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What are you unquestionably committed to?
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Share an example of how you visually demonstrate that to people here!
* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]
Sick of selling?
Tired of cold calling?
Bored with traditional prospecting approaches?
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Marketing is evil.
Or at least, that’s the perception.
That marketing is dishonest.
That marketing is contrived.
That marketing is manipulative.
That marketing is interruptive.
That marketing is disrespectful.
Which, in many cases, it CAN be.
And which, in many cases, it IS.
But that’s only if you continue to call it “marketing.”
SO, HERE’S YOUR CHALLENGE: Eliminate the word “marketing” from your vocabulary.
Reframe it in a way that allows you to identify with it on a personal level.
A few examples:
It’s not marketing.
It’s STRATEGIC SHARING.
It’s not marketing.
It’s TRANSFERRING EMOTION.
It’s not marketing.
It’s TELLING A STORY.
It’s not marketing.
It’s BEING YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF
It’s not marketing.
It’s STICKING YOURSELF OUT THERE.
After all, the best marketers in the world are the ones you don’t even realize are marketing.
And I don’t count those super-slick, manipulative advertisers who sneakily pump marketing messages into every available public crevasse that leverage people’s unconscious minds against themselves.
Those people really ARE evil.
I’m talking about the people who are starting movements.
I’m talking about the people who are spreading valuable ideas.
I’m talking about the people who actually creating REAL change.
I’m talking about the people who are having fun, making the mundane memorable.
The ones you don’t think of as “marketers.”
People like Spike.
People like Jim.
People like Bob.
Yep. Those are my peeps.
LET ME ASK YA THIS…
If you could call “marketing” something else, what word would you use?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For a list called “123 Questions Every Marketer Should Ask,” send an email to [email protected] and I’ll overload you with thought provokers!
* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]
Who’s telling their friends about YOU?
Tune in to The Marketing Sharing Channel on NametagTV.com!
Watch video lessons on spreading the word!
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Watch the original video on The Frontline Channel here!
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When someone says “but,” how does it make you feel?
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* * * *
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?
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“Honey, I got fired this afternoon.”
“Wow.”
“Boss, I lost the Gregory Account today…”
“Wow.”
“Dude, I’m thinking about moving to Pamplona!”
“Wow.”
“Yes, um, your airline recently lost both of my bags!”
“Wow.”
“Wow.”
It’s a great word. A beautiful word.
It’s a complete sentence. A wonderful sentence.
And, it’s an effective way to show someone you’re listening.
For LOTS of reasons…
First, here’s what WOW is:
WOW … is a neutral term.
Because it doesn’t agree or disagree.
WOW … is a versatile term.
Because your inflection and body language shift its meaning.
WOW … is an empathetic term.
Because it exudes concern.
WOW … is a non-judgmental term.
Because it doesn’t accuse or condescend.
WOW … is an emotionally nonreactive term.
Because it’s more of a statement of observation.
That’s what WOW is.
Secondly, here’s what WOW does:
WOW … avoids over actively listening to someone.
Instead, it simply acknowledges someone’s statement and then shuts up.
And this passes the ball back into the their court.
WOW … offers an immediate answer, thus laying a foundation of affirmation.
Which makes people feel valued, validated and important.
And this is the objective of growing bigger ears.
WOW … buys you some time, until you can define your official response.
Which will come later, after you’ve heard the whole story.
And this prevents Foot In Mouth Disease.
WOW … helps you maintain composure when presented with unexpected, difficult or crucial information.
Which reduces your emotional reactivity.
And this grounds you in a non-defensive posture.
WOW … creates space in the conversation, which grants the speaker permission to continue.
Which enables healthy and honest communication to openly flow.
And this moves you both closer to a connection and a solution.
That’s what WOW does.
And it’s only one word.
It’s only one sentence.
And yet, it’s still a powerful practice for growing bigger ears!
LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What words make someone sound like a good listener?
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Share your Phrases That Payses here!
* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
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If so, perhaps I could help on a more personal, one-on-one basis.
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We had a blast at the annual “Fire Sessions” @ Brains on Fire this week. I got to share the stage with Richard Tait, creator of Cranium. Coolest CEO ever!
Spike “Wrong Way” Jones has a nice wrap-up of the conference here.
Then, I flew across the country to Seattle to work with my friends from The American Gem Society. Also awesome! And last night Vogue put on their annual fashion/jewelry show.
Eep! Those models were taller than ME!
