You no longer have your name – you have your name, PLUS, what people say after it.

I realized this axiom years ago during the first few years of wearing a nametag 24-7. See, while that time wasn’t the most comfortable or productive, it was certainly the most interesting and enlightening. Probably because the idea was still evolving; and wearing a nametag was still SO organic that every day brought about exciting new moments its evolution.

By the time I graduated college, strangers began to approach me not only to ask why I was wearing a nametag; but also to ask if I was, in fact, ‘That Guy Who Wore the Nametag.’

‘Um, yeah. Yeah I am,’ I’d say. Meanwhile I’d be thinking, Wow! They already know who I am! Cool.

But it wasn’t until January 15th, 2003 that it all came clear. That was the day CNN interviewed me about my first book HELLO, my name is Scott. That was the day I officially took ownership of my unique, powerful and UNFORGETTABLE personal brand – whether I liked it or not.

I guess I just never thought that ‘someone’ would be CNN.

You see, whether or not you’re a news buff, all television interviews are the same: the screen will display the person in question, his or her full name; then below is a one-line description of that person’s job title, position or role in the featured story.

So, here’s what CNN wrote about me:

SCOTT GINSBERG: NAMETAG WEARER

It was the hardest I ever laughed in my life. Nametag Wearer? Ha! You can’t make this stuff up!

Which brings up an interesting point about branding, uniqueness and making your idea UNFORGETTABLE.

PICTURE THIS: you’re sitting at the CNN studio, ready to be interviewed about your cool new idea, company or product. After giving the producer the correct spelling of your full name, she asks you, ‘Oh, and one last thing before you go on the air in five minutes: what two or three words do you want written underneath your name?’

Two or three words. That’s how fast your personal brand must be communicated. Not just with the media, but with personal introductions, marketing materials, business cards, websites and the like. It’s a sad but true fact which reflects the rapid acceleration of our culture.

What’s more, if you can’t concisely and immediately articulate who you are and what you’re all about, one of two things will happen:

1) Someone else will communicate their personal brand and steal the show.

2) Someone else will take the liberty of communicating your brand for you. And it might not be the one you want.

For example, I was once introduced before giving speech in the following way:

‘Ladies and gentleman, I have the honor of introducing today’s speaker. Scott Ginsberg…uh…doesn’t have any credentials…but uh…I’m sure you’ll be amazed by his youth! Please welcome, Scott Ginsberg.’

I could actually hear the sound of my heart breaking as I walked on stage.

At least, I think it was my heart breaking. Then again, it might have been the sound of my credibility being crushed before an audience of 100 strangers, or perhaps it was the sound of the launching sequence of a speech I was about to totally bomb, which I did.

This is what COULD happen to you if you’re not prepared to articulate your brand.

Scott Success6
Making a name for yourself reminds me of the famous question from William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet: “What’s in a name?”

Which also reminds me of a more important question: “What’s AFTER a name?”

With that in mind, answer the following six questions. (Honestly.) And you’ll be one step closer to making a name for yourself.

In the eyes of your customers, coworkers, friends and associates…

1) What are you known for?
2) What are you known as?
3) What are you (not) known for?
4) What are you (not) know as?
5) What do you want to be known for?
6) What do you want to be known as?

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How will you make a name for yourself?

Have you ever heard the expression ‘Like winking at someone in the dark’?

It means that no matter how great your hair looks, how stylish your new outfit is, or how witty, intelligent and charming you act; if someone can’t SEE you, she’ll never get the chance to discover how wonderful you really are.

This same property is applicable to entrepreneurs. In other words, no matter how great your website looks, how cutting edge your product is, or how savvy and creative you are; if you’re not constantly visible in the eyes of potential customers, they’ll never get a chance to discover how valuable you really are.

Increased visibility gives you MORE professional success in three key areas:

MORE Credibility: people only give you credit for that which they SEE you do consistently. For this reason, you must stay in front of your customers, coworkers, advocates or associates on a monthly basis, at the least.

MORE Authenticity: every time you “appear” in print, via email or the phone, in person, even on the news – you have an opportunity to be UNFORGETTABLE. But only if people perceive congruency between your brand’s core values and the actions through which you express them. Customers and prospects need to know they’re getting the same value, the same YOU, via all touchpoints.

MORE Trust: customers choose to do business with you for three reasons: they’ve heard you, they’ve heard OF you, or someone they TRUST has heard of you. And because people buy PEOPLE first (not companies, not products, not services), your goal in increasing your visibility is to earn and maintain that trust.

