Tag: kicking your own ass

Sticky Note Your Way to Success, Part 3

This is the final post in this series. Read Part 1 and Part 2 first if you haven’t already!

To quickly summarize, the following motivational, thought provoking questions are to be written with a big fat Sharpie on a sticky note and posted in your office, car or bathroom.

WARNING: this exercise may lead to incredible success.

1. Did you get their email address? Many marketers would agree that all businesspeople are in the “Name Accumulation” business. Whether or not you send out a newsletter, your email list of contacts is probably the most important and valuable resource you will ever own. Be sure to expand it regularly.

2. Did you listen twice as much as you talked? My dad once told me, “Scott, you have two ears and one mouth. Talk and listen proportionately.” This sticky note is a perfect way to keep your phone conversations accountable.

3. Did you look at your goals today? I don’t need to remind you how few people actually do this on a daily basis. It’s an absolute must. It takes less than five minutes. Be sure to examine both personal and professional goals.

4. Does everyone you know know what you DO? For a living, that is. What you do as a professional, for companies, for customers. Be sure your positioning statement clearly defined and posted where everyone can see it. And if a stranger asks your aunt Patty what you do for a living, ask yourself: will she do your business justice?

5. Does everyone you know know what you’re DOING? Right now, current news and projects, upcoming events. Do you have a calendar, rss feed or “upcoming events” section of your website and ezine? Are people anticipating your arrival?

6. Does everyone you know know what you’ve DONE? Past clients, past successes, whom you worked with, how you helped them. How many testimonials do you have?

7. What did you learn today? Just to be sure you’re always practicing life long learning.

8. What mistake did you learn from today? My mentor William Jenkins always said, “We learn not from our experiences, but from intelligent reflection upon those experiences.” Be sure to make mistakes often.

9. What rules did you break today? One of my goals is to break a rule every day. Nothing illegal. Nothing harmful. But by breaking rules, you are training your mind to develop an attitude of creativity, boldness and action. These small rule-breaking instances are going to accumulate and expand. Eventually, you will start thinking about the bigger picture of your career and life. The status quo. The standards. The boxes the world tries to put you in. And you will learn that Rule Breakers rule.

10. What would Grandma say? When I worked in college radio, my station manager always stressed the Grandma Rule: if you can’t say it to your Grandma, don’t say it on the air. The same rule goes for phone, email and other channels of communication. Keeping it clean never hurt anyone. Try inserting the word “Grandma” after something you’ve just said to a customer. See if it sounds acceptable.

11. Who did you refer this week? The best way to get unsolicited referrals is to give them first. Just imagine if you referred one person a week. By helping others get what they want fist, the results will come back to you tenfold.

12. Who did you WOW today? Make it your goal to delight, WOW or blow away one customer a day. After a year, that makes about 250 customers. And each of them will probably tell at least 5 other potential customers. That makes 1,250 people a year. That’s a lot of wowing.

13. Why do you love your job? A lot of audience members ask me if I love my job. My response is, “You couldn’t pay me NOT to do this job! And the day I no longer love it, I’ll quit.” So, keep looking at this reminder on a daily basis. And if you get to a point where you can’t answer it, perhaps it’s time to rethink your job situation.

14. Would you write that on the front page of The New York Times? This is an old technique. I’ve read about it in various business books over the years. Similar to the Grandma Rule, it keeps you moderately clean. What’s more, this powerful visualization technique helps you think big. Interestingly, 10 years ago it wasn’t as relevant. But not, it’s absolutely possible. One thought posted on the web from your living room could instantly be seen by millions of people across the world. Potentially, you’re only one blog post away from the front pages of the Times. Careful what you write. The Internet is forever.

15. Who did you meet today? In order to exponentially increase your activity level, setting an Encounter Quota is a great technique. Decide how many new people you’d like to meet every day (or week) and hold yourself accountable. After all, if people buy people first; and if people do business with their friends; and if people only do business with you because they’ve heard you, heard of you, or someone they trust has heard of you, doesn’t it just make sense to make friends with everybody?

