You might be the best communicator in your office.
You might be the greatest conversationalist at your company.
You might be the warmest, friendliest, most approachable employee around.

But none of that matters if your coworkers aren’t in a state of receptivity.

You could have the fastest service in the industry.
You could have the slickest sales pitch on the streets.
You could have the funniest, most polished and engaging PowerPoint slides around.

But none of that matters if your customers aren’t in a state of receptivity.

HERE’S THE REALITY: You can’t make people listen to you.

You can only make an effort to raise their receptivity so your ideas have the highest probability of getting through AND getting understood…

THIS BEGETS THE QUESTION: What does it look like to be in a state of high receptivity?

Ask Robert Lefton, founder of Psychological Associates. In his famous book, Leadership Through People Skills, he spends at least half the text exploring this topic.

“Low receptivity is the refusal to allow ideas through a mental barrier that is set up to shut them out,” says Lefton. “And you have virtually no chance of communicating with someone whose receptivity is low.”

“As such, you (also) have virtually no chance of doing any of the things that depend on communication: motivating, training counseling, sharing ideas, discussing, debating, considering alternatives, weighing options or soliciting ideas.”

IN SHORT: No receptivity = No nothing.

It’s like talking to a brick wall. Sure, you THINK you’re communicating. But in reality, you’re just wasting your time. And the wall’s time.

There HAS to be a willingness to work with the other person. As Lefton suggests, “Your success depends on your ability to raise the level of receptivity and make willing partners out of unwilling people.”

Today we’re going to explore the attributes of receptive (and unreceptive) people. And as we go through the continuum, I’m going to challenge you to plug yourself into both sides of the equation to maximize your approachability.

FIRST: Spot signs of low or declining receptivity.

Lefton’s laundry list of low-receptivity behaviors includes:

Belligerence. Flat assertions. Impatience. Interruptions. Sarcasm. Silence. Apathy. Inattention. Nervousness. Meandering. Excessive socializing. Superficial questioning. Unquestioning agreement.

Now, since his book was written in 2000, I would also add to the following behaviors to the unreceptive list:

Checking email. Sending text messages. Listening to their iPod while you’re trying to tell them how badly they screwed up.

SO, ASK YOURSELF: What about this person’s behavior tells me that he isn’t open to what I’m trying to communicate?

SECOND: Spot signs of high or rising receptivity.

Next, here’s a list of high-receptivity behaviors:

Qualifying their assertions or arguments. Showing that her mind is not made up by questioning her own viewpoints. Thoughtful agreement. Involvement and non-belligerent debate. Pertinent questions.

Again, since Lefton’s book is a few years old, I would also add to the following behaviors to the receptive list:

Sitting up straight. Making eye contact. Holding a digital recorder, blank notebook and seven brand new pens.

SO, ASK YOURSELF: What about this person’s behavior tells me that she IS open to what I’m trying to communicate?

Ultimately, eloquence, logic – even well thought out arguments – are no substitute for receptivity.

I don’t care if you’re Dale Carnegie.

No Receptivity = No Nothing

REMEMBER: You can’t make people listen to you.

You can only make an effort to raise their receptivity so your ideas have the highest probability of getting through and getting understood.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How will you increase the probability of your ideas getting through?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “7 Ways to Radically Raise the Receptivity of Those You Serve,” send an email to me, and you get the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

If they can’t come UP to you; how will they ever get BEHIND you?

Buy Scott’s new book and learn daily practices for becoming a more approachable manager!

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

People think my parents are crazy.

Which, if you think about it, kind of makes sense.

Because when someone hears my story, one of the first questions asked of my parents is:

“Wait, you let your kid wear a nametag everyday? Are you INSANE?”

And usually, my parents just laugh. They get this question all the time. Hell, it’s been nine years.

But the cool part is the way they respond to it.

Actually, I remember I first time I told my parents about my crazy idea.

November 23rd, 2000. Thanksgiving dinner table.

“Mom, Dad … I want to wear a nametag everyday for the rest of my life!”

Once they reattached their jaws, believe it or not, the first word out of their mouths was, “Cool!”

Well, at least that was the first word they said out LOUD. I imagine the silent dialogue sounded a little more like, “What drugs is our son taking?”

So I guess it’s not surprising that people think my parents are crazy.

Of course, that’s not accurate.

Although I might be insane, my parents aren’t. Actually, they’re like, the most levelheaded, down to earth, smartest parents anyone could ever ask for.

Why?

Because they trust me.

They always have.

