You know my mantra:

“Consistency is far better than rare moments of greatness.”

The challenge is actually executing that virtue.

Here’s how:

1. ACT in harmony with the way you see yourself. That’s the big assignment. And it’s not an easy one to take one.

2. ALIGN your responses with your values. That way you won’t have to try to remember what you said.

3. ASK what would be so typical of you to do in this situation. Then do that. Establish enough predictability that you can prove people’s expectations every time.

4. ASSURE the first words out of your mouth are consistent with your brand. So much so that when you answer the phone, people nod and smile at your seamlessness.

5. BE The You you’ve always wanted to become. After all, living falsehoods is exhausting. And with the exception of Danny Ganz, Dana Carvey and Frank Caliendo, impressionists rarely make it big.

6. BEHAVE (right now) consistent with the attitude you strive to maintain. Otherwise people will not listen to your words because they’ll be too busy examining the character deficiency within your actions.

7. CHOOSE what few things you will consistently make part of your life, regardless of the circumstances. These become your non-negotiables. Your must-haves, must-do’s and must-be’s.

8. DECIDE if this choice will bring you closer to the highest version of yourself. If it won’t, consider making a different one. Life’s too short.

9. DETERMINE what values & aspirations you want your behaviors to be aligned with. Then keep them typed out on a little laminated card in your wallet.

10. DO what a cool company would do in this situation. Because cool companies get noticed, get remembered and GET business. And that’s good for business.

11. DO what consistency would do in this situation. Because consistency is far better than rare moments of greatness. Not to mention, it’s a hell of a lot easier.

12. DO what the person you are trying to become would do. This brings you one step closer. One chisel smack away from revealing the sculpture inside the stone.

13. DO what YOU would do in this situation. Wear a bracelet that reads, “WWID?” That should start some interesting conversations.

14. DO whatever you have to do to make this agree with your vision. And after a while, if you still can’t match the two up, bag it.

15. GIVE to this situation that which only you alone can offer. Preferably, that which you were designed to cure. That which you are known for knowing. That which you can’t help but doing and being.

16. GO out of your way to ME-ize this moment. Stamp it with the emblem of YOU.

17. IMAGINE what it would mean and look like to be true to your values here. That will most likely impel you into action.

18. KEEP on the path that aligns your actions to your values. It has the best view, the fewest potholes and the least amount of litter.

19. LET the best YOU come across in this situation. Any other version is robbing other people of experiencing your awesomeness.

20. LISTEN to who you are before responding. That split second pause might actually improve your answer.

21. MAKE choices that add wood to your internal fire. Then watch that baby burn, burn burn.

22. MOVE in a way that honors your soul. Because that will actually honor OTHER people’s souls too.

23. PLACE structure around yourself to make sure you remember what to do consistently. Sticky notes work. Mantras written on the wall work. Silicone bracelets work.

24. PONDER what the earlier version of yourself would have done in this situation. Then decide if the current version of yourself knows a better way.

25. PRACTICE bringing a little more of yourself to every situation. Not too much. Just enough that you walk away thinking, “I really felt like MYSELF back there.”

26. PREACH the message that is the dominant reality of your life. Otherwise people will not listen to you because of the non-stop noise of your character deficiency.

27. REMEMBER that flawless execution doesn’t exist. Make mistakes, make them early and make them quick. Write them down and what you learned. Then keep moving.

28. SPEAK from a place of personal truth. It makes you more listenable.

29. STAMP everything with you do with your brand, or else don’t bother doing it. After all, what happens when everybody loves it, but doesn’t know who made it?

30. STAY in alignment with the best working model of your identity. Which means you should probably create that model first.

31. STRIVE to behave in a manner that is consistent with your self-concept. It’s hard to do but it will serve you well.

32. USE this experience to continuing becoming the highest version of yourself. Because that’s the only version people will benefit from.

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

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “33 Daily Practices for Boosting Your Managerial Magnetism,” 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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In David Lieberman’s bestselling book, Make Peace with Anyone, he explains that when someone responds negatively toward you, four possible motivations are at hand:

(1) He’s a jerk to everyone, (2) He is threatened by you, (3) He thinks you dislike him, or (4) You’ve given him a reason to dislike you.