This brings me to one of my favorite pieces of advice: anonymity is the greatest barrier to business success.

I first discovered this gem during a marketing workshop hosted by a guy named David Avrin. He’s known throughout the speaking industry as ‘The Visibility Coach’ who helps professionals raise their profiles and their profits.

I first met David in the halls of our annual National Speakers Association conference. When I gave him one of my business cards, he instantly loved my idea. ‘Scott, this nametag/approachability thing is genius!’ he said. ‘I wish I would have thought of that myself!’

To my surprise, a few hours later David did something incredibly nice; something incredible VISIBLE, that I’ll never forget. During his workshop called ‘Maximize Your Profile and Your Profits,’ Dave held up a copy of HELLO, my name is Scott in front of 200 people and said, ‘Does everybody know Scott Ginsberg? He’s known around the world as ‘The Nametag Guy,’ and he’s sitting right over there,’ David said as he pointed to my increasingly blushing cheeks.

‘Scott has no idea I’m about to do this, but here’s a copy of is his first book. It’s a perfect example of what this workshop is all about. And I think it’s one of the most brilliant and unique ideas I’ve ever heard of!’

Whoa. Didn’t see that one coming.

And so, when David’s program was complete, at least 20 people I’d never met came right up to me and introduced themselves! Many of them simply inquired about the reactions to wearing a nametag, while others posed questions about my books and speaking programs. All in all, David’s mere mention of my book made feel like a celebrity, albeit for a few minutes.

After the room cleared out, it was just David and me. I walked up to the stage and thanked him for his most generous gesture. He said he was happy to do it. I also thanked him for the powerful quotation during his awesome workshop.

Long story short, I ended up taking him on as my publicist. And with his help, I secured interviews on a wide variety of major media outlets. And now, thinking back to our first meeting, I know exactly why I hired David in the first place. Because after listening to him speak, I thought to myself, ‘This guy KNOWS visibility.’ And he’s helped my career tremendously.

Scott’s Success7
How’s your visibility? Could it be better? Here is a list of seven ideas to make sure you’re not winking in the dark…

1) Spend 15 minutes a day reading and posting comments on other people’s blogs. Be sure to include a link to your website at the end of your post.

2) Go through your contact database and call 20 people you haven’t talked to in a while. When they ask why you’re calling, say, “Well, today I’m calling all of my friends I haven’t heard from in a while – just to say hey!”

3) Go to Subway and drop 10 of your business cards in the Free Lunch Bowl every day for a week.

4) Go to a sit-down restaurant and leave a big tip and 2 business cards with the same waitress four days in a row. On the fifth day, go to lunch with a few customers. Sit at the same table. They’ll be impressed when your waitress says, “Hey Steve, good to see you again!”

5) Publish one article a week on any one of the hundreds of websites that accept published works from outside contributors. Don’t forget to include a short bio about you and your company at the end!

6) Sponsor a local chamber of commerce, rotary club or other civic event. Give people a handy take-home reference sheet based on your expertise. While you’re attending the event, be funny, be cool, be approachable, be UNFORGETTABLE.

7) Google yourself. Find out who’s talking about you. If nobody is talking about you, repeat steps 1-6.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Is your business anonymous?

‘I’d gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.’

Recognize those words?

Straight from the mouth of J. Wellington, aka ‘Wimpy,’ famous for his appearances in the Popeye cartoons.

Wimpy’s unforgettable character first aired in 1934. Interestingly, 70+ years later, his words still contain a nugget of truth: Tuesday is the day.

A 2007 survey conducted by Pitney Bowes revealed that Tuesday was the #1 arrival day for direct mail for three reasons:

1. It’s the lightest mail day in the U.S.

2. Having your letter delivered to a prospect on the day they receive the least amount of mail boosts your chances of the piece being opened and read!

3. Every other day in the week falls short.

HERE’S WHY: according to a related article in CRM Today, Monday is a bad day for contact because the Monday Blues will be descending and thoughts will be split between the weekend’s activities and the challenges that the week holds in store.

By Tuesday the weekend has quickly become a distant memory and minds are focused.

Any day thereafter, the mindset may be, ‘Well, I’ll deal with it next week.’

So, Tuesday is the day.

HERE’S THE CHALLENGE: what pieces do you send to prospects, customers and potential clients that are unique, memorable and persuasive?

I’m glad you asked. Here’s a list of seven ways to convert Touchpoint Tuesday into Wealthy Wednesday.