Since DAY ONE of wearing a nametag – in fact, since day one of turning 18 – they’ve always attended to me with this attitude of, “Scott, you’re an adult now. We’ve done everything we possibly could to instill in you a foundation of love and respect and character. And because we trust ourselves, we now believe that you will trust yourself. And so, if you really want to wear a nametag everyday, well, I guess there’s nothing we can do to stop you.”

Of course, that was usually punctuated with, “But you’re not REALLY gonna do this all the time, are you?”

“Yeah, I really am,” I’d shrug.

And they’d just smile.

So, Mom and Dad, today I wish you a Happy 35th Anniversary.

Thanks for staying married.
Thanks for trusting your own resources.
Thanks for never getting lazy with each other.

And thanks for remaining sane so that I could continue to be insane.

I love you!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How do you show your kids that you trust them?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “45 Recession-Friendly Strategies for Entrepreneurial Evolution,” send an email to me, and YOU get the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

If they can’t come UP to you; how will they ever get BEHIND you?

Buy Scott’s new book and learn daily practices for becoming a more approachable manager!

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

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Watch the original video on NametagTV!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How much money is being boring costing you?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For a list called, “30 Ways to become the Most Interesting Person You Know,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

The world’s FIRST two-in-one, flip-flop book!

Buy Scott’s comprehensive marketing guidebook on Amazon.com and learn how to GET noticed, GET remembered and GET business!

1. Let people finish what they have to say. Most interruptions are derailments, and as such, most interrupters are avoided.

PRACTICE: On a daily basis, challenge yourself to play the game called, “Let’s See How Long I Can Go Without Interrupting People.” Actually keep score. See if you can beat your personal best each day.

Then, every time you DO interrupt (unnecessarily, that is), drop twenty bucks in a jar. Get the whole office involved in the game. Then, at the end of month, use the money to have a BBQ. Or donate it to charity. That should put an end to the interrupting. Does your conversational narcissism irritate people?

2. Listen with the ear of your heart, not the pointed finger of your ego. Judgmental attitudes stop commutation before it starts.

PRACTICE: Post a sticky note on your desk that reads, “Are you listening with your heart or with your ego?” This serves two purposes: (1) A visual reminder of what to listen WITH during your conversations, (2) An accountability measure to assess your listening practices after your conversations are through.

Then, should you catch yourself listening more with your ego and less with your heart, here’s what you do. Take ten extra minutes before clocking out to replay key conversations in your head. Then honestly ask yourself, “How would my heart have listened in that conversation if my ego wasn’t engaged? Are you monopolizing the talking or the listening?

3. Recognize employee contributions and ideas. According to Dilbert, most bosses will listen thoroughly to your input, thank you for your suggestions, and then do exactly what they planned all along.

PRACTICE: Just sit quiet. Your hand doesn’t have to shoot up first. Next time you attend a meeting or sit on a panel, play another game called “Let See How Long I Can Go Without Contributing.”

This will force you to listen FIRST and hear everyone else out before stating your position. Yes, it takes self-control; but you never know – you may hear something that adds to, modifies or betters your idea. Is your listening all show and no go?

4. Remain calm when confronted with different points of view. The word “emotion” comes from the Latin emotere, which means, “to disturb.”

PRACTICE: Take a few breaths. Recognize that someone has an opinion, even though it may not be your own. You don’t have to agree. You don’t have to disagree. Just honor it. Practice a little Namaste Leadership. Honor = Respect = Trust = Increased Willingness to Ask More Questions.

Otherwise you’ll start to resemble Dogbert, whose management strategy is, “I’m not going to comment – I’ll just look at you until you agree with me.” When you are emotionally involved in conversation, how well do you communicate?

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How will you keep your employees from wanting to kill you?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “33 Daily Practices for Boosting Managerial Magnetism,” send an email to me, and you get the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

Never the same speech twice.
Always about approachability.

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

During the Q & A portion of a recent workshop, one of my participants asked a question that TOTALLY stumped me:

“Scott, in the past few years, I’ve watched the way you’ve evolved your business as a writer, speaker and coach …

…Can you share some insight into how you’ve done that so well?”

And I believe my exact words were, “Um … uh … well, you see, what happened was … I mean … I think that I…”

Nice.

After about thirty seconds of stalling, circling and stammering, I finally came up with a coherent answer. The questioner was satisfied. My butt was saved. And yet, I still wasn’t happy with my response.

So, I took three immediate actions…

FIRST, I gave the guy an autographed copy of my new book as a thank-you for stumping me. As a recovering know-it-all, I admit this (does) happen from time to time. And as a Thought Leader, I’m always indebted to those who challenge my brain.

