Tag: scott ginsberg

Grow Bigger Ears: Keeping People on Point

“Yeah, but what does that have to do with MY problem?”
“That has NOTHING to do with our discussion!”
“Oh yeah, that’s a REAL big a help!”

Ever overheard one of those lines in a nearby person’s conversation?

Kinda makes you cringe.

THE PROBLEM IS: Those phrases are reactions, not responses.

They immediately slam the door on future communication between two people.

When someone offers limited, short, weak or odd comments in a conversation, your job as The Listener is remain objective, not judgmental.

Less confrontation, more discovery.
Less accusation, more exploration.
Less assuming, more asking.

Here’s a list of Phrases That Payses to put this principle into action:

1. Can you think of a related example?
2. I don’t see the relationship between…
3. Tell me what you mean by the word…?
4. Can you say how your comment is related to…?

REMEMBER: Listening is about keeping people on point.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your best Listening Line?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “17 Behaviors to Avoid for Effective Listening,” 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!

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 joys of emailing

If you’ve attempted to contact someone and that person hasn’t gotten back to you yet, it means one of three things:

1. He never got your email.
2. He DID get your email, but has been too busy (or forgot) to reply to you.
3. He DID get your email, but chose NOT to reply to you because he doesn’t LIKE you.

So, here’s what I suggest:

1. Send a friendly follow up email saying, “Morning Tom! I hadn’t heard back from you in a few weeks, so I thought I’d follow up. As I explained in my first email on January 28th…”

2. If you STILL haven’t heard back, send a friendly follow up email/phone call saying, “Morning Tom! Looks like it’s been difficult for us to connect lately. Now, I don’t want to be an annoyance. Still, I DO want you to know that I’m nothing less than completely professional in my follow up. So, if you would kindly pick from one of the following options:

[ ] Yes! I would love to chat on the following date: ________

[ ] Right now I’m totally slammed, so I’ll get back to you when I can.

[ ] If I get one more email from you, I’m going to burn your office to the ground.

Thanks Tom. I’ll be standing by for your decision.”

3. If, after both of these attempts, you STILL haven’t heard back, it’s highly probably that Tom doesn’t like you.

Don’t take it personally, get over it and move on.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Whom are you annoying via email?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “12 Ways to Get Customers to Open Your Email FIRST,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

* * * *

Planning your 2009 Conference? If you want The Nametag Guy, better hurry. Only 29 slots left.

Watch Scott in action here!

NametagTV: You Are What You Charge

Video not working? Click here for Adobe Flash 9.

Watch the original video on NametagTV!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you stating your fee confidently and shutting up?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For a list called, “88 Questions Every Marketer Should Ask,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

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

Satisfaction not enough?
Customers not telling their friends about you?
Want to learn how to deliver unforgettable service?

Buy Scott’s new book and learn how to get your frontline IN line!

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

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!

Three practices to ensure and insure your luck

Luck is really about two things:

1. EN-SURING, i.e., increasing the probability of something “lucky” happening to you.

2. IN-SURING, i.e., decreasing the probability of something “unlucky” happening to you.

So, attracting more luck into your life is really a sequence of events. Check this out:

1. If you want to become the luckiest person you know, you need to be in the right place at the right time.

2. If you want to be in the right place at the right time, you need to be in a lot of places.

3. And if you’re going to be in a lot of places, you’d better be prepared to leverage EVERYTHING that happens in those places.

Here’s a quick list of three practice to keep in mind:

1. Always having something to give. Philosophy cards, tip sheets, demo videos, samples … ANYTHING that delivers value and reinforces your brand! See, people need visuals. They need proof that you’re the real deal. And unfortunately, since first impressions don’t take very long, having something to give the perfect shortcut.

LUCK OUT: Be always ready to pitch on a moment’s notice.

2. Grow bigger ears. Listen (closely) to what the world is trying to tell you. Recognize when life is giving you a gift. Be on the lookout for people, situations, opportunities and locations that seem to be begging you to approach them. Especially the unusual, unexpected ones. And I know it sounds corny, but your comfort zone is not serving you well.

LUCK OUT: Stick yourself out there more regularly.

