The longer they take, the less they buy

PICTURE THIS: you walk into Borders on a Sunday afternoon. You head over to the business section to pick up the latest book on leadership.

Flipping through, you see nothing remarkable … yet.

So you keep flipping. And flipping. And flipping. Frustratingly hoping to come across a poignant sentence, a cool graph or an astonishing picture to use in tomorrow’s staff meeting.

But to no avail.

About seven minutes go by. You reach the appendix of the book, having found nothing that stood out.

Well, back to the shelf this goes! You think.

And then.

Then something else catches your eye.

“Hmm. What’s this…?” you say.

You grab a different book. You lean up against the shelf and randomly open it to page 147.

And within three seconds, you’re smiling. Nodding and affirming and pointing out a piece of leadership advice that’s SO relevant (and SO SIMPLE), you say to yourself, “Wow. That’s goooood! I’m buying this book for my boss!”

So you do.

And it only took … what? A few seconds?

LESSON LEARNED: the longer they take, the less they buy.

In Doug Hall’s (amazing) Jumpstart Your Brain, he shares several brilliant observations on this very topic.

Based on his extensive research with Proctor & Gamble’s retail division, Doug learned three things:

1. Complexity generates contemplation. You lose when your customer has to contemplate your idea. In the process of contemplating, customers start looking at other options.

2. Get them early. If it takes more than ten seconds to explain or grasp, it’s probably not a wicked good idea.

3. Simple ideas are self-evident. And self-evident products make you want to pick them up when you see the name and the front of the package. No additional communication required.

It’s kind of like the end of Jerry Maguire.

Tom Cruise barges into Rene Zelwegger’s house to profess his love for her. He rambles on and on about how she “completes” him. Everyone in the audience is sobbing.

Eventually, she interrupts his monologue and says, “You had me at hello.”

You had me at hello.

That’s exactly what you need to do.

You need to have them at hello.

Because if you don’t, every second that passes decreases the probability of a sale.

The sale of…

Your idea.
Your self.
Your service.
Your product.

LESSON LEARNED: if you don’t have them at hello, it’s already too late.

Because the longer they take, the less they buy.

HERE’S HOW I KNOW THIS: I’ve been wearing a nametag 24-7 for the past 2,431 days.

I do it to make people friendlier. That’s it!

And I’ve probably explained this idea to well over 100,000 people.

Now, according to seven years of non-scientific, empirical data, approximately 10% of the people I encounter will think I’m out of my damn mind.

(Which is true.)

But these people just don’t (and won’t) get it.

They require me to cite scientific data.
They ask me to explain my philosophy over and over.
They argue relentlessly about the validitiy of wearing a nametag.

(And all the while I’m thinking: dude, it’s not that complicated. Nametags = friendlier people)

Which makes me realize something: these people will NEVER, at any point, accept, like or embrace my idea.

Because I never had them at hello.

See, first impressions are based on instinct and emotion. And because they tend to be correct, the first impressions people form about you will probably stay in their minds forever.

After all, people put pressure on themselves to behave consistently with their own existing commitments.

This is known as the primacy effect. Meaning, the information people see or learn about you is more powerful than what is learned later.

IN SHORT: if it takes too long for someone to “get” you (or your idea or your product), they’re probably not going to buy into it. Ever.

The longer they take, the less they buy.

Also, here’s something else I’ve noticed after 2,430 days:

90% of the people I encounter, only SECONDS after hearing that I choose to wear a nametag all the time, will say to me, “That’s the coolest idea I’ve ever heard!”

And they not only embrace the idea, but usually tell at least 10 people about it.

Because I had them at hello.

And it took … what? Three seconds?

Right. Because if the longer they take, the less they buy; then the SHORTER they take, they MORE they buy!

OK. So, here’s what this means for you:

1. KEEP it simple. Say ONE thing. Assure that your ideas; products, services and marketing materials are self-evident. That they need no further communication. That people “get” your stuff right away.

2. MAKE it easy. Ever read a business book without boldface, underlines, italics, font changes or pictures? It’s a pain in the butt! See, few authors understand the value of architecture in writing. So, even if you don’t write books, remember: make it easy. Punch people in the face with what they need to see, hear and know about your business right away.