16. Who did you give your business card to today? Similar to the last example. Consider setting a Card Quota. Even if it’s dropped in a sub shop bowl, stuck on a bulletin board or left on the counter, or given to someone in person, this stuff works. Especially if your card is cool. Of course, if your card isn’t cool, get a new card before you try this quota thing.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How do you self-motivate?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Post your 3 best sticky-note success statements here!

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

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Small Ideas = Big Business, Part 3

(To read part 1 of this series, click here!)
(To read part 2 of this series, click here!)

Soda Jerk
Virginia. 1880’s. The characters were: 1) A mischievous young employee at the neighborhood soda fountain, 2) The local doctor who owned the soda fountain, and 3) His beautiful young daughter who drove that boy crazy.

Seeing little future in the lives of the two lovebirds, Doc fired the boy.

Heartbroken, he moved to Texas. But he took with him a unique skill of discovering new fountain drinks by mixing shots of several existing flavors. One afternoon, he found one he liked. Actually, it was one that EVERYONE liked. Including a famous beverage chemist who just so happened to sit down at his counter that very day.

For lack of a better name, patrons dubbed his drink “Dr. Pepper,” teasing the young fountaineer about his long distance girlfriend and her overbearing father.

I’m sure he was laughing too. All the way to the bank!

CREATIVITY TRIO
1. There’s no better creative inspiration than a broken heart.
2. You never know who’s sitting at your counter.
3. Whatever people make fun of you for, find out how to use that to make money.

A Lot Riding on You
Charlie was a curious and inventive 21 year old. Early in his career, he received a government grant to make rubber mailbags. But he found little success. The material melted in hot temperatures.

He worked long and hard to make ends meet. He was imprisoned for non-payment of debts. People called him a crazy man. Living in squalor, Charlie barely could afford to feed his family. Unhappy with their living conditions, his wife finally forbade him from any further experimentation.

Like a typical man, Charlie didn’t listen to her. And on a February morning in 1839 when his wife had gone to the market, he began kneading a batch of rubber over the kitchen stove. Upon her unexpected return, he hastily heaved the batch into the hot stove.

A few moments later he retrieved the charred rubber from the burning pot.

And the rest was history.

It felt like leather. It looked black like sulphur. And it appeared to have the strength to withstand cold and hot temperatures.

On that day, the rubber tire was born. And for Charlie and his family, you could say it was definitely a “good year.”

CREATIVITY TRIO
1. Listen to everybody or listen to nobody.
2. Haste doesn’t always create waste.
3. If everybody says you’re out of your mind, you just might be onto something.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Creativity is cool, huh?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Post your own “Creativity Trio” here!

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

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Small Ideas = Big Business, Part 2

(To read part 1 of this series, click here!)

Cha-Ching
In 1882, John Patterson’s retail store was losing money. Unfortunately he couldn’t handle all the transactions himself. There was no way to stop money from leaking. He was headed for bankruptcy.

Then he heard about a strange device being used in Dayton Ohio. It actually enforced the correct recording of daily sales! After incorporating one of these crude machines into his order process, his store began to show a profit. Patterson then wondered, “If this machine is good for a little store in Ohio, wouldn’t it be equally good for stores everywhere?”

Damn right it would. Ever heard of the “cash register” before?

CREATIVITY TRIO
1. Ask yourself, “What if everybody had my product?”
2. You can’t control every part of your business
3. Ohio is the birthplace of, like, everything.

Nice Mustache
Gail was 54 years old when he received his patent for condensed milk. However, the way he came to invent the product was more out of frustration than creativity.

In 1851 he was heading back home from a trip to London. Several of the train’s compartments stored cows in the back to provide fresh milk for the many infants on board. However, the rough terrain made many cows sick. The result: they gave no milk.

Naturally, the babies on board started crying. A lot. Borden because so upset that he walked straight up to the captain and declared, “I promise you this. Someday I will develop a milk that can be carried anywhere in the world!”

Over 150 years later, Borden’s produces billions of food packages a year to over 200 countries worldwide.

CREATIVITY TRIO
1. Pissed off people are good at changing things.
2. Ask what other medium your product could be delivered in.
3. Cows are people too.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Creativity is cool, huh?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Post your own “Creativity Trio” here!