SECOND, went out to lunch at Culpepper’s to ponder that question over an order of wings. I’m not sure why, but there’s something about hot sauce that really gets my hamster wheel spinning. Must be a St. Louis thing.

THIRD, wrote out a master list of lessons learned that other entrepreneurs could apply to their own businesses. I asked myself questions like, “How did I evolve?” “What questions did I ask myself?” “What steps did I take?” “What mistakes did I make?” and “What epiphanies paved the way?”

I’d like to share (part of) that list with you now. Also, along with each example, I’ve offered a “Sticky Note Suggestion.” Use these to remind yourself of your entrepreneurial evolution. Post them on your desk, computer, car or, if you’re so inclined, forehead.

So, as you read these strategies, I’m going to challenge you to plug yourself into the same equation. I’m going to challenge you to ask the crucial entrepreneurial equation: “How are you evolving YOUR business?”

Because in a tough economy, growth isn’t an option – it’s an obligation.

1. Be on a constant search for new ideas. They’re everywhere, as long as you (1) Actively seek them out, (2) Listen closely, (3) Learn to freeze situations, (4) Look for parallels, and (5) Write them down.

And probably the best source of these new ideas is your existing customers. When asked the right question in a respectful, curious way, the innovations your customers initiate will blow your hair back.

For example, ask your customers, “What would you LOVE to have from us next?” But only ask if you’re willing listen. Why are you waiting to be inspired?

STICKY NOTE SUGGESTION: Inspiration is available. Inspiration is free. Inspiration is lightning.

2. Decide if you should be charging for this. Although I don’t know what your specific situation is, my guess is going to be, “Yes, you should be charging for this.”

Here’s why: (1) You’re worth it, (2) You need money and (3) When people don’t pay you, people don’t hear you. Now all you have to do is decide how much. What (aren’t) you charging for that you probably should be?

STICKY NOTE SUGGESTION: Sell price before value.

3. Duplicate YOU. Forget the sheep; I’m an advocate for HUMAN cloning. Especially for entrepreneurs, who can do so through teaching others. I suggest giving your fans a portable, junior, take-home, or alternate version of you.

Now, sure. That might mean giving up (some) control in exchange for being able to grow and expand more quickly. And as entrepreneurs, this is one of the hardest things in the world. Because we’re all a bunch of control freaks who HAVE to do everything ourselves, right? Is there anybody else who could deliver your information?

STICKY NOTE SUGGESTION: Blogging works brilliantly. Video work awesomely. Seminars work fantastically. Whitepapers work perfectly.

4. Engage in assignments, projects or clients that ENABLE you. To command higher fees than before. To learn new skills. To leverage more than in the past. To expose you to an important future opportunity. To increase (not just sustain) an existing relationship.

To do future work with the same organization. To lead you into a new industry. To grow in new directions. To work with new, cool clients that represent long-term business potential. What is your current work enabling you to do and be?

STICKY NOTE SUGGESTION: Enable gentle revolutions. Enable shared power. Enable the process. Enable yourself daily.

5. Engage in regular, private time with a coach or consultant. Ideally, someone who has (actually) DONE something and (actually) grown in the way you hope to grow.

Not someone who’s listened to a bunch of Nightingale Connant audiotapes and (actually) thinks that makes them some kind of expert. SO annoying. Look. Expertise comes from DOING. Find someone who’s DONE stuff. Who’s helping you evolve toward your true self?

STICKY NOTE SUGGESTION: Action changes everything. Action conquers fear. Action develops courage. Action solidifies credibility. Action builds confidence. Action strengthens reputation.

6. Find out if anybody else is doing this right now. If not, that might be a great reason to plunge forward. That way you can be the first. The Only. The One. The Guy. And the best part is, if you do it first, you get to name it.

Then: When you name something, you gain power over that something. And you can do something about that something. And you can talk interact with that something. And you can begin exploration and working with that something. And eventually, you can get people to start talking about that something. If you do this, will you become the best?

STICKY NOTE SUGGESTION: Origin, not echo.

7. Honestly assess in what ways you are currently obsolete. Still using a landline? Still advertising in The Yellow Pages? Still using AOL for your email account? Still using a PC? Still listening to a CD player?

Still using that Glamour Shots picture you got taken 1993 as your professional headshot? Zoinks. What are you thinking? It’s 2009. Get with the program. What year are you still trapped in?

STICKY NOTE SUGGESTION: Upgrade your life. Upgrade your technology. Upgrade your approach. Upgrade your style. Upgrade your attitude.

8. Honestly confront the ideas you’re in love with that are preventing you from seeing clearly. I know you love your new company name and tagline. I know it’s cute and funny and makes your husband happy.