This means the problem might not be 100% your fault.

So, consider these six practices for approaching angry people:

1. Start with yourself. No matter how hostile, rude or annoying some people are, you need to be strong enough to F-R-E-E-Z-E. Otherwise you enable their hostile behavior by virtue of responding to it. Fortunately, with a little self-exploration through healthy internal dialogue, you can dilute the toxicity of the effects of these people.

Ask yourself questions like…

“What value system is this person operating out of?”
“What is it – IN ME – that might be causing this reaction?”
“Could I possibly remind this individual of someone in their past who gave him a hard time?”
“How is it possible that this person could think or behave in this way, and under what circumstances would it make perfect sense to do so?”

2. Monopolize the listening. Keep quiet. Let him blow off some steam first. He has to run out of gas eventually. This will help him calm down without the need to condescendingly say, “Calm down.”

In fact, that’s the worst thing you could say. If you say “Calm down,” he’s either going to say: (1) I AM CALM!! Or, worse yet, (2) become more upset. No need to compound his frustration.

The secret is to allow your silence and stillness – almost like a body of water – to enable him to hear the sound of his own overreaction. Sometimes this subtle bell of awareness brings him back to center. If that doesn’t work, you can always try jamming a highlighter up his nose.

3. Use the word “Wow.” It’s neutral, versatile, empathetic, non-judgmental and emotionally unreactive. WOW avoids over actively listening to someone. WOW offers an immediate answer, thus laying a foundation of affirmation. WOW buys you some time, until you can define your official response.

WOW also helps you maintain composure when presented with unexpected, difficult or crucial information. WOW creates space in the conversation, which grants the speaker permission to continue. One word. One sentence. It works. Make it your default.

4. Deflect it. Don’t get sucked into the bait game. Don’t become defensive or upset. Instead, use neutral, you-oriented responses like, “You’re really upset about this,” or “You must be having a bad day.”

This type of language reverses the momentum of the conversation and demonstrates that you refuse to take ownership of somebody else’s problem. Either that, or his head will explode. Which wouldn’t actually be that bad anyway.

5. Avoid questions that begin with WHY. Here’s the problem: WHY can be seen as criticism. WHY can make people feel defensive. WHY can force someone to justify his actions. WHY can be internalized as a personal attack. WHY can be easily countered with because.

Instead, use question that begin with What, How, Who, When, or Where. They’re more objective and enable you to depersonalize the question. What’s more, those prefixes uncover information, specification and motivation; whereas WHY produces generalizations, rationalizations and justifications.

It takes some time to train yourself, but after about six months of why-mindfulness, you’ll rarely catch yourself saying it again. And although nobody will really notice the change, YOU will feel an immediate difference in the way you attend to others.

6. Offer specific behavioral feedback. Focus on the action, not the person. This assures the angry individual doesn’t take your comment as a personal attack.

Here’s a helpful formula: “John, when you react that way, other people – myself included – don’t want to be around or even approach you. We’re afraid that being honest might upset you again.” Try saying that, then wait.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your secret for approaching your coworker or boss with a concern?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “26 Rapid-Fire Strategies for becoming the Most Approachable Person in Your Organization,” 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]

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.

1. Demonstrate an awareness of how your behavior affects others. Without knowing how others experience you, you’ll never get any better.

Too many leaders are guilty of a complete and utter unwillingness to understand how other people experience them. Partly because of their ego. Partly because they’re scared the feedback might be negative. And partly because they’re scared that the feedback will require them to (GASP!) change.

This, I can certainly relate to. As a speaker, I’ve had video footage that I couldn’t bring myself to watch until YEARS later. Namely, because I was terrified of discovering how stupid I looked, how many people in the audience were sleeping and how few people in the audience were laughing.

Interestingly, once I finally mustered the courage to watch myself on tape, my performance didn’t turn out that to be that bad. In fact, I only spotted ONE person in the whole crowd who was sleeping. And I’m pretty sure that guy was drunk. So, I’m challenging you get over yourself by opening yourself to the reality of how your behavior affects the people around you. How often do you spy on yourself?