3. TOUCH it up. If you find that it’s taking too long to convince people, don’t worry! This is your opportunity to tweak your idea, sales pitch or product. Brainstorm several approaches and practice them on friends. If you “get them at hello,” you’re on the right track. Super easy litmus test.

Ultimately, what we’re talking about is a first impression.

Of you.
Of your ideas.
Of your business.

SO REMEMBER: complexity generates contemplation; and contemplation kills sales.

Get them at hello.

Because they longer they take, the less they buy.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Do you have people at hello?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share an example of someone who had YOU at hello with THEIR business idea.

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com

Are you the luckiest person you know?

Watch Scott’s interview on 20/20!

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Taking the shameless out of self-promotion

(To watch a video of The Giant Nametag, click here!)

Self-promotion gets a bad wrap.

In fact, it’s almost impossible to talk about the topic of self-promotion without mentioning the word “shameless.”

Which, according to my thesaurus, is another word for “audacious, brash, dirty, immoral, improper, presumptuous and rude.”

Yikes! No wonder people are so hesitant when it comes to tooting their own horns … they’re afraid!

Afraid of being rejected.
Afraid of appearing boastful.
Afraid that they’re bragging.
Afraid of sticking themselves out there.

BUT, HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS: self-promotion doesn’t have to be shameless.

See, our teachers, parents and mentors tell us (er, brainwash us) that self-promotion is bad form.

Not true.

Self-promotion can be a beautiful thing … when done gracefully.

THINK OF IT THIS WAY: you sit down at a dinner table with seven strangers.

Somebody brings up the topic of children.

“Ooh! Look at these pictures! My daughter just graduated from Kindergarten. Isn’t she just the cutest thing you’ve ever seen? Oh, and she got all A’s and the teacher LOVES her and all the other students in class think she’s the smartest kid in the whole school!”

Self-promotion?

Absolutely.

Shameless?

Heck no!

It’s passionate. It’s loving. It’s fun. It’s engaging. It’s authentic.

And you don’t see it as “selling” your kids to the person next to you.

You’re merely transferring your love.

And THAT is what self-promotion TRULY is: a transference of emotion.

Here’s another example.

At a recent Book Expo in New York City, I spent three days walking around the convention center wearing a giant nametag.

Smiling. Waving. Making friends. Giving away free books. Having fun.

Transferring the emotion of approachability.

Now, sure, I was promoting my new book.

But I didn’t lead with that. I led with passion and love and authenticity.

And the word shameless wasn’t even a consideration.

Interestingly, halfway through the conference, a woman approached me with a big smile on her face and asked why I was wearing this huge nametag.

So I told her.

It turned out she was a reporter for the Christian Science Monitor Her assignment was to interview someone for an upcoming article on self-promotion.

Nice.

We ended up sitting down on the stairs for the next 30 minutes for an impromtu interview!

So, if you want to take the “shameless” out of self-promotion, remember two things:

1. Don’t let your past fears stand in the way.
2. Don’t sell – transfer your love. Enable people to buy.

Because if you don’t make a name for yourself, someone will make one for you.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Does self-promotion have to be shameless?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your hypotheses why people are afraid to toot their own horns here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
www.hellomynameisscott.com

Are you the luckiest person you know?

Watch Scott’s interview on 20/20!

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Be (somewhat) predictable, part 2

I got an eye-opening instant message yesterday:

“Hey Scott … after I watched your segment on 20/20 last night, I went online to check out your website. I didn’t know what your URL was, so I just guessed it and typed in www.hellomynameisscott.com. Sure enough, I was right! Way to make it easy!”

The funny thing is, my total on-air time was only 2:43.

And I didn’t even mentioned my website.

Which means one of two things:

1. Either that guy was a really good guesser,
2. Or my brand was just THAT predictable.

My vote goes for #2.

So. What about you?

o If you had a three-minute conversation about your business, would the other person be able to guess your company’s URL in one try?

o If you delivered a three-minute speech about your business, would the audience members be able to guess your company’s URL in one try?

o If you did a three-minute interview about your business, would the viewers be able to guess your company’s URL in one try?

