101 Lessons Learned in 2007

Don’t forget to read the other ridiculously long lists in this series:
101 Ways to Create a Powerful Web Presence
123 Questions Every Marketer Must Ask

And now, for today’s ridiculously long list:
101 Lessons Learned in 2007

1. Art doesn’t come from you. It comes through you.

2. ASK YOURSELF: Are customers asking for products and services you DON’T have? What does that tell you? And what are you doing about that?

3. BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF: If you stopped advertising, would anybody even notice?

4. Be quick, but don’t hurry.

5. Cause people to learn it on their own.

6. Cherish your alone time.

7. Clone yourself through teaching others.

8. Compete only with yourself.

9. If you don’t set clear boundaries for yourself, people will set them for you. And then they will violate them. And, most likely, it will be YOUR fault.

10. Create consistent opportunities to demonstrate emotional reliability.

11. Create your own market.

12. Create your own personal security system.

13. Develop an unusual desire to excel.

14. Don’t create a piece of art. Contribute to an ongoing body of work.

15. Don’t “target market.” Reverse it. Concentrate on making yourself into a giant bull’s-eye. If you want to learn how use Reverse Target Marketing, send an email to [email protected] and I’ll tell ya!

16. Don’t set goals that are TOO ridiculous. You may end up adopting an unrealistic standard of evaluation for yourself.

17. Develop a relationship with your own mind.

18. Distrusting change = distrusting the universe.

19. Don’t be an expert; be a trusted advisor.

20. Don’t be satisfied with your first ideas.

21. Don’t count on your customers to connect the dots.

22. Don’t dilute your integrity with thoughtless commitments.

23. Don’t give away the (informational) farm. Offer exclusive content.

24. Dreams make decisions easy.

25. Every single day, your environment gives you small nudges.

26. Everything communicates something.

27. Everything you do should lead to something else you do.

28. Evidence of low trust is everywhere.

29. Figure out where others failed.

30. Get old; don’t think old.

31. The best salespeople don’t sell; they solve and help.

32. The best way to break the rules is to (not) know they ever existed.

33. Get over yourself.

34. Global is the new local.

35. He who talks next, loses. State your fee confidently and shut up.

36. Help people get beyond their misconceptions.

37. Help people see the beauty in things that are not pretty.

38. I’d rather say no than do a poor job.

39. If customers like you, they’ll find a way to buy from you. If customers don’t like you, they’ll find a way NOT to buy from you too.