2. Make a concerted effort to understand how other people experience you. Sometimes you’re too close to yourself to see the parts of yourself that drives other people crazy.

People can learn what you know just by observing your life. So, maybe it’s time you get bitten by the bug of self-awareness. Maybe it’s time you run an honest self-appraisal. Take some time to ask yourself the following three questions:

*How do people describe their experience with you?
*How (do you want people to) describe their experience with you?
*And what specific steps can you take to make the answers to those two questions more similar?

You will (probably) be startled by your own lack of awareness. After all, the only judgment people can make – the only impression their unconscious mind can form – is a function of how interacting with you made them FEEL. And ultimately, it doesn’t matter what YOU think; it matters what THEY remember. Are you approachable, but not remembered as being approachable?

3. Convey a thorough understanding of yourself. You can’t coach others if haven’t conquered the person in the mirror first.

Create a governing document for daily your decision-making. I guarantee this exercise will change your life. Here’s how you do it…

Start by making a list of every single choice you made yesterday: What you ate, when you interrupted, 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.

Then, for each choice, go back and think HOW you made that choice: What questions did you ask yourself? What thought processes did you take yourself through? Write those notes down.

Finally, once you’ve uncovered the WHAT and the HOW, ask yourself WHY: What values were those choices rooted in? What commonalities did all your choices have? And what words governed the questions you asked yourself when you made those choices?

Then, if you really want to blow people away, keep a copy of this document in your wallet or on your wall. Reference it on demand. Title it “How I Make Decisions” or “My Opportunity Filter.” Not only will it keep you accountable and consistent, but it will also inspire all who see it to run a similar self-assessment of their own decision-making. When was the last time you made an appointment with yourself?

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How will you avoid bombing your next 360 evaluation?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “33 Daily Practices for Boosting Your Managerial Magnetism,” 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]

Never the same speech twice.
Always about approachability.

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

1. Acknowledge the common fears of your listeners. Help them realize they’re not the only ones who are scared. Then, share that YOU were scared, and how you overcame it.

2. Give it away. As a Thought Leader, projecting a sense of scarcity isn’t attractive. Just dump every relevant fact. Fear not that your value will be reduced.

3. Be as detailed as possible. The more details you provide, the easier it is for your callers to execute.

4. Attitude. Be confident without swagger.

5. Acid test. Before you deliver ANY content, ask this simple question: Does this give the impression of VALUE or VANITY in the eyes of my listeners?

6. Be funny early and often. Funny is relaxing. Funny makes you appear smarter. Funny makes you more listenable. Funny wins approval. Funny builds trust. Funny captivates attention. Funny lubricates the informational digestive system. Funny makes learning easier. Funny is engaging. In short: Just be funny and you’re halfway there.

7. Breath is fuel. Establish an inner foundation to fuel your phone calls with the passion and energy you need to become more listenable. Do a few breathing exercises before the call. Also, post a sticky note that reads, “BREATHE” by your phone. That will remind you to pause and breath throughout the call. This creates the space needed to punctuate your message with appropriate silences.

8. Constantly throw in unrelated facts. It proves you’re well read and makes the call more interesting.

9. Ahhh. Demonstrate that you’re relaxed immediately. Callers will do the same.

10. Structure. Deliver a flow of inspiring content in an engaging and witty way.

11. Disturb and offend people. Those who are comfortable do not act.

12. Don’t share things to show how smart you are. Offer insight with the intent to help the attendee understand something.

13. No vomit.Don’t spew a steady stream self-glorifying wisdom; instead, challenge people by leaving them with any Meaningful Concrete Immediacy, (MCI).

14. Also. Don’t give people the ability to remain mediocre.

15. Energy. Don’t just have fun, SOUND like you are having fun.

17. Contact. Enable the ability to email, tweet or connect with listeners during the program.

18. Goal. Get people thinking about THEMSELVES in a different way.

19. Know. Have a clear understanding of who your audience is and what their pain is.

20. The art is hiding the art. If you sound rehearsed, people will start checking email while they’re listening to you. So, the best way to sound like you’re not rehearsed is to spend hours and hours rehearsing.