I hope so.

Because people are impatient.

According to Wikipedia, the human attention span is about 15 seconds.

According to the Washington Post, the amount of delay time web users are willing to tolerate is 8 seconds.

So, they need to get it in one try.

LESSON LEARNED: be (somewhat) predictable.

Here’s another example.

Last year I was giving a speech to a group of salespeople. When it was over, the emcee returned to the stage. When the applause died down, he said this:

“By the way, if anyone would like to learn more about Scott’s books and training programs, you can just go to his website. In fact, I’ll give you guys ONE guess what his website address is…”

In laughing unison, 300 people yelled out, “Hello-my-name-is-Scott-dot-com!”

Nice.

LESSON LEARNED: Make it really, really easy. And obvious. And simple.

Be (somewhat) predictable.

(Read part 1 of this post here.)

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you (somewhat) predictable?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
List three behaviors your clients could probably predict about you here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Download Scott’s new book!
Right here, right now, for FREE, no strings.

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Competition is all about attitude

Competition is all about attitude.

For example…

When something great happens to one of your competitors, don’t get jealous and upset.

INSTEAD, think, “Man I need to get on the ball!”
INSTEAD, ask, “Hmm. Are we doing stuff like that?”

Competition is all about attitude.

When you feel like comparing yourself to one of your competitors, don’t.

INSTEAD, don’t be better than anyone else; just be better than you used to be.
INSTEAD, ask, “What am I doing?” and not, “How am I doing?”

Competition is all about attitude.

When you become preoccupied with what the other guy’s progress, stop.

INSTEAD, ask, “What can I do to serve?” and not “What can I do to win?”
INSTEAD, think about being the finest, not the first.

Competition is all about attitude.

And now, here are two people much smarter than me who said it best:

“When you are content to simply be yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you.” –Lao-tzu

“Competition deflects our attention from self to others. When a business is merely focused on what the competitors are up to, it becomes reactive instead of proactive; it copycats instead of developing originality.” –Julia Cameron

Now, your ULTIMATE goal would be position yourself in a way that disables the mere possibility of competition.

But being “the only one,” being thee, not a, takes time.

And you’ll get there eventually. So for now, remember:

Proactive; not reactive.
Compare; don’t compete.
Finest; not first.

Competition is all about attitude.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your approach to the competition?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your formula here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Download Scott’s new book!
Right here, right now, for FREE, no strings.

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10 different approaches for your 10-second commercial

It’s the most frequently asked question, like, ever.

“So, what do YOU do?”

So many answers, so little time.

THE CHALLENGE: coming up with a memorable, concise and brand-consistent message.

However, there’s no one-way to do it! Let’s explore ten different approaches to answering this question.

1. The Lois Creamer Approach
“I work with (target market) who want to (desired outcome) so they can (benefit).”

EXAMPLE:

“So, what do YOU do?”

“I work with small business owners who want to increase productivity so they can spend more time their families.”

2. The Dick Brusso Approach
“I help (target market) accomplish (desired outcome) through (media through which you help achieve that outcome).”

EXAMPLE:

“So, what do YOU do?”

“I help hotel chains boost their customer service numbers through online training programs.”

3. The John Jantsch Approach
“I (verb) (target market) (benefit).”

EXAMPLE:

“So, what do YOU do?”

“I educate furniture salespeople on closing techniques.”
4. The Gitomer Approach
Just say something funny and confident.

EXAMPLE:

“So, what do YOU do?”

“I’m the greatest valet parker in the world!”

5. The Paul Edwards Approach
(Common Problem) + (Reason Why) + (Positioning Statement)

EXAMPLE:

“So, what do YOU do?”

“You know how marathon runners’ backs always hurt after a long jog? Well, that’s because their vertebrae are out of sync. See, I’m a chiropractor and I help marathon runners get their bones back into shape so they can break their personal running records!”

6. The Joke Approach
Say something unexpected and funny to disarm the situation, then follow-up with a real answer.

EXAMPLE:
“So, what do YOU do?”

“As little as possible!”

(Insert gut-busting laughter here.)

