuitive promptings?
10. How’s my breathing?
11. In what ways am I reacting, instead of responding?
12. In what ways am I attacking myself?
13. Is it my place to fix this?
14. Is this a thought or an impulse?
15. Is this as exciting as I thought it would be?
16. Is this consistent with what I value?
17. Is this experience helping me become the best version of myself?
18. Is this information necessary to the excellence of my work?
19. Is this particular problem part of a larger problem?
20. Is this person helping me become the best version of myself?
21. Is this person worth the time and effort it will take to save him?
22. Is this step necessary?
23. Is this thing helping me become the best version of myself?
24. Is what I’m doing RIGHT NOW consistent with my #1 goal?
25. What are the consequences of the choice I’m making?
26. What am I becoming?
27. What am I practicing?
28. What am I questioning?
29. What am I rationalizing?
30. What am I resisting?
31. What am I searching for?
32. What things I’m doing without thinking?
33. What’s the one HUGE thing I’m TOTALLY forgetting?

REMEMBER: Since you ARE spying on yourself, try not to get caught. See if you can create a sense of awareness in which your attention is focused on your own behavior, 100% in the moment, watching yourself as if you were the star of a mystery movie.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
When was the last time you spied on yourself?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For a copy of my list called, “21 Things I Learned While Spying on Myself,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

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

Is your frontline IN line?

Tune in to The Frontline Channel on NametagTV.com!

Watch video lessons on delivering unforgettable service!

How to Answer a Question, Pt. 1

During my time at Miami University, I was a Marketing Major.

The first piece of advice I remember from my professor, Mrs. Young was:

“In Marketing, the answer to every question is always ‘Well, that depends…’”

The class got a good chuckle out that one.

Amazingly, more than ten years later, that idea still holds true. Not just in marketing, but in ANY question/answer situation:

Between you and your employees.
Between you and your customers.
Between you and the media.

Between you and your significant other.
Between you and your children.
Between you and your dogs.

OK, maybe not your dogs.

STILL: Answering creatively or counterintuitively leads to a higher level of thinking.

Which elevates the conversation to a new level.
Which enables both parties to discover their individual truths.
Which yields more compelling results than if you would have offered a simple yes or no.

Let’s explore a list of ten ways to answer questions in a more intelligent, more approachable way. We’ll do 1-5 in part one today and 6-10 in part two next week.

1. “Well, there are a couple of answers to that question.” Don’t kill yourself trying to come up with ONE answer. Unless the question is about calculus, set your mind free! Resigning yourself to only providing one answer is a creative block.

Conversely, every time you offer multiple answers, you’re strengthening your foundation of creative, expansive thinking. And in the eyes of the questioner, you appear smarter, more open minded and more thorough.

What’s more, single answers have the potential to alienate people. Especially in a group setting. So, by offering multiple responses, you increase the probability of appealing to the largest number of people. More answers = More people on your side.

2. “Well, that depends on how you define the word ‘x.’” As a writer and wordsmith, this is my personal favorite. First, it PROVES that you were (actually) listening. It also shows that you think differently, and that you choose your words carefully.

For example, when someone asks me, “How often do you meditate?” my response is, “Well, that depends on your definition of meditation. If you define the word meditation as ‘formal sitting and quieting of the mind,’ then my answer is ‘twice a day;’ but if you define the word meditation as ‘mindfulness breathing and present moment awareness,’ then my answer is ‘All day.’”

It’s a probability statement, which demonstrates that you honor multiple perspectives. That you practice cognitive flexibility. What’s more approachable than that?

3. Word distinction. Similar to defining (or redefining) a word, you can also make the distinction between two commonly confused or misused words. For example:

QUESTION: “Were you scared?”
ANSWER: “Well, being scared isn’t the same as being afraid.”

QUESTION: “Did you lose the game?”
ANSWER: “We didn’t just lose, we got defeated!”

QUESTION: “Is your business growing?”
ANSWER: “Well, I’m more concerned if my business is flourishing.”

By offering these kinds of distinctions, you maintain control of the conversation AND inspire the other person to think twice about the subtle difference between similar terms.

4. Pause. Don’t say anything. Just think. Listen to your own quiet voice. Take your time. Ponder your response. Let the silence speak to you and then choose your words carefully.

Learn to accept silence as a normal part of conversations. Your contemplation will show respect to the questioner. What’s more, any form of pausing – whether it’s in writing, speaking or singing – automatically increases the … VOLUME … of that which comes before and after it.