1. Event Postcard. When my St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series in 2006 (woo hoo!) I bought a box of limited edition postcards and sent them out to my top 50 prospects. On the back of the card I wrote ‘GOOOOOO CARDS!’ Half of them called me back within two days. One client even booked me to do another round of training for his hotel! Going…going…GONE!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What well-known, hometown event/holiday could you leverage to make your prospects think of you?

2. Article. If you come across an article that’s relevant to your prospect, his company or his industry, send that baby out! Emailing a link works best, although snail-mail and faxing works too. Just be sure to leave a little note (on your stationary, of course) that reads, ‘Thought of you when I saw this!’

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What publications are your prospects reading?

3. (Your) Article. Better yet, send them an article YOU wrote. If it’s online, shoot them an email with the link. If it’s in print, send a copy in the mail. If possible, use your prospect as a positive example in your article. Then highlight that section when you send it to them. Appeal to their ego.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What did you write today?

4. Travel Postcards. Every summer I spend a few weeks in Geneva, Switzerland, speaking at a youth leadership camp. One of my traditions is to stop by the local souvenir shop, pick up a few dozen postcards, grab a seat with a view of the Alps and spend the next half hour telling my prospects, ‘I wish you were here!’ NOTE: the key to this technique is to offer Social Proof. Don’t forget to ‘mention’ in your postcard that the reason you’re traveling is because you’re working with an existing client.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
When is your next business trip? To whom are you going to write home about it?

5. Mindshare. Sales isn’t about MARKETshare, it’s about MINDshare. So, complete the following sentence: ‘If my prospects saw (x), they would think of me right away.’ Now send them one.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What item immediately makes people think of you?

6. Blog Posts. Similar to emailing an article, try sending a blog post to your prospects. I do this every time I return from working with a client. I’ll blog about the speech by showing pictures and sharing stories from audience members. Sometimes my client will even comment on the post! Then I’ll email that blog post to similar prospects and say, ‘Just got back from another successful program in Pittsburgh! Thought you’d like to see a few pictures…’

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your excuse for not blogging yet?

7. Pictures. If you store your pictures online at Flickr or Photo Bucket, email the links to your prospects. CAUTION: be sure your pictures are 1) high quality, 2) professional and 3) show you doing what you do. Demonstrate value by sharing pictures of you and your existing clients laughing, having fun and working well together. Think of it as a testimonial, minus the words. Let the picture do the talking. And make your prospect think, ‘Man, maybe WE should be working with these guys!’

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Do you have pictures that show you doing what you do?

BOTTOM LINE: people who get noticed get ahead. Don’t get caught in the Normality Trap by using the same old, tired follow-up. Make your approach unique and unforgettable, and you’ll be certain to turn Touchpoint Tuesday into Wealthy Wednesday.

Wimpy would be proud.

When I receive speaking inquiries from organizations who want me to keynote their conferences or meetings, I always chuckle when I hear comments like:

‘Could you have your assistant fax me a fee schedule?”

‘Who does your booking for you?’

‘Should I call your agent find out if you have that date available?’

My response is usually something like, ‘Oh, well actually, it’s just me!’

A lot of my customers think that’s awesome. They value the ability to talk directory to That Guy. In fact, most of my clients tell me that’s one of their favorite parts about working with me.

On the other hand, some business people believe in presenting their company (website, materials, voicemail and the like) in a manner which makes them appear a lot bigger than they really are. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing; although I think people must take caution while tip-toeing on the fine line between professionalism and misrepresentation.

Then again, it depends on 1) your brand, and 2) your customers.

My brand happens to be friendly, transparent and approachable. So I have no problem posting my fee schedule on my site, for example, or telling customers that my company is a completely entrepreneurial, one-man show.

But your company might not be like that, which is cool too. If you want to appear big, go big! As long as you’re consistent with your brand and it makes your customers feel comfortable working with you, go for it.

The point I’m trying to make is this: you don’t have to BE big to do big things. The Internet has eliminated many of the barriers that once stood between you and the media, you and customers, you and other professionals. Here are three examples:

1) A blog post will attract more PR than a sending out a press release or running a full page ad in your local paper.

2) The Age of DIY (Do It Yourself) is alive and well. And it’s enabling ANYONE who has a voice to shout it from the rooftops! With the proper technology, an individual can make serious waves within (or without) a company.

3) The world cannot resist a man on a mission.

I only know this because, since I started HELLO, my name is Scott in 2002, I’ve been featured in almost every major news publication in the country, done hundreds of radio and TV interviews and been quoted as an expert on approachability in The Wall Street Journal and Cosmopolitan. And you know what? I have all the cutouts pasted around the walls of my office.