“But seriously, my job is to…”
7.The Steve Hughes Approach
Just pretend you’re talking to a five year old.

EXAMPLE: “So, what do you do?”

“I help grown-ups get better at show and tell!”

8. The Benefit of the Benefit Approach
I make (target market) (benefit of the benefit)

EXAMPLE:

“So, what do YOU do?”

“I make customers breathless.”

9. The Jeff Magee Approach
I do three things…

EXAMPLE:

“So, what do YOU do?”

I do three things: write books, give speeches and conduct teleseminars on how to expand your creativity.

10. The Scott Ginsberg Approach
(“Huh?”) + (Value Statement) + (“Aha!”)

“I wear a nametag 24-7!”

“Huh? Are you serious?”

“Yep! And I write books, speeches and training materials on approachability.”

“Ohhhhh,” she nodded. “I get it. Cool! We should hire you.”

Yes. Yes you should. Here’s my fee schedule 😉

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your approach to the 10-second commercial?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your formula here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Download Scott’s new book!
Right here, right now, for FREE, no strings.

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Go to where people are

One of my favorite movies is M. Night Shaymalan’s Unbreakable, staring Bruce Willis.

He plays David Dunn, a mild-mannered security guard who discovers he’s a superhero.

The coolest part of the movie is when he finally comes to terms with his true identity.

“I wasn’t hurt in that car accident,” he admits. “I’ve never been injured.”

“What do I do?”

“Go to where people are,” Samuel Jackson says. “You won’t have to look very long.”

Wow. I get chills every time I watch this scene.

Mainly because Shaymalan is an amazing director.

But also because there’s a powerful marketing lesson to be learned.

Go to where people are.

HERE’S YOUR ASSIGNMENT: Think of yourself as a superhero.

Your expertise is your superpower.

Your branding is your costume.

And there are innocent bystanders (aka, customers) who need saving.

They need you to rescue them.

HERE’S YOUR CHALLENGE: Figure out where your people are.

Your target market.
Your perfect customers.
Your pool of prospects that need you.

Here’s a list of five questions (and five approaches) to help you find the answer:

1. Where do they hang? Maybe there’s a popular bar, club or coffee shop that draws crowds of your people. Perfect! That’s where you need to be spending time.

YOUR APPROACH: Next time you meet with an existing customer, ask him: “Where do you and your colleagues hang out at lunch or after work?”

YOUR GOAL: create such a presence in this hangout that your customers either think you work there, or that you’re one of them!

2. Where do they meet? As a professional speaker, if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that there’s an association for EVERYTHING! Especially your target market.

YOUR APPROACH: go online and do a search for “association,” “your city” and “your target market.” For example, if you sell copiers to lawyers in Milwaukee, type “Milwaukee” “attorney” “association.”

YOUR GOAL: Find out where they meet up, and join up!

3. Who (else) do they see? OK, let’s say you’re a massage therapist who specializes in athletes over 50. Ask yourself, “What other doctors or health professionals do they see?” After all, those are the exact people who will recommend your services!

YOUR APPROACH: consider writing articles, white papers or even books on your area of expertise and giving them away for free. Great way to deliver value.

YOUR GOAL: to develop mutually valuable relationships with these “other people” your customers also see.

4. Who else serves them? You’re not the only person who serves the people you serve. Now, this isn’t about competition; this is about complimenting. For example, when you go to the store to buy a bag of Tostitos for the Superbowl, what else might you buy? Salsa? Beer? Nacho cheese? Right. All of these items are complimentary products.

YOUR APPROACH: ask your customers “WHAT else you buying?” and “WHOM else are you buying from?”

YOUR GOAL: make sure these complimentary salespeople know who you are; and vice versa.

5. Where do they grow? Let’s say your target customers are independent hairstylists in Chicago. Ask yourself, “Where do they study, train and grow?” Research every beauty school, hair styling college and fashion organization in the city! They key is to start early. Do what McDonald’s does: get ‘em while they’re young.

YOUR APPROACH: ask if you can be a guest lecturer. Position yourself as an expert from The Real World who seeks to educate these up-and-comers. Tell them what to expect when they graduate.