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

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Sticky Note Your Way to Success, Part 2

This is a continuation of last week’s popular post, Sticky Note Your Way to Success, Part 1.

To quickly summarize, the following motivational, thought provoking questions are to be written with a big fat Sharpie on a sticky note and posted in your office, car or bathroom.

WARNING: this exercise may lead to incredible success.

5. What did you write today? Every time a new friend or client comes to my office, this is the first thing they usually notice. You can’t miss it. I wrote it at the top of my dry erase board last year when I began writing my latest book, Make a Name for Yourself. And since then, it’s worked brilliantly. I have no choice but to stare at it all day! As a result; I haven’t missed a day of writing in a long time.

I suggest this question to everyone. NOTE: you might be saying to yourself, “But Scott, I’m not a writer!” My response to that is, “Everyone is a writer.” Just because you don’t write books or publish a column doesn’t mean you’re not a writer. There’s blogging, publishing newsletters and writing emails. All writing. All valuable. All done daily. Remember, writing is the basis of all wealth.

6. Is everything you know written down somewhere? That which goes unrecorded goes unmemorable. You must write everything down. Everything! Goals, thoughts, lessons learned and especially ideas. For example, how many times have you exclaimed, “Damn! I wish I’d thought of that!” Well, I have some bad news for you: you probably DID think of that. You just didn’t write it down. And that’s why someone else is making money off that idea, not you. Write everything down.

7. On a scale from 1-10, how did I do in my (x) today? Since the day I graduated from college, I’ve been practicing something called “Daily Appointments with Myself.” This 30-60 minute period of morning reflection and relaxation is THE most important part of every day. It resets my attitude, clears my head and prepares me for challenges and opportunities ahead.

One of the key components to this daily appointment is my Success Checklist. I suggest you make one for yourself. Simply write out this question for every major area of your life, both personal and professional. Relationships. Goals. Career. Faith. Health. Whatever you want. But here’s the secret: give yourself an honest assessment of how well you think you did in each area for the day before. Use these numbers to keep record of your improvements over time.

8. What HVA’s did I practice today? That stands for “Highly Valuable Activity.” Your goal is to accomplish three per day. Now, what you consider to be a HVA is up to you. Examples might include meeting with a prospect, writing an article, going to the gym, reading a new book or attending an association meeting. After a while, those numbers start to add up. 3 per day. That’s 21 per week. 84 per month. 1,018 per year. Wow! With that many Highly Valuable Activities, you’ll be certain to achieve your #1 goal for 2007!

9. What’s next? Back in the day when I used to sell furniture, my boss would post little sticky notes all around the store asking this two word question. According to Pam, it kept her employees on task. Especially when business was slow. “What’s next?” reminded us that there was always something to do: sweep, rearrange couches, follow up on special orders or study the new product catalogues. What’s more, this question works for small things and big things alike. Asking, “What’s next?” on a big-picture scale is a valuable brainstorming acitivty to evaluate the growth of your business.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How do you self-motivate?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Post your 3 best sticky-note success statements here!

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

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Sticky Note Your Way to Success, Part 1

There’s no such thing as a motivational speaker.

Not even Tony Robbins, Zig Ziglar, Jim Rohn, Norman Vincent Peale or Napoleon Hill were motivational speakers.

Sure, those were five highly motivated dudes. And sure, those guys definitely spoke about the topic of motivation.

BUT REMEMBER THIS: the only person in the world who can motivate you is YOU.

As an author, speaker an entrepreneur myself, I’ve become skilled at self-motivation.

See, I work alone. No boss. No coworkers. No clock-in box.

Just me.

And in my experience, self-motivation works best under three conditions:

1. When it’s visual
2. When it’s daily
3. When it punches you in the face

I’ve found self-questioning to be an extremely effective technique. First of all, it makes you think critically and creatively. Secondly, it keeps you personally accountable. Lastly, questioning is THE most valuable tool in your communication arsenal to gain knowledge and clarity.

NOTE: before I share my list of questions, I need you to stop reading this blog for a minute.