And I look at them every day. Not because I’m a big shot, and not because I’m some egomaniac, but because those are big things, and I’m just ONE guy. So I truly believe that if I can do it, you can too. Whether you’re big or not.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
In your business, does size matter?

On a daily basis, I receive at least one email from a friend, client, even complete stranger who starts his or her letter with, ‘HELLO, my name is…’

On a weekly basis, audience members from my speeches approach me and introduce and say, ‘Hello Scott! My name is…’

And every so often, friends, colleagues and strangers alike will ask me for blank nametags, write down their names and stick them on their shirts

Now, you might wonder: do encounters and jokes like these ever get old?

Heck no. After all; they’re fun, they’re friendly and they engage people!

But look closely at what’s happening here. These individuals, who may or may be joking around, are still participating in my brand. You can’t BUY that kind of marketing!

Therefore, brand participation has five key advantages:

1) Fun: participation leads to fun, which leads to comfort, which leads to approachability, which leads to trust, which leads to loyalty.

2) Believability: as the old adage goes, “If YOU say it, you believe it; if THEY say it, they believe it.”

3) Word of Mouth: customers that participate in your brand take ownership of that brand. No wonder they’re willing to actively tell their friends about it!

4) Memorability: think about three radio commercials you remember from when you were a kid. Did you sing along with their jingles? Of course you did. That’s called participation.

5) Emotional: branding is about emotion. Plain and simple. And brand participation is a combination of your visual, auditory and kinesthetic senses. It doesn’t get more emotional than that!

Can You Hear Me Now?
Think Verizon. What’s their main tagline repeated over and over in every commercial?

‘Can you hear me now…?’

Right. And how many times have you said that on your cell phone and then chuckled because you thought of the commercial?

Exactly. Because their brand is participatory.

Or take Men’s Warehouse. Ever heard one of their radio ads? They feature actual voicemail messages left on CEO George Zimmer’s answering machine from loyal customers who ‘like the way they look.’

Damn right. Because their brand is participatory.

What about you? Do you want thousands of people using your brand in their daily conversations? Do you want top of mind awareness with your customers?

If so, this guide (a la Jeff Foxworthy) that will give you a few clues.

YOU MIGHT HAVE A PARTICIPATORY BRAND IF…

during conversations your fans ‘quote’ your brand back to you

key words and phrases only used by you manage to show up in emails you receive from customers

when being interviewed on radio, TV and print media, journalists use your taglines for intros, headlines and images

strangers unknowingly vocalize your brand and then think of you

EXERCISE: grab a blank piece of paper. Fold it in half. Write all of your brand’s key phrases, sentences, taglines, words and mantras on the left side. On the right side, list all of the cliché moments, common experiences and typical situations in which ordinary people are likely to use, mention, or refer those same items. When you’re finished, you will know whether or not your brand is participatory.

Oh, and by the way: if you can’t fill out the right side, maybe it’s time to reconsider what’s written on the left.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Is your brand participatory?

1. Storage. You have all that great material already, right? Blog posts, articles, rants, whitepapers, etc. It’s time to put them together into a nicely packaged document that delivers more value. Content = useless until it’s accessible to all.

2. Reach. Sure, you could charge $7, $17 or $47 or whatever other shrewd pricing strategy you learned from those Internet marketing dudes. But if it’s free, more people are going to see it. And if your ebook ROCKS (and has some, but not too much, cross pollination of your additional services) the revenue will bounce back ten fold. Er, seven fold.

3. Differentiation. Most ebooks out there, especially the ones people charge for, suck. Very little value given. Just a teaser to get you to buy something bigger. And I’m all for using ebooks to cross-promote, but don’t chince out. Don’t give away one or two good ideas; pack it full of dozens of ideas and content that is SO good, people want more.

4. WOM. Seth Godin wrote the best-selling ebook in the history of ebooks. Funny thing is, he didn’t charge for it. At least, not if you didn’t want to pay for it. He offered people a choice: get it for free, pay a small donation, or pay full price. Your choice. BRILLIANT! More people talked about that ebook than anything else ever written!

5. Value. You’re smart. You’ve got lots of good ideas, tips, techniques and philosophies that can help others. Don’t be selfish with your knowledge. Share it with the world. Don’t worry about people stealing your ideas.

6. Fans. Your duty to your company, yourself and the people you serve is to cultivate fans. NOT customers. Fans. The people who loyally love your stuff and tell everyone about you. Free ebooks = new fans.