40. If the first lie requires a second lie, don’t do it.

41. If they’re laughing, they’re listening.

42. Improvisation takes years of practice.

43. It’s OK (not) to shoot all your bullets.

44. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

45. Keep your material fresh.

46. Know what you DON’T know.

47. Learn to thrive in many environments.

48. Look for every possibly opportunity to reduce uncertainty.

49. Love the work more than what it produces.

50. Make it easy for customers to complain.

51. Make the choice to make choices.

52. Mission is higher purpose; vision is long-term aspiration.

53. Most people do not know what you do.

54. Most people do not know who you are.

55. Never let anyone make you second-guess yourself.

56. Nobody can stop you from learning.

57. Nobody can take away what you’ve become.

58. Not risking is the ultimate risk.

59. People don’t care what you sell, the only care what you can change.

60. People respond to simple.

61. People take their cues from you.

62. People want the HOW.

63. Perpetually hunt for insight.

64. Prove to people that you’re not going away.

65. Put yourself into situations where you have neither mastery nor control.

66. Questions are investments in human capital.

67. Questions are the basis of all cooperation.

68. Questions are the basis of all creativity.

69. Recognize threats to your ownership.

70. Refuse to check your personality at the door.

71. Refuse to define yourself by others’ assessments.

72. Register every possible permutation of your website URL.

73. Rehearse the future.

74. Risk today’s time for tomorrow’s benefit.

75. See things incorrectly.

76. Shtick gets you in the door, but only substance keeps you in the room.

77. Small business isn’t a category; it’s a lifestyle.

78. Speak up at the slightest sense of discomfort.

79. Stay over yourself. (See #33 for how to do this.)

80. Stop cursing the darkness. Strike a damn match and make something happen.

81. Stories aren’t just remembered; they’re retold.

82. Study people’s minds.

83. Take a laugh break.

84. The best way to drive your competition crazy is to just be really, really successful.

85. The farther your ideas go, the more your business will grow.

86. The listener controls.

87. The more you notice, the more you can do.

88. The only thing worse than somebody stealing your idea is NOBODY wanting to steal you idea.

89. The theater of the mind is sometimes better.

90. The two ways to become more successful: become BETTER at doing what you do; and/or start doing MORE of what you do.

91. Transparency quickly strips people of their defenses.

92. Walk more than you talk.

93. We live in an “It’s Not My Fault Culture.” So, stop evading responsibility. You always have a choice.

94. When? Now! Who? You!

95. Writing is subconscious absorption.

96. You grow bigger ears by biting your tongue.

97. You will never have all the facts.

98. You won’t know when your client has stopped trusting you.

99. Your greatness will (eventually) shine.

100. Your mind works for you.

101. Your primary task is to diffuse defensiveness.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What were your Top Ten Lessons Learned from 2007?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Post your list here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Life Coaches? Bah.

No systems. No formulas. Just someone who listens, asks KILLER questions and facilitates creative breakthroughs.

Rent Scott’s Brain today!

14 (Random) Keepers to Mold Your Melon, Secure Sales and Build Boundaries

Every have a bunch of random thoughts you need to get out of your brain and onto the page?

Me too.

So, here’s a list of 14 things I’ve been thinking about lately. Bon appetit!

1. Always think on paper.
2. Art comes through you, not from you.
3. Do everything creatively.
4. Do experiments everywhere.
5. Let experiences change you.
6. Premature organization stifles creative generation.

7. Customers become comfortable when YOU are comfortable.
8. The goal is to get them to learn it on their own.
9.. The listener controls.
10. Everything communicates something.
11. Foster customer activity.
12. Other people who do what you do have already miseducated your customers.
13. Help people get beyond their misconceptions.

14. Recognize threats to your ownership.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What are your three random thoughts of the day?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Post them here! (Also email them to me at [email protected] – I’d love to hear from ya!)

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Coaching, schmoaching.

No systems. No formulas. Just someone who listens, asks KILLER questions and facilitates creative breakthroughs.

Rent Scott’s Brain today!

How to be a Wordsmith, Part 1

Are you a Wordsmith?

Someone who loves to explore and research the TRUE meanings behind the words people use every day?

If so, congrats! You’re one step ahead of everyone.

Because word exploration is GOLD.

For learning.
For research.
For branding.
For satisfying your curiosity.
For expanding your expertise.
For enhancing your creativity.
For clarifying your understanding.
For changing (and challenging) your thinking.

Even if you don’t like to write, read or do research, becoming a Wordsmith actually creates value for you AND your customers.

PICTURE THIS: you’ve been given the task to come up with a new company slogan. And just for fun, let’s say you’re in the waste removal business.

Let’s go through five Wordsmithing techniques to help clarify your understanding of the subject:

1. Etymology. Always begin with the word’s derivative. It’s usually Latin, but whatever language it comes from, this technique will open your eyes to the true meaning of the term.

For example, the etymology of the word “garbage,” derives from an Anglo-French word meaning “refuse.”

Hmmm. Interesting. Maybe your tagline could say something like, “What your dog won’t chew, our company won’t refuse!”

It’s silly, but it’s fun! And the creative process is just beginning.

2. Books. Whatever industry you’re in, you need to have read every book ever written about that industry.

For example, if you go to Amazon and search for “garbage,” you’ll find books like:

o Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash, by Elizabeth Royte
o Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage, by Heather Rogers
o Rubbish! The Archeology of Garbage, by William L. Rathje

I’m not even IN the garbage business, and I kind of want to read those books.

REMEMBER: there are always at least three books written about everything. Expand your expertise regularly. You will become a better-educated authority and a more valued resource to the customers you serve.

3. Google. Every time I work with new company, I always make it a point to google their one-word industry category when preparing my talk. Then I usually show a screen shot of the search results during my slideshow.

It’s amazing what comes up first.

For example, I was working with Verizon’s call centers. I discovered the first hit on Google was a Wikipedia page. It indicated the most common complaints of call centers, according to a worldwide study.

During my speech I asked the audience, “Anyone ever googled ‘call center’ before?”

Not a single hand went up. Interesting.

What about you? Have you googled YOUR job title lately?

4. Articles. Speaking of Google, another great resource is to do a search on your word (in this case, “garbage”) along with the word “article.”

This will bring up every published article on, about and connected to garbage.

Just for fun, I did a search on garbage while writing this article. And I learned something pretty cool.