But it doesn’t matter what YOU like; it matters what CUSTOMERS remember. Premature cognitive commitment isn’t only dangerous; it’s also expensive. What ideas are you dangerously in love with?

STICKY NOTE SUGGESTION: The Beatles were wrong. Love isn’t enough. Ideas aren’t enough. Preference isn’t enough.

9. Stop typecasting yourself. You’re not a one trick pony. You’re not a one-product company. You’re not a one-idea entrepreneur. You’re not a one-book author. You’re not a one-anything anyone. You’re a lotta. A bunch. A crap ton. A fountain of possibility.

Not a jack-of-all-trades. Just an evolving professional whose unique expertise slowly casts a wider net. Always out-doing and challenging yourself to break the veil of one-hit-wonderness for the sake of never going stale.

So, remember what the master of evolution, George Carlin, used to say, “Continue to call on yourself a little more. And keep kicking people in the crotch.” What are you doing to prepare for the next phase?

STICKY NOTE SUGGESTION: Update your brand. Upgrade your expertise. Reinvent yourself regularly.

10. Use writing to exponentially increase growth in this experience. Writing is the basis of all wealth. For several reasons.

First, writing is the great clarifier. Second, writing makes everything you do better and easier. Third, writing triples the learning of any experience, because if you don’t write it down, it never happened. What did you write today?

STICKY NOTE SUGGESTION: Writing changes everything. Writing “rights” things. Writing brings clarity. Writing intensifies impact. Writing metabolizes life. Writing teaches everyone. Writing transforms pain. Writing untangles threads.

Take that, Darwin!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What are you unwilling to change that’s preventing your business form evolving successfully?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the (full) list called, “45 Recession-Friendly Strategies for Entrepreneurial Evolution,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

Ready for YOUR business to evolve?

Cool. Perhaps my 12-month coaching program would help.

Rent Scott’s Brain today!

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Think about the first time you heard your own voice on tape.
Odds are, your initial reaction was, “Is THAT what I sound like?”

Now think about the first time you watched yourself on video.
Odds are, your initial reaction was, “Is THAT what I look like?”

Don’t worry. That’s a pretty normal response.

Most of us – when given an honest, accurate reflection of the way we present ourselves to the others – are startled by our own lack of self-awareness.

We can’t believe that’s actually us. And not just on audio and video. For example, think about some of these other silent dialogues:

o “Did I really say that?”
o “Is that really the way I came off?”
o “I didn’t realize I was making you feel that way.”
o “I had no idea that’s what people thought of me…”

Ever said one of those to yourself before?

I know I have. Probably once this week already. And I’d be willing to bet that most people have too…

These kinds of perceptions exist in your “Blind Spot.” Cognitive psychologists Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham defined this term in 1955 as, “Aspects of ourselves that others see, but we are not aware of.”

And so, the challenge becomes making a concerted effort to unalienate yourself from your truth.

Because too many of us – and even I’m guilty of this on occasion – demonstrate a complete and utter unwillingness to understand (1) How other people experience us, and (2) How other people experience themselves in relation to us.

And the danger of this pattern of behavior is that it prevents people from asking questions of, listening to, learning from and getting to know you.

Not good.

So, maybe it’s time to run honest self-appraisal.

Maybe it’s time to get bitten by the bug of self-awareness.

Or, as Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams reminds us, “Awareness means recognizing your illusions for what they are.”`

HERE’S THE REALITY: The only judgment people can make – the only impression their unconscious mind can form – is how interacting with you makes them FEEL.

And ultimately, it doesn’t matter what YOU think, it matters what THEY remember.

So, I’m challenging you to (honestly) ask yourself four questions:

1. How do people experience you?
2. How do (you want) people to experience you?
3. How do people experience themselves when they’re with you?
4. How do (you want) people to experience themselves when they’re with you?

Take some time this week to physically write out your answers to those questions.

Reflect on whether your inner experience matches how others experience you.

This will serve as the perfect starting point in the development of your new-found self-awareness.

Then, once you’ve taken enough self-stock, the next step will be actually OPENING yourself to the reality of how your behavior affects the people around you.

That’s the cool part of starting down the rewarding path of self-awareness. Once you know your patterns – once you know how others experience you – you’ll start to see the following positive changes in your world:

o You gain the power to grow.
o You represent yourself better to others.
o You become safer for others to be around.
o You become someone others could tell anything.
o You become perceived as listenable and askable.
o You make a stronger emotional impact on others.
o You encourage a more positive perception of yourself.
o You deepen your ability to consider and weigh alternatives.
o You give others the knowledge they need to love you more.
o You meet WITH, speak TO and touch people where they are.
o You hold yourself accountable for your contributions to your encounters.
o You find out where you suck, that way you can close the perception gaps between you and those you serve

Sound good?