7. Free. Statistically speaking, research proves that people like free stuff.

8. Traffic. Kind of a no-brainer, but yes. Ebooks drive traffic. I’ve written ten of them and received more website (and blog) traffic that I can possibly keep track of. NOTE: remember, however, that ‘hits’ is an acronym for ‘how idiots track sales.’ So before you post that ebook, make sure your website ROCKS and is CONVERTIBLE. Still, the ebook will enable you drive web traffic the ‘old school’ way: content. Forget ad words, sponsored links and pay per click. That’s interruption. You need interaction.

9. Sales. I don’t believe in selling. I believe in enabling people to buy. And that’s exactly what a free ebook does. You deliver value FIRST in a manner consistent with your brand and philosophy. As a result, readers are interested, educated and excited about you. That’s why at the END of the ebook, be sure to include plenty of info about what ELSE you do. And not some ridiculous five-page sell sheet. Just a note that says, ‘Hi! Hope you learned a lot from my ebook. Actually, I’m more than just a writer. I also do these other things. If I can help you, drop me a line.’

10. Time. As an author myself, I know cranking out (real) books is an arduous process. In 2007, I’m putting out five new paperbacks. It’s not going to be easy. That’s why ebooks are a nice ‘placeholder’ for your content. You don’t have to go all the way and publish a real book per se. You can simply do the ebook, post it on your blog and wait until you’re ready for the BIG one to do it for real.

11. Testing. OK, so you’ve got these ideas, stories, tips, etc. You want to test the waters before writing a real book, right? Cool. Write the ebook, post it for free, and see what people say. Maybe you’ll get glowing emails from around the world saying how great it is! Or, maybe nobody will download it except your wife and even she’ll tell you that it sucked. Either way, you’ll have a better idea of how the market responds to your content before spending $5000 on the real thing.

12. Content. Content is king. People might forgive sub-par packaging, but they’ll never forgive crappy content. Work hard on making your ebook meaty and chunky. Like Campell’s. Full of great stuff. People LOVE that. Plus, writing a content-rich ebook will put you in the 90% percentile, since most ebooks are total fluff.

13. Authorship. Writing an ebook doesn’t make you an author. Author = actual, tangible books. However, it’s one step closer. You’ll feel like an author. And once you write an ebook (that everybody loves) perhaps you’ll be inspired to get that real book out of you.

14. Practice. I’ve written four paperback books so far. And I don’t think I discovered my true voice until the third one. So, practice doesn’t make perfect, practice makes polished. And starting with an ebook or two is going to let you sweat out some potential sub-par stuff until you get it right. The more you write, the more clear your voice becomes.

15. Credibility. Providing that your ebook gives useful, sound advice, you will be perceived as an expert. An authority. Maybe not THE expert or THE authority. But the more you write = the more credible you become.

16. Build your list. It doesn’t matter what you sell. If you’re reading this right now, odds are, you’re in the business of NAME ACCUMULATION. You need to build a following and stay in front of these people (your fans who love you) on a regular basis. Your ebook will help accomplish that. Especially if you give it away as a bonus to anyone who signs up.

17. Google. FINALLY…post that bad boy on your blog, website, myspace page and everywhere else you possibly can. Go back after 1, 3 and 6 months and search on Google. Just watch the hits come up!

Good luck. May the e-Schwartz be with you.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What’s your favorite ebook?

I have this theory that marketing and dating are the exact same thing.

(I posted a podcast about this a while back.)

Now, as a single guy (by which I mean, “not married”) I’ve been on my share of dates.

And as a marketing guy, I’ve seen my share of unique ways to spread the word about ideas, products and websites.

Not it’s time to merge the two and see what’s been learned:

1) I was once introduced to a girl named Karen by a mutual friend. She and I clicked right away. We discussed sushi. She said she “always wanted to try it.” I made a mental note. The following week I found out where she worked and stopped by her office with a little card, the front of which which had a picture of a box of California Rolls. On the inside I simply wrote, “Sushi?” and left my businsss card. I handed it to the receptionist. By the time I returned home, there was an email from Karen. She was ecstatic. We went out the next night, then dated for a few months.

LESSON LEARNED: unexpected + unique = unforgettable.

2) I’m big on gifts. Nothing fancy, just something cute to start the first date off on the right foot. More importantly, something unique. Not flowers, candy or a mixed tape. Something memorable. Now, I’d been talking to this particular girl for a few weeks. I knew that she loved (more than anything in the world) her soaps. One Life to Live, Days of Our Lives, all that stuff. So, I stopped by Walgreens to pick her up a copy of Soap Digest. I wrapped it up and had it waiting on the seat of my car when she stepped in. She almost cried when she opened it and told everyone she knew about it.