Anyhoo, I had lots of travel time this week. Sure enough, I was able to pump out (yet another) ridiculously long list.
Enjoy!
52 Random Insights for Growing Your Business
1. Be careful of being too anxious to prove your value.
2. Be willing to walk away from every sale.
3. Be worth the price of admission.
4. Become like the companies and people you admire.
5. Brand your honesty.
6. Build an asset so attractive that buyers will come looking for it.
7. Build things worth noticing.
8. Clearly define what you are a steward of.
9. Create a product people can easily become obsessed with.
10. Develop a system for dealing with customer complaints.
11. Discover whether or not this is your own thinking.
12. Do something you would do for NOTHING.
13. Don’t do stuff that doesn’t need to be done by anyone.
14. Don’t tune out the moment you realize it doesn’t apply to you.
15. Enable customers to purchase your experience.
16. Figure out what is SO YOU, then do that. (Thank you, Greg Cordell!)
17. Figure out who has your money in their pockets; then find a way to get it into your pockets.
18. Find a job that people couldn’t pay you NOT to do.
19. First, increase your character. THEN your talent.
20. Hang with people whose thinking sparks your own.
21. Help people recall their high performance patterns.
22. Help your customers build their businesses.
23. Help your customers do your marketing for you.
24. Identify the types of situations that bring out the best in you. Revisit them regularly.
25. If you want to be a great writer, just leave out the parts people skip.
26. Keep histories of your creative initiatives.
27. Learn marketing from musicians. Those dudes are smart.
28. Learn what people treasure.
29. Let experiences change you.
30. Listen for your own ego in your words.
31. Make adding value part of your daily lifestyle.
32. Make it easy for customers to complain.
33. Make your customers smarter.
34. Multitasking is usually disrespectful.
35. Muster the courage to turn away business.
36. Never let ‘em see you coming.
37. On a daily basis, empty yourself of yourself.
38. Please the people who are attracted to your vision.
39. Profit from every experience.
40. Put lots of free samples of your work out there.
41. Put more decisions in the hand of your customers.
42. Quietly start things.
43. Reading books isn’t enough. You have to study them and live them.
44. Recognize threats to your ownership.
45. Reduce the possibility of being proved wrong.
46. Reduce your customer’s perception of risk.
47. Refuse to associate with people who sap your enthusiasm.
48. Return your calls faster than your competitors.
49. Send yourself to your room.
50. Show people that their feelings are legitimate.
51. Take note of whom and what consistently makes you happy.
52. Test your organization for its responsiveness.
– – –
That’s it.
Have a perfect weekend!
LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What are your three BEST pieces of “Business Growth” advice?
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Share ’em here!
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Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]
If they can’t come UP to you; how will they ever get BEHIND you?
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While pounding some spicy tuna hand rolls @ Whole Foods recently, I noticed this comment board.
VERY cool. Six service lessons to be learned…
1. It’s handwritten. So, it’s personal. It’s human. It’s approachable. It shows that someone (actually) took the time to read the comment and write out an answer.
What’s more, this proves that Whole Foods respectfully treats their customers as PEOPLE. As HUMANS. Not numbers, statistics or a means to an end. Just people.
So, consider these three questions:
o What, specifically, are you doing to earn your customers’ trust?
o What, specifically, are you doing to earn your customers’ loyalty?
o How are you using handwritten materials to reinforce the human touch?
2. It demonstrates listening. Which gives the perception that there is a respectful collecting of opinions.
So, it demonstrates that, unlike a lot of companies, Whole Foods actually listens to their customers AND takes their ideas serious as potential suggestions to improve their company.
So, consider these three questions:
o How are you publicly demonstrating your willingness to listen?
o How are you allowing customers to participate in your brand?
o What innovations do your customers initiate?
3. It’s transparent. I like that the store is willing to (publicly!) admit to their mistakes. That they don’t know everything. That they screw up from time to time.
This is MUCH better than some anonymous comment box, one of those annoying web forms or a private 1-800 number where customers leave messages that never get heard. No. It’s actually public for the entire world to see!
So, consider these three questions:
o Are you willing to admit to your ignorance?
o How often do you publicly admit to your mistakes?
o How are you VISUALLY reinforcing your authenticity?
4. It builds employee accountability. If you look closely on the cards, team members actually sign their names under each comment! This keeps them accountable AND allows them to take ownership of their problems.
So, by sticking themselves out there, employees are making themselves open to criticism as well as positive feedback. This enhances their courage, which helps them grow thicker skin.