21. Openness. Make it clear that you welcome communication: Questions, emails, messages, etc.

22. Make your content actionable. Your listeners need to think, “I believe this! I can do this! I want to try this!” after they’ve been exposed to your ideas. Otherwise, your material, ideas and presentations are nothing but motivational garbage. Inherently impressive and interesting, yet clearly irrelevant and inapplicable.

23. Just tell people how. That’s the posture of the masses. That’s the collective self-interest of our hyperspeed, A.D.D. instant gratification culture. They want to know HOW, and they want to know NOW.

24. Test actionability of your material. Ask: How does this idea directly affect the daily lives of people? How will people be able to execute your strategy in spite of their boss’s insistence on doing it the old way? If someone else were delivering this information, what would move ME to take action on it immediately? REMEMBER: Persuasion = Content + Action.

25. Preparation is persuasion. Develop a pre-call ritual.

26. Research creates confidence. Gather the resources will you need instant access to in order to make this phone call perfect.

27. Shorter wins. Ask yourself: How could you send this message so it gets through the clearest and quickest?”

28. Speak in sound bites. Keep in mind that the human attention span is six seconds.

29. Duh. Talk like a 5th grader.

30. Synergy sucks. The less jargon you use, the more engaging you become.

31. Vary your sentence structure. Short Sentence. Long Sentence. Long Sentence. Short Sentence.

32. On stories. When you tell stories, use specific times, places and names, or else it will sound made up. Specificity is both credibility AND persuasion. The more details you can provide the more likely someone is to execute.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are people checking their email while listening to your teleseminar?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the 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]

Who’s telling their friends about YOU?

Tune in to The Marketing Channel on NametagTV.com!

Watch video lessons on spreading the word!

1. Be trusted to represent people’s interests, even when they’re not around. This will encourage people to confide in you, even when YOU’RE not around.

PRACTICE: Don’t act embarrassed. If someone asks you a question about a potentially uncomfortable topic, don’t try to diffuse the discomfort by making a joke out of it. That tactic only works in reverse and makes the conversation more uncomfortable.

Instead, work on your poker face. Honor their question despite the fact that you might be totally confused or giggling like a little schoolgirl on the inside. This form of openness will show them that it’s both acceptable and comfortable to discuss difficult issues.Who trusts you?

2. Preserve people’s self-esteem. The need to feel accepted is the driving force of their actions.

PRACTICE: Let them know you need them. Let them know they’ve helped or inspired you. Offer your attention TO and acknowledgment OF their contributions to your worldview. Each of these practices can be accomplished in two words:

“Take notes.”

Taking notes is proof. Taking notes keeps you mindful in the conversation. Taking notes honors someone’s thoughts. Taking notes is respectful. Taking notes increases someone’s self-esteem. Especially when you email them a copy of your notes five minutes after the conversation. Wow. How are you helping people fall in love with themselves?

3. Tolerate honest mistakes as learning experiences. People don’t need to be reminded how badly they screwed up.

PRACTICE: Instead, people need to be reassured that you’re going to love them when they DO screw up, help them prevent the same mistake from being made again, and partner with them to brainstorm lessons learned from those mistakes.

Try this. At your next meeting, go around the room and require each person to (1) share a mistake they recently made, (2) offer three lessons they learned FROM that mistake, and (3) suggest the practical application of those lessons to the other people in the room.

Then, later that week, create a hard copy of all the mistakes and lessons shared during the meeting. Staple a $20 bill to it and send it to everyone who attended. And what you do is, attach a sticky note that says, “Thanks for being human!” How are encouraging and rewarding mistakes?

4. Treat people with respect and fairness, regardless of their position or influence. Titles are worthless labels whose sole function is to give people a reason to pigeonhole, avoid or judge you.

PRACTICE: Acknowledge everybody. This one shouldn’t even be on my list. But, because not everybody practices this simple act of approachability, I’ve included it. So: Slow down. Stay present. Hold your eye contact with everyone you encounter for one additional second. ONE second. That’s what Bill Clinton does.