YOUR GOAL: to build relationships with the faculty, and more importantly, the students. And eventually when your customers are old enough to be on their own, they’ll perceive you as an expert, a friend and a resource.

CHALLENGE: this week, take time to ask yourself these five questions.

And remember that you truly ARE a superhero.

You have the power to deliver value and save the day!

But ONLY if you go to where people are.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Do you know where to find your pool of customers?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Practice these five approaches and let me know what happens!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Download Scott’s new book!
Right here, right now, for FREE, no strings.

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19 ways to become the ONE person at the conference everyone remembers

(To watch a video of The Giant Nametag, click here!)

Just got back from my first ever BEA experience.

Here’s what I learned:

1. Attitude. In a sea of thousands of people all trying to get noticed, you have NO choice but to be unforgettable and remarkable. So you better begin with the attitude of approachability. That you’re going to stick yourself out there.

2. Detach from outcomes. Sure, you have goals. Maybe to sell. Maybe to get in front of the right buyers. However, also try to focus less on the outcome and more on the big picture. Free yourself from agendas. Develop a no-entitlement attitude. And focus on having fun, delivering value and creating a memorable (er, unforgettable) presence. Because sometimes, when you care the least; you do the best.

3. Go beyond free. Every booth, vendor, exhibitor and company is going to give something away for free. So, before you attend the show, brainstorm a list of the Top 50 Most Common (and Annoying) Free Giveaways. Don’t do any of them. Instead, pick something cool, remarkable and consistent with your brand that people will actually KEEP. Otherwise, you may as well just tell the attendees, “Here, YOU throw this away!”

4. But don’t go overboard on free. You don’t have to give away something for free to EVERYBODY. If they don’t want it, don’t force it. REMEMBER: approachability is a two-way street. Consider offering a free item that’s so good, people actually come up to YOU and say, “Ooh! Can I have one of those?”

5. Smile. The whole damn time.

6. Wave.To every single person.
7. Use disarming approaches. Six words: “Hi, I don’t know anybody here!”
8. Practice strategic serendipity. Say yes a LOT more. Spend time with people in areas and around things you wouldn’t normally approach. Break your patterns.
9. Don’t pick and choose. Talk to everybody. Even your non-buyers and customers. Even the food service people. Even the janitors. Even the information booth guy. Even the conference planners. Especially the conference planners. Because you never know. And consistency is far better than rare moments of greatness.
10. Dress it up. If you can find some sort of costume that’s consistent with your brand, do it. I wear a giant nametag to my conferences. Nobody misses me. Does your appearance stand out or blend in?

11. Achieve The HVA. Which stands for 1) “Huh?” 2) Value and 3) “Aha!” Attract people to yourself (or booth) with curiosity. Spark their interest. Then deliver your value statement. Then get them to say, “Ah! I get it! That’s cool…”

12. Speaking of curiosity. Do something that encourages strangers to approach you and say, “So, what’s the story behind that?”

13. Strike the match. Do something that make people say, “Dude, did you see that guy who…” Generate inner-conference buzz.

14. Make music, not noise. Everyone else at your conference is going to be making NOISE. With their annoying, boring promo materials and free toys that nobody wants or cares about. You need to make MUSIC by getting people to smile, laugh, say hello, start talking, have fun and deliver remarkable value.
15. Interact; don’t interrupt. Everyone else at your conference is going to be INTERRUPTING the other attendees. Take this! See this! Have a free cookie! They say. Instead, consider INTERACTING, not interrupting people. Making friends. Strike up conversations. Talk about business later. Lead with your person; follow with your profession. Open your conversations with topics OTHER than business, sales, the weather, traffic and the like.
16. Just chill. Stressed and hurried are not approachable adjectives. Separate yourself from other attendees by not appearing overly needy and desperate for business. After all, it’s hard to sell with your tongue hanging out! Just chill. Relax.
17. Attract attention. Notice it says “attract,” and not “draw.” Major difference. Your job is to be remarkable and cool and fun and valuable. If so, people that see you will follow these six steps:

a. Smile and point at you.
b. Nod in agreement.
c. Think or say, “Nice!” or “That’s cool!”
d. Grab their friend’s shirt and say, “Jimmy, you’ve got to check out this guy over here…”
e. Approach you.
f. Tell everyone about you.18. Find the cameras. Photographers, press folks and bloggers LOVE to capture images and videos of cool, fun, remarkable stuff. They also like to share those images in their publications and on the web. So, ask yourself the following three questions:

a. Are you worth videotaping?
b. Are you worth taking a picture of?
c. Are you worth blogging about the next morning?
19. Be a rock star. Do things to enhance your celebrity status. Bring a friend to follow YOU around with a camera all day. Give a speech. Hold a pre or post event party.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How do YOU become unforgettable at conferences?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your strategies here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Download Scott’s new book!
Right here, right now, for FREE, no strings.

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Be (somewhat) predictable

Brands are expectations.

Which means it’s your job to prove customers right.

To confirm their suspicions about the value you deliver and the value(s) you stand for.

It ALSO means you need to be (somewhat) predicable:

1. In person.
2. Via email.
3. On the phone.
4. Throughout your marketing efforts.

Be somewhat predictable.

Disney calls this “staying in character.” (After all, their employees ARE called “cast members!”)

AND HERE’S THE THING: you’re not that different than, say, Snow White.

OK, maybe you wear a little less makeup. But the distinction is, instead of playing the role of Snow White, you’re playing the role of YOU.

SO, THE CHALLENGE IS: how do you become (somewhat) predictable?

Here’s a list of three ways to maintain brand consistency:

1. RECORD Brand Moments. Keep a log of your branding “moments of truth.”

For example, write down any time a customer says, “I figured you would do that!” or “It doesn’t surprise me to see your company…” or “That’s exactly what I expected your website to say!” After all, what people remember about you is what you are.

2. REMIND Brand Moments:

In your office, post a bunch of sticky notes that read, “Is what I’m doing RIGHT NOW consistent with my brand?” This will keep you accountable. And if you’re ever not sure if the answer is yes, well, consider that a hint.

3. REINFORCE Brand Moments:

Any time you do or say something consistent with your brand’s values, tell people. For example, if you email a prospect and say, “Well, my consulting fees are available on my website,” don’t forget to punctuate that sentence with, “…because that’s the way I do business,” or “…because that’s what clients have come to expect of me.” They’ll appreciate your integrity. And people respond to policies.

ONE FINAL NOTE: don’t seek to achieve 100% predictability. There’s nothing wrong with throwing a few curve balls here and there. Not to mention, to the most effective way to capture someone’s attention is to B-R-E-A-K their patterns.

Still…

Consistency is CRUCIAL to successful branding. Because consistency is far better than rare moments of greatness.

And…

Consistency leads to familiarity.
Familiarity leads to predictability.
And predictability leads to trust.

And TRUST is foundation of all business.

Especially when it really IS a small world after all!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you (somewhat) predictable?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
List three behaviors your clients could probably predict about you here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Download Scott’s new book!
Right here, right now, for FREE, no strings.

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Why you need a cool company name

The cashier swiped my credit card.

She looked closely at the name.

“HELLO, my name is Scott…?” she said, “What is that?”

“Oh, that’s the name of my company,” I smiled.

“Really? So what do you do?”

“I wear a nametag all the time.”

She furrowed her brow and tilted her head.

“Are you serious?” she chuckled.

“Yep! And I write books, speeches and training materials on approachability.”

“Ohhhhh,” she nodded. “I get it – that is so cool!”

She handed the card back to me. I thanked Susie for her help and headed out to my car.

And by the time I got back to the office, the lesson was obvious: cool names work!

Not cute. Cool.

Smart. Fun. Eye catching. EAR catching.

HERE’S WHY: In a world of infinite choice, it’s impossible for customers to keep all those company names straight.

That’s why you need to try extra hard.

Because acronyms suck.
Because nobody notices normal.
Because the world is crying for uniqueness.

SO, HERE’S YOUR CHALLENGE: when naming your company, make it cool.

And make it unconfusable.

Because creativity is magnetic.
Because monograms are NOT brands.
Because generic names generate generic business.