Would you do something for me? Please go grab a stack of sticky notes and a thick marker. When you read through the list, write each question on a sticky note and post it on your desk, computer, phone or bulletin board. This is key. It’s the best way to make these questions work to your advantage. You need to be able to see these self-motivators all day.

OK. Go get your supplies…NOW! (Don’t worry; I’ll wait. It’s not like I’m gonna go anywhere. Besides, I don’t even have a boss, remember?)

Cool. Welcome back! Let’s get crankin’ with those questions:

1. Is what I’m doing today going to bring this customer back tomorrow? There’s no business like repeat business. And even when you say no, you’re still marketing. So be sure your words and actions are unforgettable. In the process, you will turn your customers into “fans.” Cultivate and cherish these people who loyally love your stuff. Enable them to tell everyone about you, and they WILL come back tomorrow.

2. If everyone did exactly what I said, what would their world look like? This is my all-time favorite. Especially for managers and leaders, this question helps you clarify your philosophy, mission and orders. The key is, once you figure out the answer to this question, then ask yourself the following: “Is what I’m doing or saying giving my people the tools they need to build that world?”

3. Is what I’m doing right now leading to a sale? Poor time management and lack of focus are dangerous adversaries to all business people. Asking yourself this question keeps the idea of sales at the top of your mind. I first posted this sticky note on my laptop about three years ago. Sales have doubled every year since.

4. Is what I’m doing right now consistent with my #1 goal? This question forces you think critically about your primary objective. Sadly, to few businesspeople actually know what theirs is! In fact, I bet if you asked ten random people what their #1 goal for 2007 was, only about half of them would have a definitive answer for you. So, what’s yours? Doubling annual revenue? Achieving membership into the 100% club? Securing five new accounts a week? Whatever your #1 goal is; use this sticky note as an accountability measure. If the answer is yes, keep doing what you’re doing. If the answer is no, stop playing online poker and do something productive.

(5 more questions coming next week…)

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How do you self-motivate?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Post your 3 best sticky-note success statements here!

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

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Small Ideas = Big Business, Part 1

So I just came across a book from 1959 called Ideas That Became Big Business, by Clinton Woods.

It was a buck. How could I not buy it?

I finally finished it today. And it might be the most fascinating book on creativity I’ve ever read.

Ever.

Among Woods’ 100+ examples, nine stories stood out in my mind.

Each had several valuable lessons within. This will be the first in a four part post called Small Ideas = Big Business.

The Soil is Too Rich!
In the late 1830’s, a master mechanic and blacksmith relocated from the rocky-soils of New England to the rich farms of Grand Detour, Illinois. Once he set up shop, he noticed his business primarily repaired the plows of discouraged farmers. After interviewing a score of his customers, he discovered the problem: overly fertile farmland. While it was easy to cultivate, it was not so easy to stop the soil from clinging to the plow.

One day that mechanic visited a local sawmill. The reflection from a shiny broken saw blade caught his attention. Mindful of his frustrated farmers, he wondered: “If I can somehow reshape the blade and form it to the plow, I wonder if it would clean itself as it cut the sod?”

Shortly thereafter, he formed his first – and the world’s first – steel plow.

That mechanic’s name was John Deere.

CREATIVITY TRIO
1. Listen to the complaints of your customers.
2. Find their pain, be their Tylenol.
3. Consider reshaping your design for alternate uses.

Iron Mine or Bust
Swedish miner Carl Wickman faced a problem. Between his mining town of Hibbing and the nearby iron range was a four-mile stretch of unpaved highway. Unable to make ends meet, he started using his own car to haul miners on short trips for fifteen cents a pop.

Soon, word spread throughout the mining town about this new transportation system. Business became so overwhelming that Carl invited a friend to help out. They worked day and night. Eventually, competition arose. And soon, other entrepreneurs began to haul groups of people for up to 90 miles, which, in 1915, was a long way. Then, in 1921, intercity busses were created. Painted gray and appearing slim and trim, they were forever dubbed “The Greyhounds.”