Also, see if you can acknowledge every single person you encounter for one whole day. It’s harder than you think. Then again, it all depends on what you see when you see people. Remember: Unspoken hierarchies hamper the freedom of expression and, as a result, create a distance between people. What unnecessary title is preventing people from getting to know the REAL you?

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your #1 secret for treating people beautifully?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “12 Ways to Out Service the Competition,” 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]

Never the same speech twice.
Always about approachability.

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

I get that question a lot.

And if I had enough time to give my (full) answer to everybody who asked, here’s how it would go:

How long did it take you to launch your business?

That depends on what you mean by the word ‘launch.’

If, by “launch” you mean, “Come up with your idea,” it took about three seconds.

If, by “launch” you mean, “Realize that your idea was a good one,” it took about twelve hours.

If, by “launch,” you mean, “Officially start your company,” it took about a week.

If, by “launch,” you mean, “Put up a website,” it took a few months.

If, by “launch,” you mean, “Create a product to sell,” it took about a year.

If, by “launch,” you mean, “Get to a point where people actually know who the heck you are,” it took about a year and a half.

If, by “launch,” you mean, “Make money,” it took about two years.

If, by “launch,” you mean, “Make a PROFIT,” it took about two and a half years.

If, by “launch,” you mean, “Grow to a point where customers actually seek YOU out,” it took about three years.

If, by “launch,” you mean, “Figure out what the hell you’re doing,” well, I’m still working on that one.

What about you?

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How long did it take you to launch your business?

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
For the list called, “65 Things I Wish Someone Would’ve Told Me When I First Started My Company,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

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

Never the same speech twice.
Always about approachability.

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

In my humble opinion, I want four (types of) things to happen:

1. SEARCH RESULTS. First and foremost. The instant barometer of your brand. Because if you don’t exist on Google, you don’t exist. And ideally, you’d like people to see as many of the following hits at the highest possible ranking:

o Content demonstrating your unique expertise. Blog posts. Articles. Newsletters. Whitepapers. Ebooks. Tweets. All of which fall underneath the umbrella of your philosophy. Your unique approach. Your theory of the universe. What did you write today?

o Interviews supporting your Thought Leadership Platform. Podcasts. Television. Radio. Print. Blog interviews. All of which validate your authority by virtue of third party media reaching out to YOU. And these interviews are either about you, quoting you, or exploring your expertise. When was the last time you were interviewed?

o Videos portraying your interesting personality. You speaking on stage. You in action. You behind the scenes. You doing what you do. You being you. All of which show people (instead of “tell” people) why you’re awesome. And these things help your customers get to know YOU. How much money are you losing by (not) leveraging online video?

o Testimonials confirming your perceived trustworthiness. Links to your content. Re-tweets about your awesomeness. Blogs about your products. Word of mouth about your service. All of which reinforce for potential clients, “Somebody has trusted this person before me.” Who’s talking about you?

o Pictures showing you in action. Ideally, doing what you do. Acting on your passion. Working with clients. Being YOU. Pictures consistent with your brand. NOT pictures of you hanging out at bars getting schnockered with your former sorority sisters. Do you want to become known for what you’re about to do?

o Profiles or bios. On Google. On Social Media sites. On your own sites. On sites where you contribute content. They give people a snapshot of you. Just few bits of personal information, but presented in a way that makes the mundane memorable. How boring is your profile?

2. SILENT DIALOGUES. This comes second. This is the stuff people think when they see your name. And ideally, you’d like people to say to themselves:

o “Wow, this guy is everywhere!” Because branding is about increasing activity level. And if you want to be in the right place at the right time, then you need to be in a lot of places. How many places are YOU in?

o “Man, she sure publishes a lot of content.” Because writing is the basis of all wealth. And the more you give away for free, the wealthier you will be. Is everything you know written down somewhere?

o “Looks like everyone’s talking about them…” Because the only thing worse than being talked about is NOT being talked about. And if people aren’t actively telling their friends about you and your company that means you’re probably: Selling a stale brand, perceived as a commodity, not word of mouth worthy, boring, unremarkable and normal and (not) making the mundane memorable. Who’s talking about you?