LESSON LEARNED: listen to and remember your target market’s needs, then give them what they want. WOW them on the first try, and they’ll tell everyone.

3) I’ll never forget my first night in Portland. I’d just moved in, didn’t know a soul, and wanted to meet people ASAP. My neighbor and I went to a local Karaoke Bar. We noticed a table of cute girls in the front. He said he didn’t feel like talking to them. I said I would do it. So, when one of the girls from the table went up to the bar, I approached her and asked what her friend’s name was sitting next to her. “Tammy, her name is Tammy. Are you going to sing to her?” she asked. “You’re damn right.” I put in a request for “My Girl,” and ended up serenading Tammy in front of the entire bar. I was down on one knee, substituting “Tammy” for “My Girl,” in the chorus. By the end of the night, I’d made friends with the whole table. Now, I didn’t actually end up dating any of them, but we’re still friends to this day!

LESSON LEARNED: ballsy wins the day.

4) Dating customers probably isn’t a good idea. But when this sassy redhead came into my store to buy a couch, I had to at least try. So, when I packed her order for delivery, I “accidentally” forget to include her pillow. Two days later she called the store not upset, but in this sort of playful, flirtatious, “I’m pretending to be mad, so what are you going to do about it?” way. I explained to Amber that I’d overnight her pillow right away. Attached to the pillow was a note from me that said, “I’m really sorry about the mess up. I’d be happy to make it up to you by taking you out to dinner.” We got together the next week and had a blast. Of course, this would have worked out a lot better if she wasn’t dating a player for the LA Kings. Woops.

LESSON LEARNED: recoveries from a messed up sale often come out better than your original plan.

5) After a long night of striking out with every girl we approached, my friend Aaron decided to call it quits. “No, we’re not giving up. Come on, let’s try something else,” I said. We went onto the floor all by ourselves and started dancing like complete idiots who didn’t have a care in the world. (And at this point, we really didn’t.) Before we knew it, girls were actually coming up to US and saying hello. A few hours later we ended up at a 24 hour diner on an impromtu double date. One of the girls is still a good friend of mine today!

LESSONS LEARNED: don’t sell, enable people to buy; don’t market, position yourself

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What marketing lessons have you learned from dating?

Forget cold calls.

Do away with direct mail.

And for the love of God, PLEASE stop wasting your money on advertisements.

This stuff doesn’t work.

Allow me to introduce you to your company’s greatest marketing ally: Word of Mouth.

She’s very pleased to meet you.

FACT: if you leverage, monitor and practice word of mouth through interaction, (not interruption) marketing, you win.

And you win BIG.

There’s a reason I know that. See, my entire career as an author/speaker has been built (and continues to be built) on word of mouth.

If you’re a first time reader, allow me to explain:

My name is Scott. I’m that guy who wears a nametag 24-7 to make people friendlier. (Faithfully since November 2, 2000.) I write books, give speeches and publish online learning tools that help businesspeople make a name for themselves, one conversation at a time.

Truthfully, it all started out as sort of an experiment. But after a few years, when experimental became experiential, I noticed something.

People started talking.

I didn’t ask them to. They just did.

And for a long time, I wasn’t sure why it was happening. I’m just some dude who wears a nametag! Why would anyone want to talk about that? I thought.

So I studied. I researched. Spent the next few years observing, reading books and attending seminars on the properties of word of mouth, creativity and idea stickiness.

Which brings us to today. Seven years later. (And people are still talking!)

I’ve put together a list called 12 Secrets of Sticky Ideas. As you read through them, relate them to your own ideas, products and websites. Brainstorm ways that you could increase your level of stickiness as well.

1. A nametag is INARGUABLE. It’s impossible to deny it: nametags are fun. And they work, too. Sigmund Freud wrote that a person’s name is the single context of human memory most apt to be forgotten. Sure is nice to have that handy reminder staring you in the face!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Which of your products are impossible to object?

2. A nametag is UNEXPECTED. Most people wear nametags at conventions, churches, events and meetings. But at a dance club at 10 PM on a Friday night? Or at a sushi bar for lunch in the middle of the week? Or at a wedding? That ain’t right! So, the nametag breaks people’s patterns. It violates their schemas. And that’s exactly why they notice it. Because the most basic way to get someone’s attention is to break their pattern.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What are five patterns of your target customer’s regular behavior? How could you break them?