CREATIVITY TRIO
1. Choose a name that’s so obvious and memorable, customers could figure it out by simply looking at your product.
2. Ideas that spread win.
3. If people are copying you, you’re doing something right.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Creativity is cool, huh?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Post your own “Creativity Trio” here!

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

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The World is a Mirror, Part 16

A is for ATTITUDE
B is for BREAK PATTERNS
C is for CONSISTENCY
D is for DISCIPLINE
E is for EVOLUTION
F is for FRIENDLINESS
G is for GOOD WITH NAMES
H is for HAPPINESS
I is for IDEAS
J is for JOY
K is for KNOWLEDGE
L is for LAUGHTER
M is for MUNDANE
N is for NAMETAGS
O is for OFF BUTTON
P is for PAINT YOURSELF INTO A (GOOD) CORNER

A while back someone from my audience asked, “But if you wear a nametag all the time, that means you have to, like, be nice to everyone!”

Well, technically, yes. But is that such a bad thing?

See, today is day 2,227. That’s like, seven years! And lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of “Painting Yourself into a (Good) Corner.”

According to the Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms, to “paint yourself into a corner,” means the following:

• To do something which puts you in a very difficult situation and limits the way that you can act
• To do something that takes away all of your choices

As you can see, this idiom is usually expressed in a negative light.

But does it have to be? Is painting yourself into a corner always bad?

I say no. And let me give you a few examples…

My girlfriend drives a pink car. It’s pretty much the sweetest ride you’ll see on the road.

Anyway, Jackie tells me that since she repainted her Tib, she’s actually become a better, more responsible driver.

“Well, yeah,” Jackie explained, “If I cut someone off, they’ll shake their fist at me and say, ‘Damn that girl in the pink car!’”

So, she’s painted herself into a good corner. And Lord knows we could always use more responsible drivers out there!

Tattoos are another great example.

Let’s say someone gets a peace sign inked across his ankle.

Don’t you think he’d be less likely to walk around getting into bar fights?

(FYI, if you haven’t had the chance to see the greatest tattoo in the world, brace yourself and look here.)

Another example: what if someone gets the word “hope” tattooed across her chest? Think she’d slump around all day with woe-is-me posture and depressed eyes?

Not likely. Or at least, not AS likely.

See, if you tattoo something on your body, that baby is for-ever. Plus, you wouldn’t have gotten inked unless you were: a) seriously committed to the message behind the ink, or b) really, really drunk one night in college.

And so, a tattoo paints someone into a good corner because if that person acts in a manner inconsistent with the message behind the tattoo, either he (or someone who sees the tattoo) will question his integrity.

Therefore, the solution to all of the world’s problems is simple: everyone should wear nametags and get tattoos.

Just kidding.

But methinks this IS a step in the right direction.

So, if our society wants to achieve higher levels of personal accountability, integrity, authenticity, blah blah blah, it would be wise for each person to find his or her own way of painting themselves into a good corner.

Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s a pink car waiting outside to take me to breakfast.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How do you paint yourself into a good corner?

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

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25 gems I’ve learned about goal setting

I’m no expert on goal setting, but 2006 has been the best goal setting/goal achieving year EVER. Thought I’d share 25 of the gems I’ve learned…

1. Brian Tracy, one of the world’s foremost experts on setting and achieving goals, explains the following fact: less than 3 percent of Americans have written goals, and less than 1 percent review and rewrite their goals on a daily basis. Which means if you’re doing both, you’re WAY ahead of the game.

2. Whatever your present goals are, they’re too low.

3. Read your personal and professional goals every morning.

4. Create a Vision Board and look at it every morning. A vision board is a collage of pictures that represent your accomplished goals, as if they’ve already happened. Creative visualization. Forward thinking. This stuff works.

5. Tell your goals to other people. This keeps you accountable.

6. Make a list of 101 goals. It’s tough, but this exercise will change your life.

7. In your bathroom, put post-it notes of your goals on the mirror. Personal on the left, professional on the right. That way, you HAVE to look at them twice a day.

8. Set daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals.

9. Every week, make yourself a list called “Criticals.” These are your Top 5 Goals for the Week. If you can accomplish these every week, you will also achieve your larger goals over time.