Cool. Good luck.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How do people experience you?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “37 Personal Leadership Questions Guaranteed to Shake Your Soul,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

Never the same speech twice.
Always about approachability.

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

Ever seen people sport those bracelets that read, “W.W.J.D?”

They stand for “What would Jesus do?”

I remember when they got big in the 90’s. In fact, they’re still popular today.

Interestingly, I recently found out that this well-known phrase, deriving from the Latin imitatio dei, or “the imitation of God,” didn’t gain cultural popularity until 1896.

Credit goes to Charles Sheldon’s book, In His Steps, in which the subtitle was, “What Would Jesus Do?”

Anyway, that got me thinking. Not about Jesus or Christianity or religion.

But about making decisions. And HOW and WHY we make those decisions.

What about you? Have you ever thought about how and why YOU make decisions?

Here’s the secret…

If you TRULY want to convey a thorough understanding of yourself…
If you HONESTY want to create a good working model of your own identity…
If you SINCERELY want to maintain consistency and alignment of your actions…

You need to consider how you decide.

From the minute choices you make throughout the day, to your annual goal setting activities, to your major entrepreneurial or career decisions.

All of these choices fall under the umbrella of your Personal Guidance System. Your Opportunity Filter. Your Decision Tree of Life.

Now, you might not CALL it any of those things. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that less than 10% of the population has ever sat down and physically mapped out how they decide.

And for that reason, my challenge for you today is:

Physically create a governing document for your daily decision-making.

I just stumbled upon this process about six months ago myself. And I assure you it’s one of – if not THEE – most powerful exercises I’ve EVER executed for creating a good working model of my own identity.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Retrace your steps. Start by making a list of every single choice you made yesterday. What you ate, how you listened to people, which tasks your invested your time in, EVERYTHING. From the moment you woke up to the moment you went to bed. Now, obviously, you won’t be able to record EVERY choice. Just do the best you can.

2. Evaluate your process. For each item on your list, go back and think about HOW you actually made that choice. Ask yourself questions like:

a. Why did I make that choice?
b. What alternatives did I decide against?
c. Whom or what did I model my choice after?
d. What questions did I ask myself before choosing?
e. What thought processes did I take myself through?

It’s just like being a contestant on Millionaire: Four answers. Three lifelines. And you explain your decision-making process in real time to the host and audience so you can make an informed decision. “Well Regis, I know the answer’s not Lithuania because I’ve visited that country before … and I don’t think the answer is Latvia because I did paper on their government when I was in college, so…”

3. Dig for values. Once you’ve uncovered the HOW for each of yesterday’s decisions, it’s time to find out WHY. Ask yourself questions like:

a. What values were those choices rooted in?
b. What commonalities did all of my choices contain?
c. Where did I learn how to make that kind of choice?
d. And what words governed the questions I asked myself when I made those choices?

4. Categorize and document. OK! At this point, you should have a pretty solid idea HOW and WHY you make decisions. The final step is to map out your Official Governing Document. You can name it whatever you like, i.e., “Sara’s Personal Guidance System,” “Mark’s Opportunity Filter,” “Deb’s Decision Tree,” whatever.

Now, in terms of design, that’s entirely up to you. Depending on your learning/personality style, you might try mind-maps, decision trees, self-talk scripts, affirmations or visual thinking diagrams. Personally, the structure I used was twofold:

FIRST: Extract the ten core philosophies/values/virtues behind all of my choices, i.e., “Writing is the basis of all wealth.”

SECOND: List all the questions I might ask myself that reflect such values, i.e., “Is everything you know written down somewhere?”

5. Reinforcement and accountability. Cool. You’ve assembled your governing document for daily decisions making. Now, keep in mind – this WILL change over time, as your values will change over time. So, be sure to think of it as a draft.

Meanwhile, if you really want to blow people away, I challenge you to keep a copy of this document in your wallet or on your office wall. Look at it daily. Share it with those who inquire. Do this exercise with a partner or team if you want.

Not only will these measures keep you accountable and consistent, but they will also inspire all who see it to make a similar self-assessment of their own decision-making.

REMEMBER: The ONLY thing in this world you have ANY control over … is your choice.

So, doesn’t it make sense to map out HOW and WHY you make those choices?

Doesn’t it make sense to start asking yourself, “W.W.I.D?” or “What would I do?”

Maybe we should be wearing bracelets like that.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How do you make decisions?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “29 Pieces of Simple, Easy Advice That Will Change Your Business Forever,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

If they can’t come UP to you; how will they ever get BEHIND you?