3. A nametag is INTERESTING. In the book Made to Stick, authors Chip and Dan Health revealed that sticky ideas endure if they generate interest and curiosity. In other words, surprise is not enough. See, surprise ATTRACTS customers’ attention, but interest KEEPS their attention. Think McDonald’s sings. Think, ‘97 billion burgers sold.’

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What remarkable characteristics of your business encourage fans (not customers) to come back on a regular basis?

4. A nametag is VISUAL. Humans remember what they SEE three times as well as what they HEAR. In a situation when nobody else is wearing a nametag, it first stands out in person, then stands out in people’s minds. Thus, stickiness is about mindshare, not marketshare.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What word do you ‘own’ in the minds of your customers?

5. A nametag INSINUATES instead of IMPOSING. A nametag is non-threatening. It doesn’t force anybody to do anything. It’s just a symbol. An act of friendliness. People can choose to say hi or ignore it. No hard feelings. The nametag is there if you want it. It’s the difference between interruption and interaction. The difference between music and noise.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you interrupting or interacting with your customers?

6. A nametag is EMOTIONAL. People don’t do what they think; they do what they feel. When a stranger interacts with me because I’m wearing a nametag, that person feels playful. If they make a joke at my expense in front of ten other strangers on an airplane, they feel clever. And when they used my nametag as a memory tool, they feel relieved. Whatever the situation is, the nametag evokes some kind of positive, memorable emotion. Because ultimately, the only thing people can judge you on is how engaging with you makes them feel.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What core emotion does your company sybolize?

7. A nametag is a SOCIALIZATION. It creates encounters that otherwise would not have existed. It’s an icebreaker. A conversation starter. Not unlike the way cigarettes bring unacquainted smokers together in a group environment. It generates common ground.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How can you exponentially increase activity level and encourage community among the people you serve?

8. A nametag is SIMPLE. There’s not much to it. Nametags = friendly.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Is your idea simple enough that a five year old could understand it?

9. A nametag is RELATABLE. Everybody wears nametags at some point in their lives. Most everyone has accidentally left it on after some event. And partly everyone has exclaimed, ‘I wish everyone wore nametags!’ I can’t even tell you how many people come up to me and said, ‘Man! I wish I’d thought of that!’ And what’s funny is, they probably did. They just didn’t do anything about it. And THAT is the fine line between execution and extinction.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What existing worldview does your idea match?

10. A nametag is STICKY. I know, very funny. But I’m not just talking about the adhesive. The idea is sticky, too. Even if people don’t like it, it’s still sticky. Here’s what I mean. 90% of the people who hear about the nametag idea – from me, from others, from the Internet – respond with, ‘That’s the coolest idea I’ve eve heard of!’ On the other hand, 10% of the people who hear about my idea say, ‘That’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard!’ Interestingly, both groups still tell their friends about it. It’s just that sticky.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Do people tell their friends about your ideas, even if they don’t agree with you?

11. A nametag is COOL. Sure, cool is a difficult word to pin down, yet customers seem to know ‘cool’ products, ideas and companies when they see them. In fact, cool seems to be the most common word used to describe my nametag idea. Which is good. Customers are attracted to cool things. And they also like to tell their friends (and complete strangers!) about those cool things. Because cool rules.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
On a scale from 1-10, how cool is your product?

12. A nametag is CURIOUS. According to my calculations, over the years I’ve probably met about 100,000 new people because of wearing a nametag. And I’d say at least 50% of those people commented or inquired about nametag because they just HAD to ask. They HAD to know. So, my nametag appeals to a human’s inherent curious nature. It’s not just the ‘Aha!’ but the ‘Huh?’ that precedes the ‘Aha!’

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How often do people say to you, ‘OK, I just HAVE to ask…’?

Nobody notices normal.

Not anymore, at least.

Fifty years ago? Maybe.

But this is 2007. Our culture is crowded. It is cluttered. It is LOUD!

Creating products, ideas, philosophies and brands that are normal is like asking customers to find a needle in a stack of needles.

Here’s why this is happening:

1. The Time-Choice Paradox. There’s entirely too much stuff out there. Too many products. Too many blogs. Too many service providers. Too many options. Too many choices. And this trend creates the ultimate irony: with every new choice comes less time in which customers have to make it.

See, several decades ago, people weren’t as rushed. But then again, they didn’t have 97 kinds of energy bars to choose from.

LESSON LEARNED: the competition is fierce. Stand out or get counted out.