DID YOU KNOW: Joseph Longo, from Bristol, Connecticut, has built a career around uniting trash and tech?

That’s right! According to the article from PopSci.com, he’s known as “The Prophet of Garbage.” Joseph Longo’s Plasma Converter turns our most vile and toxic trash into clean energy—and promises to make a relic of the landfill.
Sweet.

If I had a client in the garbage business (which, strangely enough, I actually do), this is the kind of stuff I’d want to know.

5. Definitions. Although it’s sort of cliché to say, “Webster’s dictionary defines ‘garbage’ as…” there’s still validity in this Wordsmithing technique.

What’s more, it’s amazing how many businesspeople don’t know the TRUE definition of the industry in which they work.

OK, back to garbage again. If you look up that word on dictionary.com, you’ll find several definitions.

I happen to like this one the best: “Garbage is anything that is contemptibly worthless, inferior, or vile.”

Wow.

(I disagree, seeing as how I’ve made an entire career out of a nametag I saw in the garbage!)

Who knows? Maybe a definition like that will spark the creative impetus you need to make a marketing breakthrough!

HERE’S THE POINT: Ultimately, googling, researching and exploring words probably won’t get you promoted. It probably won’t change your life. And I doubt it will make you any more money.

But.

When you take the time to explore a single word, a word that summarizes the entirety of your industry, it could only…

Help you learn.
Help you understand.
Help you be more creative.
Help you start to think differently.

So take a few minutes today to become a better Wordsmith.

And next time you see your garbage man coming around the corner, tell him I said what’s up!

(To read Part 2 of this series, click here.)

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What Wordsmithing techniques do you use?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Post your ideas 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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9 things people don’t care about

1. PEOPLE DON’T CARE … how good you are.
They care how good you’re going to help them become.

2. PEOPLE DON’T CARE … what you’ve done.
They care what you’ve learned, and how those lessons can help them.

3. PEOPLE DON’T CARE … what you can’t do.
They care what you CAN do.

4. PEOPLE DON’T CARE … what they hear you say.
They care what they SEE you DO.

5. PEOPLE DON’T CARE … what you do for a living.
They care what you’re passionate about.

6. PEOPLE DON’T CARE … if you’re having a bad day.
They care how you’re going to help them have a better day.

7. PEOPLE DON’T CARE … about price.
They care about value, convenience and risk.

8. PEOPLE DON’T CARE … about your company.
They care about the problems your company can solve.

9. PEOPLE DON’T CARE … about being apologized to.
They care about answers, solutions and resolutions.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What three things do YOU think people (don’t) care about?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Post your list here!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Enjoy this post?

If so, perhaps I could help on a more personal, one-on-one basis.

Rent Scott’s Brain today!

25 words that were recently added to the dictionary

I just think stuff like this is interesting.

Kind of a neat mirror of our culture.

According to Webster’s, these are some of the words that were added to the dictionary last year:

1. bada-bing
2. beer pong
3. belly-up
4. bling
5. breakout
6. Central Casting
7. cross-training
8. de-pants
9. Disneyfication
10. drive-by
11. gay-friendly
12. gross-out
13. hard-ass
14. ill-deserved
15. liposculpture
16. looky-loo
17. low-rent
18. microbrowser
19. off-label
20. Photoshop, v.
21. run-and-gun
22. self-harming
23. self-selecting
24. telemeeting
25. Wi-Fi

(Number 8 is my favorite!)

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What three words would you like to see added in 2008?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Share your words 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.

Rent Scott’s Brain today!

It’s never too early to begin…

It’s never too early to begin
… basting that turkey.

It’s never too early to begin
… being really, really successful.

It’s never too early to begin
… being useful to the world.

It’s never too early to begin
… bending the ears of smart people.

It’s never too early to begin
… building word-of-mouth into your ideas.

It’s never too early to begin
… career exploration.

It’s never too early to begin
… chronicling your adventures and lessons learned.

It’s never too early to begin
… contributing.

It’s never too early to begin
… creating a positive context for your life.

It’s never too early to begin
… developing a professional portfolio.

It’s never too early to begin
… developing yourself.

It’s never too early to begin
… financial education.

It’s never too early to begin
… getting really, really smart.

It’s never too early to begin
… giving back.

It’s never too early to begin
… giving money.

It’s never too early to being
… journaling your thoughts.

It’s never too early to begin
… laying the foundation of self-preservation.

It’s never too early to begin
… managing expectations and outcomes.