Buy Scott’s new book and learn daily practices for becoming a more approachable manager!

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

So much so that, without it:

People will not buy from you.
People will not listen to you.
People will not open up with you.
People will not put their trust in you.

People will not take you seriously.
People will not consider your ideas.
People will not seek out your opinion.
People will not tell others to do the same.

Action is the engine of credibility.

THEREFORE: It does not matter what you believe. Or intend. Or even what you say.

Believing is overrated. Intending is useless. Talking is worthless.

Doing, on the other hand, isn’t.

It never has been.

Action is, has always been – and will always be – eloquence.

And your challenge is to continuously TAKE massive action. Every day. Constantly shoveling coal into your engine of credibility.

Here are five practices for doing so…

1. Study the origin. The word “credibility” comes from the Latin creditum, which means, “a loan, thing entrusted to another.” That’s interesting. Credibility is on loan.

Which mean your stoppage in action will make the engine sputter. Which means your credibility might take years to assemble, but only seconds to annihilate. Yikes. How are you marring your own credibility? What is diminishing the perception of your expertise? And how might you be (accidentally) making yourself appear less trustworthy?

2. Close the credibility gap. A few months ago I turned my radio to NPR to listen to the daily news show, “All Things Considered.” I’m not sure whom they were discussing, specifically, but the quotation was, “I couldn’t listen to his testimony because there wasn’t a shred of credibility in his being.”

Wow. Kind of makes you wonder: (1) whom the talking about? And (2) what that guy did to warrant such a gap? Zoinks. How could YOU make credibility disappear completely? What if you wrote a list on how to do so, printed it out and looked at it everyday? Think that would help close the gap?

3. Take daily steps to strengthen your foundation of personal credibility. In the (totally awesome!) book Credibility, authors Kouzes & Posner explain, “Credibility is a foundation built brick by brick. It’s earned through human contact, gained in small quantities though physical presence.”

That’s what being an approachable leader IS. You don’t have to work for some huge company. You don’t need thousands of followers. One person is enough. (Which, I suppose, makes us ALL leaders.)

And so, in that simple encounter, you listen, you transfer passion and you demonstrate emotional reliability. And over time, your foundation grows more robust. That’s how credibility is earned. How are you using your interactions to earn trust? What action have you taken (specifically) in the last 24 hours to boost your credibility? And how many other people witnessed it?

4. Learn to regain credibility after a failure. Fine. You screwed up. Big deal. Happens all the time. The secret is the way you respond to it. To quote the book Managing Up, “The bigger or more far reaching the consequences of your idea, the more you should expect to have your personal credibility examined.”

So, here’s how to regain credibility: Recognize it. Own up to it. Ask your people to help your rebuild it. Make a commitment to doing so. Visually remind people of your progress toward that commitment during the process. Maintain consistency until they trust you again. Thank them for sticking with you. Never stop building credibility in everything you do. And make sure that credibility is relevant. How will you use action to bounce back? What have you done (specifically) in the last 24 hours to boost your credibility? And how many other people witnessed it?

5. Create a credibility-strengthening plan. I suggest physically writing it out, signing it and posting it in a visible location in your office. This not only allows you to clarify your plan on paper, but also serves an effective tool for keeping yourself accountable.

Now, in terms of what your plan consists of, that’s up to you. Just remember: Make it daily, make it specific and make sure it involves one-on-one interactions with people. Those encounters are the soil in which your credibility will grow. What’s your plan? How will you stick to it? And what will stand in your way of sticking to it?

In summary, I’d like to quote a great song called “When You’re Traveling at the Speed of Light” by one of my new favorite bands, These United States. In the final refrain, there’s a lyric sung repeatedly for about two minutes before fading out. It goes like this:

“If the thing that drives you onward is your heart, you must not let that engine die.”

Great line. And when I was listening to that album this morning, I started thinking: What would happen if I plugged that lyric into today’s topic?

It might go something like this:

“If the thing that drives your credibility onward is your action, you must not let that engine die.”

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Is your credibility engine dying?

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

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

Never the same speech twice.
Always about approachability.

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

1. Articulate strategy and ideas in plain language. The less jargon you use, the more engaging you become.

PRACTICE: In the writing world, shorter sentences get read. In the speaking world, shorter sentences get HEARD. So, think like a writer. Watch those long and cumbersome sentences. Don’t construct your ideas in a way that overburdens people’s brains.