10. Every single day, perform three Highly Valuable Activities. They don’t have to be business, per se. From “working out” to “writing an article” to “meeting my new client in person,” these small things will accumulate. Think about it. 25 a week, 50 weeks a year, that’s 1,250 a year. Wow.

11. Each year, have one major, HUGE goal. Let’s say it’s: “I will make 1 million dollars this year.” Write the term “one million” on a bunch of post it notes. Put them all around your office.

12. Buy a little bell and ring it every time you accomplish a goal, big or small.

13. If a bell’s not enough, create some form of victory dance. Now, you don’t have to do an actual dance (although Snoopy had a great celebration dance), but something that rewards you for a job well done. Me, I like to go out for sushi.

(And now for Scott’s Favorite Goal Setting Tip…)

14. Put a little card by your desk that says, “Is what you’re doing RIGHT NOW consistent with your #1 goal?” I did this a few years ago and it absolutely kicked my goat setting into high gear.

15. My friend once bet me $20 that I would achieve my yearly revenue goal. I took the bet. By August, I had already passed it. So, I took a twenty-dollar bill, framed it, then wrote on it: “Thanks for helping me achieve my goal!” He loved it. (I just hope he never has to break the glass to spend it!)

16. What people don’t realize about goals is that they have to be VISUAL!!!

17. Be specific and put a timeline on all of your goals. It dramatically increases the possibility that they will be accomplished. For example, “I will weigh no more than 195 pounds by December 14, 2006.”

18. When you list your goals, also list the following: barriers that will stand in my way of achieving that goal, people that will help me with that goal and reasons I will accomplish that goal

19. Begin with the end in mind

20. Hang out with other people who set, share and accomplish goals. If the people you see the most aren’t in that small percent of the world that writes their goals down, either MAKE them do it, or get new friends.

21. Have a goal partner. The two of you share updates on progress, goal accomplishments and anything else relating to goals.

22. The best weekly goal tip I ever got was to divide my time into 5 sections: to do, to contact, to see, to read and to write. If I could cross everything and everyone off that list by the end of the week, I was successful.

24. Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, authors of Chicken Soup for the Soul talk about setting one BHAG, or “Big Harry Audacious Goal.” What’s yours?

25. And lastly, don’t just share your goals with a few people. Share as many of your goals as possible with as many people as possible.

You know, I think the real reason all this goal stuff has been on my mind is because I FINALLY read Paulo Coello’s The Alchemist. (By the way, if you are in any way involved with goal setting, read that book TODAY.)

Anyway, the keystone of his message is the following: when you know what you want, the world will conspire to help you achieve it.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What are your three best goal setting tips? Post them here.

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

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The best swimmers are always in the pool

I used to be a Toastmaster.

It was the greatest. Top ten best things I ever did for my speaking career. And although I only had the chance to attended meetings for about six months, I still recommend the organization to everyone.

Even non-speakers. Especially non-speakers.

Why? It’s the perfect tool for networking, enhancing self-confidence and becoming a better communicator. Plus, it’s really fun.

During one meeting in late 2004, I spoke with a man named Les. He was a veteran of the organization, but told me that he still came every single week.

When I asked why he said: “Because the best swimmers are always in the pool.”

I never forgot that. The best swimmers are always in the pool.

That’s you: the swimmer.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your pool and how often are you swimming?

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

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31 little things that make a BIG difference

1. Google Alerts. These keep me in the know of my key areas of study. Additionally, they enable me to monitor of where my name, articles, blog posts and books show up around the world, especially on the Internet.

2. May I Ask Who’s Calling? For years I’ve been telling receptionists, “Yes, tell Mr. Jackson it’s The Nametag Guy.” I’m still amazed at what a great first impression this makes.

3. Answering the Phone. Again, for years I’ve answered my phone from unknown numbers: “HELLO, my name is Scott!” People love it.

4. Dates. Not just remembering them, but going out of my way to remind people of the exact dates of when specific stuff happened. Sure, I might sound like RainMan, but: specificity = credibility.