2. Changing Expectations. The absolute minimum of customer expectations is radically higher than it used to be. (You can thank the Internet for this one.) Think about it. The luxuries we experience daily were unimaginable fifty years ago: instant access to unlimited information, 24-7 shopping options, overnight delivery (God bless FedEx) and of course, mass-customization.

As such, customers expect to talk to you (not a machine) right now. Oh, and whatever they’re buying, they want it their way – right now. So if you can’t provide those minimum requirements, expect to hear a hearty ‘Peace out!’ from those would-be customers. Because as you learned from #1, there’s plenty of other websites they can go to. Right now.

LESSON LEARNED: match your minimum level of service to the speed and need of the buying culture.

3. Crank it Up. The cool thing about the Internet is not only its capacity to build, encourage and sustain community, but the fact that it gives anyone and everyone a voice. A platform. A soapbox. A forum. Unfortunately, the result is a mass cranking-up of the total volume of our culture. It reminds me of that scene in Spinal Tap when the guitar player keeps explaining that the volume button on his amp actually goes all the way to eleven. It’s just that loud.

Think of it this way. Your downstairs neighbor is playing her music really loud. So you play yours louder to drown it out. Then your upstairs neighbor plays his louder to drown yours out. Then his upstairs neighbor plays his louder to…

You get the point.

LESSON LEARNED: if everyone else is yelling, you must yell louder.

How to Escape the Normality Trap
Now, considering these three cultural shifts – time/choice, expectations and volume – I don’t want you to think that ‘normal = bad.’ Being normal is totally cool.

But, just remember these two things:

1. Companies, people, products and ideas that get noticed get ahead.
2. Companies, people, products and ideas that don’t get noticed get left behind.

HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS: the world is dying for uniqueness.

HERE’S THE BETTER NEWS: escaping The Normality Trap simply takes a conscious effort on your part to (consistently) make the mundane memorable.

To transform underleveraged fundamentals like voicemail messages, articles, speeches, books, businesses cards, conversations, websites, blogs and promotional materials…

…into distinctive, approachable, word-of-mouth worthy GOLD MINES.

As a result,

Instead of being Some Guy, you become That Guy.
Instead of searching for customers, you attract and cultivate fans.
Instead of trying to sell, you enable people to buy.

And that’s when THEY start coming to YOU.

They = new clients.
They = the media.
They = people who want to help.
They = opportunities you never would have expected.

So. Still thinking about being normal?

Everyone is a writer. Writing is the basis of all wealth, as my mentor says. You need to be writing (something) every single day. You can’t keep all that stuff bottled up inside. It’s not good for you. Write, write, write.

Everyone is in marketing. Your words, actions, emails and conversations are either supporting or refuting your brand. Everyone in your company is responsible for marketing your company.

Everyone is in sales. Because people buy people first. Because people aren’t loyal to companies, they’re loyal to people. Because it doesn’t matter what product or service you sell, customers buy YOU before anything.

Everyone is the CEO (of You, Inc.). Tom Peters was the first to coin this phrase. It’s been around for a good 10 years now. There are books written about it, articles explaining it, even experts who can show you how to do it. It’s no longer a fad. It’s just the way it is.

Everyone has a voice. God bless the Internet! With the advent of blogs, social networking and other virtual soapboxes, there’s no excuse for not having a forum to voice your opinion. If you want to say something, say it. Odds are, with the potential audience of billions of people, somebody’s gonna hear it.

Everyone has customers. Sure, you can call ‘em whatever you want. Clients. Members. Congregants. Children. Students. Employees. Audience members. Readers. Subscribers. Either way, everyone has customers. And customers are two things: 1) People that BUY (your products, your ideas, you as a person) and 2) People that YOU SERVE.

Everyone is a leader. I don’t know much about being a leader. But I get the feeling that just about anybody within a company or organization can be one. I once heard leadership defined by author Meg Wheatley as, ‘Anyone who is willing to help.’ That’s you!

Everyone is a manager. Even if you’re not the manager of a team, group, staff, etc., you’re still the manager of your time, life, family, priorities, choices, health, blah blah blah. Thank you, Steven Covey.

Everyone is an artist. OK, so you don’t paint. Or sing. Or create any other type of artsy fartsy stuff. Big deal! You’re still creating some kind of art every day. Hell, your life is one big work of art! And similar to the word ‘love,’ art is pretty much impossible to define. So, whatever art means to you, just remember that 1) Everyone is an artist, and 2) Let the definition of art be decided by those who make it.