3. Ask yourself Leverage Questions. Insuring (and ensuring) your luck is about killing two stones with one bird. Constantly ask yourself questions like:

o Where will I be the most visible?
o How can I do the work once and benefit many times?
o How I make this into my own?
o How does this fit into my theory of the universe?
o Now that I have this, what else does this make possible?
o What (or who) is around you that you can use?
o What’s the movement value of this idea?
o Who else needs to know about this?
o How can you turn this around immediately?
o How could this positively affect you?

If you can keep these key ideas in your mind, you’ll not only EN-sure that your luck will increase; you’ll also IN-sure that your bad luck will decrease.

Stick yourself out there today!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you the luckiest person you know?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “61 Leverage Questions to Kill Two Stones with One Bird,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

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

Just started your company?

Tune in to The Entrepreneur Channel on NametagTV.com!

Watch video lessons on spreading the word!

The Kordell Stewart Principle

The goal isn’t to cause customers to think, “SHOULD we use this guy?”

The goal is to cause customers to think, “HOW should we use this guy?

LESSON LEARNED: How, not if.

How DRAWS more buyers.
Because options increase the probability of a sale!

How DELIVERS more value.
Because customers can match their needs with your various services!

How BUILDS more equity.
Because you’re not a one-trick pony, a commodity or a one-hit wonder!

A perfect non-business example of this is Kordell Stewart, one of my favorite football players.

Years ago, Pittsburgh Steeler radio announcer Myron Cope gave Stewart the nickname “Slash” due to his abilities as a utility player willing to play other positions such as running back, wide receiver and punter.

This meant that during any given game, coach Bill Cowher wouldn’t have to decide whether or not to use Kordell.

He only needed to decide HOW to use Kordell.

Which made him a powerful weapon on that team.

Not “if,” but “how.”
Not “if,” but “when.”
Not “if,” but “where.”

That’s equity.

Because customers LOVE having options of ways to say YES to you.

This was a major epiphany in my own business, and I adopted The Kordell Stewart Principle a few years ago.

For example, if people don’t want to hire me to speak, they can read my books, or they can watch NametagTV, or they can Rent Scott’s Brain. Hooray!

SO, HERE’S YOUR CHALLENGE: Position yourself in a way that eliminates a yes or no answer.

Now, that doesn’t mean over-saturate the buying process with TOO many options. You don’t want to be a Jack-of-All-Trades.

Just enough to diversify your offerings.

Because diversity is equity.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How many different ways are your clients using you?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “31 Questions to Turn Your Expertise into Money,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

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


No time to write?
Can’t finish that book?
Dog ate your last article?

Come to the St. Louis Writing Marathon!

No excuses. Just writing. All day.

I promise it will be the best $20 you’ll spend on your writing career all year.

Learn more at www.writingmarathon.com!

NametagTV: More Engagement, More Profits!

Video not working? Click here for Adobe Flash 9.

Watch the original video on NametagTV.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How engaged are your customers?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For a list called, “38 Ways to Make Your Customers GASP,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

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

Satisfaction not enough?
Customers not telling their friends about you?
Want to learn how to deliver unforgettable service?

Buy Scott’s new book and learn how to get your frontline IN line!

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

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!

The Four Ironies of Listening

The first irony:

Effective listeners are always in demand.
Listeners are always popular wherever they go.

And yet, most people SUCK at listening.

Interesting.

The second irony:

Listening is THE most important business skill you could possess.
Listening is the only thing you do more than breathing.

And yet, 90% of schools and universities don’t offer course on listening.

That’s odd.

The third irony:

Listening lowers blood pressure, which reduces stress.
Being listened to increases your self-esteem, self-worth and purpose.
Having a person who listens to you makes you feel more confident and boosts your immune system.

And yet, listening is the #1 complaint by customers across most industries.

Huh. Weird.

The fourth irony:

Listening – if practiced DAILY and more diligently – can change the world.
Listening – if practiced DAILY and more diligently – can attract more business, elicit greater loyalty and foster deeper solidarity.

And yet, in the history of the world, nobody’s every said, “Gee, I wish you wouldn’t listen so much!”

Wow.

So, two questions:

1. Do you think your personal and professional life would benefit from improving your listening skills?

(Good. That’s what I thought.)

2. What have you done – specifically, in the past 30 days – to improve your listening skills?

(Yeah. Didn’t think so.)

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What was the last book you read about listening?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “27 Reasons People Aren’t Listening to You,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

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

Never the same speech twice.
Always about approachability.

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

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