It’s never too early to begin
… meditating.

It’s never too early to begin
… networking.

It’s never too early to begin
… planning for International Talk Like a Pirate Day.

It’s never too early to begin
… retirement planning.

It’s never too early to begin
… teaching kids about character.

It’s never too early to begin
… thinking about internships.

It’s never too early to begin
… thinking about usability.

It’s never too early to begin
… validating your existence.

It’s never too early to begin
… writing out your goals and dreams.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Finish this sentence five times: It’s never too early to begin…

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Post your thoughts 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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Things I’ve recently unlearned, part 1

The only thing cooler than learning is UN-learning.

Changing past programming.
Reconditioning your brain.
Rethinking old-school assumptions.

So, here’s a list (part 1 of 3) of some things I’ve recently UN-learned:

1. Don’t create FOR. Not for anyone or anything. Just create. Detach from outcomes. Be autotelic, not exotelic. And stop trying to label everything. Just do stuff for the purpose of doing stuff. Do it because you love doing it.

This will lower your inhibitions and enable your natural creativity to flow organically.

Heck, you’ll probably create some pretty cool stuff in the process.

And eventually, (hopefully), the “for” will appear on its own. It will be a nice added bonus when someone wants to buy your work. (However, even if they don’t, at least you enjoyed making it!) It’s a win-win.

2. Don’t get, CAUSE. Whether it’s sales, management, creativity or facilitating a group discussion, don’t “get” people to buy. Or listen. Or participate. Or ask questions.

Instead, cause them to do so. Maintaining a “get” mindset creates a pushy attitude.

“Causing,” on the other hand, sounds a lot less threatening.

3. Don’t make your website scream, “Hey! Look at me!” Instead, make it scream, “Here’s exactly what you were looking for!”

I’ve recently realized how the user-generated, “My” Culture created by Google, YouTube and Tivo proves that THEY (meaning customers) call the shots. Not us. (Thanks for this one, Seth Godin)

4. Effective speakers don’t always have to speak. This isn’t just about making powerful pauses; this is about audience engagement. After all, their combined knowledge is probably greater than that of the speaker.

And ironically, the longer amount of time a speaker has to speak (one hour vs. half-day session) the LESS the speaker should be speaking. Weird.

5. Environment, not people. You can’t control people. You can only manage the environment in which they interact.

So, your challenge is to create a healthy, organic, friendly atmosphere that is conducive to whatever you’re trying to accomplish.

(Read part 2 of this post here!)

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What three things have you recently UN-learned?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Post them here!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Enjoy this post?

If so, perhaps I could help on a more personal, one-on-one basis.

Rent Scott’s Brain today!

Eat dessert first

I speak at a lot of conferences.

Naturally, I often find myself seated at meals with strangers.

And naturally, I often find myself face to face … with delicious pieces of cake.

See, at most conferences, the banquet staff is instructed to place the dessert on the table before the meal starts.

I’m not sure why they do this. Probably just to tempt people.

Anyway, I’ve always had kind of a sweet tooth. So, I usually snag my piece of cake as soon as I sit down and dig right in.

AND HERE’S THE WEIRD PART: every time I do this, the other people at the table almost always react strangely.

They look at me like I’m crazy. Or they laugh. Or they stare.

And I’m like, “What?”

“Are you eating your dessert FIRST?”

“Um, yyyyyeah … is that a problem for you?”

“No, it’s just that you don’t usually see people doing that.”

Hmm. Now why do you think that is? I wondered.

Right. Because that’s what we’ve ALWAYS been taught: dessert comes last.

And, look. Here’s the thing: I don’t choose to eat my dessert first so I can get attention.

I just REALLY love cake.

So, what fascinates me is that people don’t make comments in a reprehensible tone, but rather in an astonished tone.

Like they can’t believe someone just did this!

“Psst,” they chillingly say to the person next to them, “that guy’s eating his dessert first!”

I don’t know. I guess some people are just SO shocked when they see a mainstream pattern being broken, they can’t help but be taken aback.

Because there’s just too much dissonance.

For example, I sat down to lunch after a recent speech in Chicago.

And the dessert looked AMAZING: Chocolate Mousse with Oreo crust and peanut butter whipped cream.

Seriously, how do you NOT eat that first?

So I started eating it. And a few bites in, the guy across the table starts starring at me.

And after a few seconds, do you know what he did?

He grabbed his cake and started eating it too!