So, consider these three questions:
o How often do your employees put themselves on the line?
o How do your employees take ownership of customer problems?
o Is what you’re doing today going to bring this customer back tomorrow?
5. It demonstrates a question-friendly environment. So, here’s what happens: A complaint goes up on the board. An employee answers.
But then, OTHER customers start to notice the comment board. And as a result, they are granted permission to voice their own concerns. This leads to more feedback. Which leads to more employee/customer communication. Which leads to improved service.
So, consider these three questions:
o How are you making your customers smarter?
o Do you have a Comment Box or a Question Box?
o How are you creating an environment that enables, supports and rewards authentic dialogue?
6. It helps the store find out where they suck. Complaints are gifts. Opportunities to get better in areas you can’t recognize when you’re on the inside because you’re too close to the problem.
And, not only does this make it easier to complain, but creates a system for handling complaints.
So, consider these three questions:
o How do you find out where you suck?
o What’s your system for handling complaints?
o How are you making it easy for customer to complain?
LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What other companies do stuff like this?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your examples here!
* * * *
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!
LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What word do you own?
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For a list called, “24 Questions to Discover Which Word You Own,” send an email to [email protected] and I’ll hook you up!
* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Coaches? Consultants? Bah!
How about a professional listener and creative midwife?
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I get that question a lot.
And I’m not sure why.
I guess when (some) people meet an author, that’s the first piece of information they’d like to know.
Maybe it’s curiosity. Maybe it’s an accountability measure.
Or, maybe some people are just SO annoyingly attached to numbers that they simply REFUSE to stamp your creative passport until they’ve been given scientific evidence of your success.
Either way, I’ve never really liked that question.
Which is why I usually answer it the same way every time:
“I have no idea how many copies I’ve sold.”
Now, interestingly, some people are REALLY surprised when they hear that answer come from an author.
Like Marty, the guy I met in Starbucks yesterday. Apparently he’d read an article in our local paper about one of my books.
So, naturally, he just HAD to ask.
And when I offered my standard answer, here’s how he responded:
First, he furrowed his brow.
Next, he chuckled slightly.
Then, he asked:
“Well, Scott … I mean, shouldn’t YOU – as a small business owner – um, like, KNOW how many copies you’ve sold?”
“Well, that depends,” I replied.
“First of all, you’re operating on the assumption that ‘number of copies sold’ is how I measure my success as an writer … which it isn’t.
See, for me, success (as a writer) is a function of a few questions:
1. Am I having fun while writing?
2. Are people enjoying my writing?
3. Is my writing contributing to the world?
4. By writing, am I validating my existence as a human being?
If so, great! That means I’m successful. No matter how many copies I’ve sold. It’s about detaching yourself from numbers and outcomes.”
Marty nodded in agreement.
But then (as I stood taller on my author’s soapbox!) I expanded on my answer.
“Also,” I continued, “‘number of copies sold’ is basically an irrelevant statistic IF you practice the philosophy that your book isn’t really a book.”
“Hmm,” he replied. “What do you mean?”
“Well, here are two examples:
First of all, sometimes a book is nothing more than a really expensive marketing tool for your business.
Because you KNOW that writing a book adds value for your existing clients, and also delivers value to attract new clients.”
Marty nodded.
“Now, that doesn’t mean ‘write a book with ZERO substance that does nothing more than cross-sell your other products and services for 130 pages,’” I clarified.
“Ha! Riiiiight…” Marty chuckled.
“Because a lot of authors do that,” I said.
“But that’s not what it’s about. It simply means reframing your definition of the word ‘book.’ I mean, I could certainly call my printer and a get a rough number; then again, I give away so many free books, it would be IMPOSSIBLE to know how many copies I’ve sold!”
“Got it,” he replied.
“Now, here’s my second example of ‘a book not being a book,” I said.
“See, other times, is book is nothing more than a tool for enhancing credibility, legitimacy and expertise. After all, when I started my company, I was 22 years old! Do you really think ANYBODY would have taken me seriously if I didn’t have a book?”
“Yeah, that’s a good point,” Marty replied.
“So, anyway, that’s my long-winded answer to your question. Sorry for the rant!” I laughed.
“Nah, that’s cool!” Marty said.
“Yeah,” I concluded, “I guess there’s just a common misconception when it comes to the topic of ‘number of copies sold.’”
“Well, thanks for explaining it to me. I guess I never thought of it that way,” Marty admitted.