For example, some leaders/managers spew one idea after another. Meanwhile, listeners are still stuck on the FIRST one, trying to figure out what heck you meant. Be careful. Non-brilliance might be forgivable, but time wasting isn’t. Keep your message lean, low-carb and plucked of nonessential words.

LET ME ASK YA THIS: Could a fifth grader understand you?

2. Share information in a clear and concise manner. People are swamped, people are stressed, and they don’t have time to decode your hieroglyphics.

PRACTICE: As a writer, speaker and teacher myself, I’ve discovered the secret to raising receptivity. What’s more, the secret to making your messages more listenable, readable, digestible and learnable.

Three words: Meaningful Concrete Immediacy.

Here’s a rapid-fire list of strategies to do so: No jargon. Chunk ideas into small clusters. No stupid metaphors, bromides or unclear analogies like Dr. Phil loves to use. No vague language. Speak with value, not vanity. Hook moments to personal meaning. Get passion involved. Give people the meat. Zero into the heart of the matter. Package truth as nuggets. Meaningful Concrete Immediacy. Got it? Cool.

LET ME ASK YA THIS: How are you making it hard for people to listen to you?

3. Create a zone of respect around you without being overbearing. Those who build credibility into everything they do are listened to.

PRACTICE: Beware of unspecified attribution. This is my #1 pet peeve of all time. Delete the following vague, non-believable phrases from your vocabulary:

Studies show. Recent research proves. Scientists say. Psychologists report. Experts believe. They say. There’s an old story that says. I’ve heard. Most people agree. It is said that. Critics say. Statistics show. Somebody once said. The reviews say.

Um, no, they DON’T. None of that is good enough. In a conversation. In a speech. In an article. In a presentation. You need to PROVE your point. With facts. Sources. Numbers. Dates. Otherwise people have no reason to believe you.

Remember: Credibility comes from specificity. If you can’t cite a source, keep your mouth shut. Something isn’t always better than nothing.

LET ME ASK YA THIS: What is preventing people from taking you seriously?

4. When it’s a technical matter, (still) speak English. The problem isn’t that people never listen to you; the problem is that you’re not a listenable person.

PRACTICE: Pamper people’s short-term memory. It can handle about seven bits of information at a time. (Ahem, phone numbers.) Your challenge is to do everything you can to accommodate its capacity.

So, include a structure that will serve as an index for the material, i.e., “This process has four steps.” Then, at the end, sum it up, i.e., “Ok, so, to review, the first step was…”

That’s the secret: Making it easy for people to organize and remember material.

LET ME ASK YA THIS: How could you send this message so it gets through the clearest and quickest?

5. Communicate reasons for changes and decisions. Assuming that people know why you’re doing ANYTHING is dangerous.

PRACTICE: Don’t defend yourself; explain yourself. Make your motivations and intentions crystal clear. When you tell people why, they’re more likely to (1) believe you, (2) understand you, and (3) respond TO you.

Otherwise, people’s guesswork of your expectations leads to sub par performance. And eventually, when you yell at them for screwing up, they’ll explain that it was YOUR cloudy communication that caused it. D’oh!

LET ME ASK YA THIS: What is causing you to be easily misunderstood?

6. Share relevant insights and personal experiences. Pointless stories with zero applicability may or may not cause death by boredom to set in.

PRACTICE: Yes, you honor people greatly with your openness; but you also annoy people enormously with your irrelevancy. So, here’s the secret: Make your ideas applicable and actionable. As in, “How does the story I’m about to tell affect this person’s daily life TODAY?”

Because if it doesn’t, don’t tell it. And look, I’m all for Managing by Storying Around (great book, btw). But for the love of God, if you DO tell stories, make sure they’re packaged with instant keepers and takeaways grounded in universal human experiences.

Fluff accomplishes nothing. As Steve Martin so eloquently put it in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, “Hey, here’s an idea: When you tell a story – have a point! It makes it so much more interesting for the listener!”

LET ME ASK YA THIS: Does your insight leave the impression of value or vanity in people’s minds?

Good luck!

LET ME ASK THIS…
When you talk, why do people listen?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “23 Ways to Bring More of Yourself to Any Situation,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

Who’s quoting YOU?

Check out Scott’s Online Quotation Database for a bite-sized education on branding success!

www.stuffscottsaid.com.

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PICTURE THIS: Somebody just finishes interacting with you. Phone, email, in person, Twitter, whatever. And this person could be a customer, coworker, colleague, manager or employee.

Five minutes later, she walks into the bathroom with her best friend. And she starts telling her friend all about how she experienced you, AND how she experienced herself when she was with you. From five minutes ago.

Now, here’s the twist: During this conversation, the only other person in the bathroom is YOU. Silently crouching on the toilet, eavesdropping on these two people talking about … YOU.