5. Pictures on each blog post. It looks prettier and increases readability. Plus I’ve got some great pictures (as you can see.) Plus few bloggers actually do this.
6. Thanks You Notes. I send them to my clients, handwritten, of course, right after we complete our project. Postcards, too. No letters. People don’t have time for letters.
7. Trash the PC. PC’s suck. And everyone knows it. Buy a Mac.

8.Music while writing. Every morning when I sit down at 6 AM to start writing, I always listen to music. I used to do it to drown out the dogs, now I just do it because of habit. But it truly fosters concentration and enhances creativity. I suggest any of Morphine’s albums. Best band ever.

9. Creativity Books. There must be hundreds of them out there, and whenever I read a new one, my mind starts coming up with great stuff.

10. Pictures. I take pictures of everything: speeches, friends, new cities I travel to, everything. Then I post them on Flickr. Then I share them with the world. Then people see me “doing what I do.” Are people seeing you do what you do?

11. Smiling for three seconds. Not just every time I walk into a room, but especially when I get on stage. Three seconds. Before I say a word. It’s amazing how that captivates an audience. Smile = silence = WOW.

12. State your fee and shut up. It’s hard to do, but it works. Even if you have to wait 10 seconds for a response.
13. Don’t sell; enable people to buy. My entire marketing philosophy is built around this idea. Thanks, Alan Weiss.

14. Ask, Why Me? To customers, to the media, to everyone. You must find out what you did right so you can repeat it in the future.

15. Even when you say no, you’re still marketing. Thanks, Seth Godin.

16. Typos. Each of my books has a few. And I really don’t care. Once I got over that, I realized: success isn’t perfection. Thank God.
17. Signing each book personally. It takes like two seconds, and people remember it forever. Plus they can get a higher bid on Ebay.

18. Be funny early. In conversation, in books, in articles, in speeches, whatever. Humor disarms people and lubricates their digestion of your message.

19. My Pleasure. What can I say? I worked at the Ritz. I can’t even bring myself to say, “You’re welcome.” My Pleasure just sounds better.

20. Double sided business cards. Depending on the nature of my conversation with someone new, I’ll either give that person my business card backside up (the side with the nametag) or front side up (the side with the books). Two very different purposes for each one.

21. I don’t know what that means. This sentence shows that you’re truly listening, that you care to learn more and that you don’t know everything. People love to hear it. Try it. It works!

22. I need your help. Another great sentence that appeals to the helpful nature of service professionals. By starting a conversation in this way, you are 10 times more likely to get better service.
23. Emailing complete strangers back in 2 minutes. It’s no big deal to me, but for some reason, it is to them. Cool.

24. Breathing exercises. I do them 10 times a day. In through the nose for 4 seconds, hold for 7, out for 8. Repeat 4 times. See ya, stress. And thanks, Dr. Andrew Weil.

25. Lists. Easier for me to write, easier for you to read, easier for everyone to remember. Viola!

26. Bold face, short sentences, short paragraphs, line breaks, italics. It’s amazing how many writers don’t utilize key structural stuff like this. It sure makes the writing more readable.
27. Starting sentences with words like “and” & “because.” Conversational. Breaks the rules of grammar. Hey, screw spell check!

28. Eye contact with specific people in an audience for 1-3 seconds. Makes them feel like you’re talking to them personally. Which you are. Thanks, Toastmasters.

29. One extra second. Of eye contact when you shake someone’s hand, say hello or say goodbye. Thanks, Bill Clinton.
29. Delicious, digg and “email this to a friend.” Major web traffic increasers. (See bottom of post)

30. Free books. I have no idea how many books I’ve sold, and frankly, I don’t care. All I know is, I’ve given a LOT of them away for free, and never regretted doing it a single time. It makes people’s days. Especially if you sign it. And it’s gotten me a lot of business and even more publicity.

31. Autographs. Speaking of signing books, check this out: whenever I don’t know what to write, I sign my books, “You’re a great kisser!” or “Thanks for saving my life!” You should see the reactions I get. Especially from men. More importantly, you should see how many other people my readers then show their books to. Nice.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What little things do you do that make a big difference?

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

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