“No problem. In fact, thank YOU for asking! I think I might go home and write a blog post about our conversation.”
LET ME ASK YA THIS…
As a writer, how do you measure your success?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For a list called, “100 People (Not) To Listen To,” send an email to [email protected], and I WILL listen to your request 😉
* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Not a consultant, coach or therapist.
I’m just someone who listens and challenges your thinking so you can grow your business.
Rent Scott’s Brain today!
LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Who needs a real job?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Go play a joke on somebody today 😉
* * * *
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.
You’re not a salesperson.
You’re not a consultant.
You’re not a therapist.
You’re not a blogger.
You’re not a writer.
You’re not a coach.
You’re a RESOURCE.
An individual who possesses a valuable supply of (something) that can be readily drawn on when needed.
A resource.
Get. That. Through. Your. Head.
See, when you position yourself as a resource, four things happen:
1. You BECOME the Go-To Person.
2. You DELIVER unique, consistent value.
3. You ESTABLISH mindshare with the people you serve.
4. You ENHANCE your approachability people come BACK to you.
Sound good?
Cool. Here are five daily practices for positioning yourself as a resource:
1. Blog. Once you’ve been blogging steadily for a year or two, you’ll start to accumulate a powerful intellectual asset. And especially if you’ve tagged, titled and categorized your posts strategically, it will be quick and easy to find the right posts at the right time. That way, you could leverage past posts as resources in several ways.
For example, you could…
a. Send emails with relevant links to prospects and clients.
b. Post a “Best Of” list that links to a variety of posts on the same topic.
c. Write an ebook, special report or whitepaper as a compendium of related posts.
2. Catalog. If you’re an avid reader, (and if you’re not, you’re NUTS) a great suggestion is to take a weekend to catalog your personal success library. Sure, it might be a tedious process. But once you’re finished, you’ll not only be more organized, you’ll also be able to use your books as resources for others in a variety of way.
For example, you could…
a. Pull a few key ideas from each book and create a master quote list.
b. Write out a summary document for your Top 20 Favorite Books and start a lens on Squidoo.
c. Create a “Reading for Success” list to pass along to clients, colleagues and coworkers. Use it as a Call To Action at the end of your articles or blog posts, i.e., “For a list of my top 100 books of all time, send an email to…”
3. Introductions. My friend Arthur is the ULTIMATE resource. At the end of every lunch, coffee or brainstorming session we have, he’s always got a list of five people I need to call. Or email. Or get in touch with.
It’s great! And every time he does that, it makes me FEEL great, too. What about you? Are you the kind of person who leaves people with a solid to-do list?
If not, try these incorporating these types of “introductions” into your resource practice:
a. Every Monday morning ask the question, “What two people do I know that need to meet each other?” Send out one email intro every week.
b. Every time you attend a networking event ask the question, “How many referrals can I give while I’m here?” Shoot for five.
c. Every first of the month ask the question, “What two people do I know that I can bring together with for a brainstorming lunch?” They’ll love you!
4. Links. Constantly update and refresh your list of links to articles, blog posts, stories, pictures, videos and clippings that relate to your specific area of expertise. Keep a running list that includes each link AND the type of person (or actual person) who would benefit from reading it.
Then, when you send it out, use Phrases That Payses like:
a. “Thought of you when I read this!”
b. “Hey, isn’t this your main competitor?”
c. “I hope you’ve seen this before – it directly relates to your bottom line!”
5. No’s. If a prospective customer shows interest in your products or services, but you discover you’re NOT the right person or company to help, never say (just) no. Say “No, although I know someone who CAN help you…” That way, you’re still marketing. You still look like the hero. And you’re still associated with the solution to their problem.
And hey, you never know: they may come back in the future when they ARE the right type of customer for you!
Try verbiage like this:
a. “I’d prefer to decline than do a poor job. However, my friend Paul would be the PERFECT guy for you to contact. His website is…”
b. “Although our company probably isn’t the right fit for your project, you may want to try calling some of our friendly competitors at…”
c. “Although I’m certain I could be of (some) assistance, there IS a company that specializes in your type of problem called…”
– – –
REMEMBER: If you want to be That Guy, position yourself as a resource.
LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How are you positioning yourself as a resource?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For a list called “153 Quotations to Inspire Your Success,” send an email to [email protected] and I’ll send you the list for free! (See, now THAT’S how you position yourself as a resource.)
* * * *
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.