And what you’ll discover (especially in conversations) is that cool company names tend to follow a three-step pattern of dialogue:

FIRST, someone says, “Huh?”

But wait, this is good! Because of your cool company name:

1. You’ve surprised them.
2. You’ve broken their patterns.
3. You’ve attracted their attention.

And the best way to capture someone’s attention is to B-R-E-A-K their patterns.

What’s more, you’ve created a hint of anxiety in the air. And this is the best time to give someone new ideas.

SECOND, you articulate your company’s value.

Your USP. Your value statement. Your positioning statement.

Make sure it’s clear, concise and emotional. No more than ten words. Leave no doubt in the other person’s mind what you do and how your company delivers value.

Consider the formula described in John Jansch’s Duct Tape Marketing:

Action Verb (what you actually do)
+
Noun (target market you do it for)
+
Benefit (the result of what you do)

For example, “I teach nurse practitioners how to provide more empathetic patient care.”

JUST REMEMBER: Surprise attracts attention, but only interest keeps attention.

THIRDLY, you await the “Aha!”

At this point in your conversation, you’ve already attracted someone’s attention. You’ve already delivered your value statement.

Now comes the best part.

You’ve heard of the “Aha moment,” right?

Well, the challenge is framing your conversation in a way that supports it.

See, the only reason the “Aha!” is effective is because you FIRST got the person to say, “Huh?”

That’s the magic of these three steps, when used properly. Huh?, then value, then Aha!

THE BEST PART: when you sandwich these two emotions (Huh? And Aha!) around your value statement, three things happen to your conversation partner:

1. You become awfully hard for her to resist.
2. You become awfully hard for her to forget.
3. You becomes awfully hard for her (not) to tell other people about.

AND LET’S FACE IT: the only time companies are successful is when people are actively and positively talking about them.

SO REMEMBER:

If you break patterns, you get noticed.
If you get noticed, you get remembered.
If you get remembered, you get business.

Do yourself a favor. Get a cool company name.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s the coolest company name you’ve ever seen?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share how you reacted when you first saw it.

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Download Scott’s new book!
Right here, right now, for FREE, no strings.

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The best way to eliminate the competition is to not have any

Are you worried about The Competition?

That someone else is going to come along and steal away all your business?

GOOD NEWS! competition doesn’t have to exist.

Not if you don’t want it to.

See, if your brand is uniquely positioned in a way that’s un-comparable, un-duplicatable and un-like anything else in the market – you won’t have any competition!

EXAMPLE: let’s say you’re a marketing consultant. But you’re the ONLY marketing consultant who works solely with paint shops.

You’re thee, consultant for paint shops, not merely “a” consultant in general.

You’re FIRST and FOCUSED.

Now, if a paint shop was hoping to hire an outside advisor like yourself, here’s what would happen:

1. The two owners of the paint shop would hop onto Google.

2. They’d find your website and think, “OK, these guys look great. But before we hire them, shouldn’t we at least check out a few of the other paint shop marketing consultants?”

3. But after a few minutes they’d realize, “Huh. Well, it looks like there ARE no other paint shop consultants. Guess we better hire these guys!”

Cha-ching!

Bye-bye competition, hello new customers!

So, if you want to eliminate the competition, remember these three keys:

1. Be “thee,” not “a.” Pick a lane. Go where others aren’t. Narrow the focus of your expertise and you will broaden your appeal.

2. Be the only one. That’s the true definition of unique – the only one. You need to be able to finish the following sentence, “We’re the only company who…” or “Our website is the only one that…”

3. Be bold. Eliminating the competition isn’t for the timid. You MUST stick yourself out there if you want to get them to come to you. Don’t just be memorable; be unforgettable! Because if you get noticed, you get remembered. And if you get remembered, you get business.

Ultimately, if you practice those three keys here’s what will happen:

When your customer is seeking to hire someone like yourself, you won’t “be at the top of their list.”

Better yet, you’ll be so unique, so narrowly focused, so valuable and SO original, that your customer won’t even have a list!

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Tag: how to be that guy

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The best way to eliminate the competition is to not have any