ALAS! THE ONCE INSURMOUNTABLE BARRIER OF CONFERENCE DESSERTS HAD BEEN CONQUERED.

And then, this was the best part. I swear to God, I’m not making this up:

The woman next to me grabs her cake.

She takes ONE bite, savors the deliciousness and then grabs my arm and says:

“Scott … thank you for giving me the courage to eat my dessert first.”

For real. In the most sincere tone possible, she actually said that.

So, here’s my question:

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What lessons does this story imply?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Post them here! And then go eat some dessert.

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Are you a friend of The Nametag Network?

Read more blogs!
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Download articles and ebooks!
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Voted Best Buffet!

I was strolling down the Reno strip this week when I noticed an interesting pattern.

Lots of buffets.

Every hotel had one.
Every street corner had one.

AND HERE’S WHAT STRUCK ME: they were all voted #1.

Seriously. It seemed like every restaurant I passed had a sign that read, “Voted Best Buffet!”

And it made me wonder:

1. Voted Best Buffet … BY WHOM?
A sample of 1000 customers? Zagat? CitySearch.com? The guy who owns the place?

ASK YOURSELF: How do you measure “best”?

2. Voted Best Buffet … WHERE?
In the world? In Reno? On Main Street where there’s only two other competing buffets?

ASK YOURSELF: What’s your territory?

3. Voted Best Buffet … FOR WHAT?
“Best” could mean a lot of things: Best Buffet for the money? Best Buffet for Kids? Best Buffet for drunken college students at 3 AM?

ASK YOURSELF: Who’s your target customer?

4. Voted Best Buffet … WHEN?
This year? Last year? Back in 1987?

ASK YOURSELF: What have you done for me lately?

Think of it this way. Imagine two billboards:

1. “Come to Harrah’s! We’ve got the buffet around!”

Or…

2. “Come to Bally’s! Voted #1 Reno Buffet for Kids, Zagat 2006!”

Which one would YOU eat at?

Exactly. The second one.

And here’s why:

Specificity = Credibility
Specificity = Persuasion
Specificity = Approachability

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How vague is YOUR marketing?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Next time someone claims to be #1, ask them, “Says who?”

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Are you a friend of The Nametag Network?

Read more blogs!
Rent Scott’s Brain!
Download articles and ebooks!
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Make a name for yourself here…

How to use an open book to open a conversation

Looking for a GREAT way to start a conversation with a stranger?

(Without talking about the weather, traffic or the long line you’re stuck in?)

Try making a reference to the book they’re reading.

It’s easy. It’s approachable. And it’s a great way to discover the Common Point of Interest.

NOTE: before you do this, remember a few ground rules:

1. If the book addresses a controversial, dangerous or potentially awkward topic, don’t do it. This could backfire BIG time. (Especially books like The Kama Sutra and 101 Ways to Murder Complete Strangers on Airplanes.)

2. As with any approach to a stranger, first take note of the person’s posture and non-verbals. If she doesn’t look receptive to casual conversation, don’t bother her. People’s personal bubbles deserve respect. Waiting until the reader takes a break is usually a good time to jump in. That way you’re not interrupting.

OK! Now that you’ve decided to say hi, here are six ways to use an open book to open conversation:

1. How do you like The Da Vinci Code so far? A positively framed, open-ended question. Gives people permission to open up.

2. I’ve heard that book is great! What do you think? Also positive AND compliments their taste.

3. You’re lucky to be reading that book; I just finished it and could read it again! Excites them about their book.

4. Excuse me; I was actually thinking about buying that book. Would you recommend it? Appeals to a human being’s inherent helpful nature. What’s more, it’s kind of hard to get shut down with this approach.

5. So, what’s the best thing you learned from that book so far? Good for non-fiction and business books.

6. Don’t you just love Norman Vincent Peale? Who doesn’t?

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How do you use open books to open conversations?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
Try one of these today!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag

Are you a friend of The Nametag Network?

Read more blogs!
Rent Scott’s Brain!
Download articles and ebooks!
Watch training videos on NametagTV!

Make a name for yourself here…

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Tag: totally random stuff

101 Lessons Learned in 2007

14 (Random) Keepers to Mold Your Melon, Secure Sales and Build Boundaries

How to be a Wordsmith, Part 1

9 things people don’t care about

25 words that were recently added to the dictionary

It’s never too early to begin…

Things I’ve recently unlearned, part 1

Eat dessert first

Voted Best Buffet!

How to use an open book to open a conversation