o “I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this woman before!” Because (clearly), you’re SUCH a big deal and SO ubiquitous that people assume everyone has already heard of you. And it’s their fault for being in the dark. And now they have to make up for lost time. Ideally, by giving you lots of money. Who’s heard of YOU?

o “I think I’m in love!” Because the secret to getting people to fall in love with you is to help them fall in love with themselves first. The secret is to become S.O.F.A.T., i.e., a person people can STUMBLE upon, become OBSESSED over, FALL in love with, become ADDICTED to and TELL their friends about. That’s all that marketing is: Transferring love. Who’s in love with you?

o “Oh yeah, I’ve heard of this guy before…” Because it’s not about marketshare; it’s about MIND share. And the shelf space you hold in people’s minds is the most important real estate in the world. Are you the universally presumed perpetrator?

o “Whoa! That’s a lot of hits for just one person…” Because your web presence is SO vast and diverse, people assume you either paid for SEO (ha!) or hired a crack team of specialists and programmers to build it for you (double ha!) Of course, neither of those are true because, with the right strategy and a WHOLE lot of content, you might not need them. Why aren’t you blogging yet?

3. IMMEDIATE ACTION. That’s what you want to happen next. People impelled to click and explore you and your business further. And ideally, you’d like people to:

o Read, watch or listen to something you’ve published. And realize how smart and creative you are. Are you a Smokin’ Hot Piece of Brain Candy?

o Invite a coworker over to their desk. So they can ogle over your awesomeness. Do you pass The Cubicle Test?

o Email, call, text or tell someone about her findings. Not just because you’re worth making a remark about, but also because it’s EASY to remark about you. Do you pass Tell a Friend test?

o Become a part of your permission asset. By subscribing/following your blog, tweets, videos, ezines, RSS feed and the like. How many people are anticipating YOUR marketing?

o Revisitability. Another one of those words I just made up. And it’s absolutely essential. It’s about that addiction. It’s about that “I can’t get enough of this guy” attitude. It’s about people who come back to your blog or website or Twitter page just to see what you’ve been up to. Who revisits you every day?

4. CONTACT. Here’s the final step. After people have googled you, reacted and taken initial action, this is the crucial component. It’s when you compound attraction with outreach. Because ideally, you’d like people to email, call or reach out to you in SOME way so they can:

o Thank you. Because something you’ve done, written or posted has helped them obtain more money, sex or happiness. (Oh, come on. We both know those are the ONLY three desires that drive buying behavior.) What are you the answer to?

o Tell you they’re one of your new fans. Because customers are overrated. Clients are worthless. And prospects are for amateurs. You need FANS. People that are insistent upon you, your products and your service. Because the more fans you have, the less selling you do. How many do you have?

o And finally, BUY something. Because they see value in your products or services. And they’re ready to give you their money. Hooray! Q.E.D! What is the reason someone is willing to give you money?

So, that’s my theory. That’s what I want to happen when someone googles MY name.

What about you? I’d love to hear your answers…

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What do you want to happen when someone googles your name?

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 I’ll send you 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!

“I believe this! I can do this! I want to try this!”

That’s what your readers, listeners, viewers, subscribers and audience members need to think after they’ve been exposed to your ideas.

That they can take action.

In a non-legal sense, of course.

Otherwise, your material, ideas and presentations are nothing but motivational garbage. Inherently impressive and interesting, yet clearly irrelevant and inapplicable.

That’s the BIG mistake made by too many writers, thinkers and speakers…

They spew a steady stream self-glorifying wisdom that proves how smart they are; but forget to challenge people by leaving them with any Meaningful Concrete Immediacy, (MCI).

Your task is to cause people to shake their heads and say, “Yes!” by creating and delivering actionable content.

I repeat: Actionable.

And I mean that in the most non-lawyerly way possible.

It’s got nothing to do with suing people.
It’s something you achieve by telling people HOW.

Because ultimately, that’s all people care about, or have the time and patience for.

THINK ABOUT IT: As most people read or watch or listen to you, they’re probably thinking, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, just get to the point. I don’t want to hear your life story. I’m not interested in your four-page philosophy that explains the behavioral tendencies of Canadian Bobcats in heat. Cut the crap and just tell me how.”