And so, the two questions I want you to honestly ask yourself are:

1. What would they say about you?
2. How surprised would you be?

If you want the answer to the first question to be positive; and the answer to the second question to be “not very,” consider these five practices for helping people have a more positive experience of you.

1. Assure you don’t leave people feeling unheard. Towards the end of your interaction, it might be helpful to ask summary or clarification questions like:

o Is there anything else?
o What questions have I not answered yet?
o What questions did I not ask that you were hoping I’d ask?
o What questions did I not ask that I probably should’ve asked?

REMEMBER: Let people know that if they think of another question in the next day or two, they can reach out to you. Even a follow up email a day or two later wouldn’t be a bad idea. As long as the impression is that you’re curious for clarity and not an overwhelming micromanager.

2. Create the space people need to exert their distinctiveness. “Relate to people as unique individuals,” says Bob Lefton in Leadership Through People Skills. “Get to know each person for who he is, then interact on that basis.” Consider the following Permission Questions as a test of how well you execute this principle:

o Are you granting others space to BE?
o What questions are people afraid to ask you?
o Are you giving people permission to talk to you?
o What feelings are you not allowing people to have?
o What feelings are you not giving people space to feel?
o How are you resisting or suppressing the creativity of others?
o Are you giving people permission to feel playful around you?
o Are you giving people permission to make their own choices?
o What does the group have permission to discuss and make decisions about?
o When was the last time someone told you something they hadn’t told anyone else?

REMEMBER: Find a safe space to understand people’s unique reality; then give them permission to reveal it to you. And that might be as simple as pausing; then listening for greatness to show up in each person.

3. Paint a picture of what happens when people are marinated in your world. This can be accomplished by: Considering the communication climate you create around you. Noticing how you come off. Understanding what people get when they get you. Discovering how most people feel when they’re around you. And, by deciding how you want people to describe the experience of interacting with you.

Here are a few self-assessment questions to assist you in this discovery process:

o What do people hear when they listen to what you do?
o Is communicating with you a relaxing or stressful experience?
o When interacting with you, what is this person’s immediate physical experience?
o When you meet people, is your first thought about what they think of you or how you can make them more comfortable?

REMEMBER: Watch people’s physiology. Step outside yourself and honestly observe the way they’re reacting to you. And listen to the exact words people use when they introduce or describe you to other someone new.

4. Recognize, embrace and respond to the value others place on you. That the constant challenge (and my personal biggest screw-up) of proactive approachability: Understanding what “time with you” is (really) worth to other people. Because if you don’t recognize this currency, you may never think to offer yourself as much, or at all, to those who need you.

Then, others might think, “I hate to take up his time when so many people want time with him.” Don’t assume that if people want to be with you they’ll just say so. People will seldom take the first step and ask for your time, especially if you’re in a high visibility leadership position. And as a result, you’ll miss out on encounters with some VERY cool people.

REMEMBER: People are waiting for YOU to initiate the next meeting. So, be proactive. Offer yourself more consciously, actively and directly to them. If you can practice this strategy, people will appreciate your recognition of the perceived value they place on you.

5. Remain open to positive AND negative feedback about yourself. Jerry Seinfeld said it best, “There are only two types of feedback: ‘That’s great!” or “That sucks!’ Either way, when someone takes the time to offer you REAL feedback or constructive criticism, try this.

Even if you disagree with it, even if you don’t value it, THANK them for it. Without this expression of gratitude, you run the risk of shutting down the flow of valuable information that (could have) helped you become more effective in your role.

And often times, it’s just a matter of asking. Try these Phrases That Payses:

o What can I do to become a better…?
o How do you perceive my expectations of you?
o Can you tell me more about what you’re feeling?
o Will you give me some feedback about what I just said?
o Can you tell me specifically what I did that made you think to that?
o Will you tell me more about what you didn’t like about what I said/did?
o Can you tell me about a time when it happened so I can better understand?
o How might I recognize when you have something difficult to express to me?

Also, here’s an approach I’ve used for years to demonstrate openness to feedback about myself: “Would you be willing to share with me a list of specific points about (x)? And I request this not in a ‘tell me why I’m so great’ way, but rather, ‘tell me what worked so I can replicate it in the future.’” Works every time!

REMEMBER: Find out where the rock created the ripple and either: 1) Throw more rocks, or 2) Stop throwing rocks all together. After all, finding out where you suck is the only way you will improve.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How do people experience you?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “33 Daily Practices for Boosting Your Managerial Magnetism,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

Never the same speech twice.
Always about approachability.

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!