5. “Well, let’s take that in pieces…” My friend Richard, a veteran in the mental health profession, often uses this type of answer. Breaking your answer into pieces accomplishes several conversational goals.

First, it demonstrates effective listening.

Second, it exemplifies patience, especially when a client emotionally unloads on you.

Third, it enables the answerer to digest the entirety of the question, thus providing a response that addresses all of the important issues.

– – –
That’s how to answer a question. Here’s part two.

Ans I’m sure there are more possibilities, so…

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How do YOU answer questions?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “62 Types of Questions and Why They Work,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

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

Sick of selling?
Tired of cold calling?
Bored with traditional prospecting approaches?

Buy Scott’s new book and learn how to sell enable people to buy!

Pick up your copy (or a case!) right here.

Be smart, but don’t be a smarty pants

That means not being so quick to prove people wrong.

That means not immediately jumping to offer your insight.

That means not (always) raising your hand first.

That means not (always) sharing your opinion on everything.

That means not (always) having THEE answer for everything.

That also means not pouncing on every pause in the conversation to insert all your clever little jokes and brilliant insights.

Let go of the need to prove how smart you are by always adding some super-intelligent comment or asking some super-tricky question.

In the words of The Tao of Leadership, “It is hard to lead when we try to be too clever. Too much cleverness undermines group harmony.”

REMEMBER: The listener controls. Speaking Less = Saying More.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you smart or a smarty pants?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For a copy of my list called, “13 Roles of The Listener,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

* * * *
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!

Watch video lessons on enabling customers to buy!

PhD, schmee-h-D

You don’t need a Masters.
You don’t need a PhD.
In fact, you don’t need ANY acronyms, letters or designations after your last name.

You need experience(s).

That’s what people trust.
That’s what people relate to.
That’s what people use to judge you.
That’s what people validate your expertise by.
That’s what people measure your credibility by.

I think IBM pioneer Tom Watson said it best, “Good judgment comes from experience. And experience comes from bad judgment.”

You need experience(s).

AND, along WITH those experiences, three other things:

FIRST: Constant and intelligent reflection upon those experiences.
Because, as my mentor, William Jenkins taught me, “We learn not from our experiences but from intelligent reflection UPON those experiences.”

So, as you experience life, remember to ask yourself:

1. How are these issues related to each other?
2. How can I profit from this experience?
3. How can I use this idea, principle or technique to achieve my goals or solve my problems?
4. How can this mistake be quickly made into something good?
5. How could this mentor me?
6. How does this fit into my theory of the universe?
7. Is there anyone in my life that I treat this way?
8. Now that I’ve done this, what else does this make possible?
9. What happened to me during this experience?
10. What is another use for this failure?
11. What went right/wrong/perfectly about what JUST happened?
12. What worked well and why?

SECOND: An extraction of lessons learned. Because nobody cares what you did. Nobody cares what you know. They only care what you’ve LEARNED; and, how those lessons can help them improve their lives.

Therefore, as you experience life, remember to ask yourself:

1. Can I transfer this information into something else I do?
2. How can the basic concept be applied to different areas?
3. How many different ways can you leverage this?
4. In what kind of future situations could I use these learnings?
5. What did I JUST learn from this experience?
6. What did you experience today that taught you something about your work or life?
7. What else is like this?
8. What have I seen, read or done today that relates to another idea or theme in my life right now?
9. What’s the Universal Human Emotion/Experience?

THIRD: A platform to share those lessons learned. If you don’t write it down, it NEVER HAPPENED. And, writing is the basis of all wealth. The challenge is, how are you going to share that with the world?

Well, as you experience life, remember to ask yourself:

1. What type of list could I immediately make my idea into?
2. What journal does this go into?
3. When will I write about this?
4. How many different ways can I share this intellectual property?
5. If I were to share these lessons in a speech, what would I say?
6. How can I make this experience useful to my fellow human beings?
7. How can I make writing a part of this?
8. How can I conduct a debriefing?
9. Who else needs to see this?

REMEMBER: If you want to prove your credibility and validate your expertise, you need experiences.

AND, you need to compound those experiences with a system of reflection, extraction and sharing.

If you can do that, people will no longer have to ask the question: “So, is this your direct personal experience, or are you just quoting someone else?”

PhD, Schmee-h-D.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How do you let experiences change you?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “9 Ways to become THEE Expert on Just about ANYTHING,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

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

Ready to turn YOUR experiences into money?

I can help.

Rent Scott’s Brain today!


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