Just tell me how.

You might want to write those four words on a sticky note and slap it on your laptop.

Because that’s the posture of the masses. That’s the collective self-interest of our hyperspeed, A.D.D. instant gratification culture.

They want to know HOW, and they want to know NOW.

So, at this point you’re probably asking yourself the question: “OK, but, HOW do I tell people how?”

I’m glad you asked. Because I have some answers for you.

Actually, it’s more of a checklist. A self-assessment. A system for preventing your content from coming off as impractical, motivational fluff.

Next time you’re preparing a presentation, blog post, article, newsletter, or any other form of content delivery, ask yourself a few these questions to assure the actionability of your material.

1. How does this idea directly affect the daily lives of people?

2. How will people be able to execute your strategy in spite of their boss’s insistence on doing it the old way?

3. If someone else were delivering this information, what would move ME to take action on it immediately?

4. What actions can people take to eliminate or minimize barriers to their boldness of moving forward?

5. What are the reasons, barriers, fears, assumptions and blocks that are preventing these people from taking action, and how could you address them in a way that dispels the myth and gives them confidence to move NOW?

6. What assignment can you give people that, when they’ve completed it, they will be ready to move forward?

7. What checklist could you give people to keep them accountable and consistent in the future?

8. What common behaviors, warning signs, mistakes or missteps could you make people aware of so that, in the future, they could better recognize and avoid them?

9. What equation, algorithm, formula or system could you give people that they could easily plug themselves, their situation or their company into?

10. What exercise can you give for people to do right now, or when they’re done reading or listening?

REMEMBER: Persuasion = Content + Action.

It’s about impact – NOT information.

Because last time I checked on Google, we already had enough of that.

It’s simple: Just tell people how.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How actionable is your content?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the (full) checklist called, “63 Self-Assessment Questions to Measure the Actionability of Your Content,” 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]

Need to build your Thought Leadership Platform?

Perhaps my monthly (or yearly) coaching program would help.

Rent Scott’s Brain today!

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Names are everything.

Your name is your truth.
Your name is your identity.
Your name is the very first (and, ideally) the ONLY label that you, as a human being, should be known for.

For that reason, after 3,135 days of wearing a nametag, here’s what I’ve discovered:

When people know each other’s names, the rules change.

Wow, Scott, is ALL your material this deep?

I know. Super obvious, right?

Exactly. And if it’s obvious to YOU, that also means it’s obvious to your customers.

Look. You know names are important.

MY QUESTION IS: Are you practicing that?

Think about it. I guarantee you have somebody in your life right now – a coworker, a customer, some guy that you see at the gym every morning – whom you’ve “known,” maybe even for a few years, but you don’t really KNOW – because you have no clue what his name is.

And the problem is, every time you engage with that person, that fact is always in the back of your mind. Bugging you. Driving you crazy. And it prevents you from TRULY connecting.

PERFECT EXAMPLE: Remember the episode of Seinfeld where Jerry was dating a woman whose name he couldn’t remember? All he knew was that it rhymed with a female body part. He was going crazy!

First, he began brainstorming with George, trying to come up with it.

Mulva? Celeste? Gipple? Aretha? Moviola?

Next, when Jerry was with this nameless woman, his internal monologue never shut up. He began sneaking through her purse, even asking leading questions, trying to get to the bottom of this interpersonal mystery.

Finally, at the end of the episode, it hits him. He opens his window and screams out into the streets of Manhattan, “DELORES!!”

SO, MY QUESTION IS: What’s causing conversational tension in your relationships? What’s preventing your relationships from getting started? And how many relationships are you missing out on because you don’t know people’s names?

Sometimes, not knowing a name prevents you from even approaching a person in the first place. This is due to a simple sociological equation:

NO CONFLICT = NO AVOIDANCE.

Yep. More Rocket Surgery.

But this interpersonal truism, simple as it sounds, becomes even more powerful when you reverse it:

MO’ CONFLICT = MO’ AVOIDANCE.

Who are YOU avoiding? Who’s avoiding you? And how many relationships with potentially cool people are you missing out on because of that?

THEREFORE: Names hold the key. Names are the baseline. Names are everything. Names reduce psychological distance between people.

Without a name, you can only get to know someone SO well.
Without a name, there’s a relational threshold level you’ll never surpass.
Without a name, your relationships will continue to feel awkward and inauthentic.

But.

When people know each other’s names, the rules change. And once you get it, make the choice to commit it to memory, and of course, USE that name in conversation, a few cool things start to happen:

You diffuse defensiveness.
You expedite and deepen the connection.
You honor the Truth of each other in that experience.

Interested in making connections and building relationships like that?

Cool. Here’s what to do:

1. ADJUST your attitude. Stop convincing yourself that you’re “horrible with names.” This negative attitude will only become a self-fulfilling prophecy that holds you back.

2. ASK for names earlier. The long your wait, the more awkward it gets. Make sure you look the person in the eye for at least three seconds when they say their name. This helps your visual memory store the information accurately.

3. ARTICULATE names often, but not TOO often. Over usage makes people question your intentions. Depending on the length of the conversation, a few times is enough. Don’t overdo it like a rookie insurance salesman who just got out of training and spends his days slinging bunk policies at Chamber meetings.

4. ADMIT your name-related brain farts when they happen. Tell the truth, tell it all and tell it now. Take the blame. It happens to everybody. And make sure to use language like “Will you remind me your name please?” instead of, “What’s your name again?” This keeps the blame on YOU and doesn’t make the other person feel as if they were instantly forgettable.

5. ADVANCE your memory skills. How many books have you read about remembering people’s names? One a year should do the trick. I suggest Ben Levy’s book.

REMEMBER: A person’s name is her identity and her truth.

Take it from a guy whose name NOBODY seems to forget.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How many relationships are you missing out on because you don’t know people’s names?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “10 Effective Ways to Remember People’s Names,” 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]

Never the same speech twice.
Always about approachability.

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

How you respond to conversational interruptions is a powerful indicator of your character, patience and approachability.

Consider these five practices for approaching people who always interrupt you:

1. Press the “resume button”. When someone hijacks the conversation from you, make sure to return to where you left off. Depending on your relationship WITH and the personality OF the interrupter, your “resume button” could be:

*Polite: “May I continue with my story?
*Sarcastic: “As I was saying five minutes ago…”
*Playful: “Canifinish? Canifinish canifinish?” (from SNL, Dana Carvey)

2. Educate them. Maybe you’re concerned that someone is going to interrupt what you’re about to say. Or that you’ve got an important story that can’t be punctuated by other people’s clever little jokes. So, here’s the solution:

Educate them early. Explain WHY you can’t be interrupted. Preface your story or comment with, “Carol, this is a really important story, so hang onto your comments until I’m done – cool?”

3. Interrupt the interrupter. Sometimes you have to give ‘em a taste of their own medicine. To fight fire with fire. So, interrupt them right back. See how they like it. Don’t worry; if they’ve already interrupted you first, you have permission to return the gesture.

4. Use silence strategically. Sometimes the best strategy is to simply stop talking when interrupted. Punctuated by a patient, semi-serious gaze, this practice allows the interrupter to hear the amplified sound of her conversational narcissism in your silence.

And, when timed correctly, you can usually get an apology out of the person, this granting you permission to continue speaking. Keep in mind this strategy doesn’t work with ALL interrupter personalities, but can be effective when used correctly.

5. Express your emotions. If someone is completely unaware of his interrupting patterns, say the following: “Steve, when you interrupt me like that, it makes me feel (x) because (y).” Then pause. Then wait for his apology. Then continue.

If he doesn’t apologize say, “Steve, I choose not to have conversations when I feel constantly interrupted.” Then walk away or hang up.

The key word here is “choose.” Ultimately, this strategy will work because it’s focused on the behavior, not the person, and reinforces your commitment to your values and boundaries.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How do you handle interrupters?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “26 Rapid-Fire Strategies for becoming the Most Approachable Person in Your Organization,” 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]

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.