LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your nametag?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For a list called, “153 Quotations to Inspire Your Success,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Entrepreneur, Mentor
scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Sick of selling?
Tired of cold calling?
Bored with traditional prospecting approaches?

Buy Scott’s book and learn how to sell enable people to buy!

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

“I could never wear a nametag everyday!”

That’s what people tell me.

And I believe them.

The only thing is, they already do. We all do. Each one of us wears a nametag every day of our lives.

It’s just not always in the form of a sticker.

Remember, it’s not a nametag:

It’s an opening, an opportunity, an invitation, a gesture, a declaration, a conversation, an acknowledgment, an act, a brand, a commitment, a contact, an engagement, an equalizer, an experiment, a filter, a generosity, an identity, an introduction, a label, a message, a mystery, a namesake, a permission slip, a personalization, a reputation, a socialization, a surprise, a vulnerability, a weapon and an advertisement.

What is it – that you do – that is all of those things?

That’s your nametag.

Instead of asking why you should wear it, ask what’s already written on it.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your nametag?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For a list called, “7 Ways to Out Experience the Competition,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Entrepreneur, Mentor
scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Sick of selling?
Tired of cold calling?
Bored with traditional prospecting approaches?

Buy Scott’s book and learn how to sell enable people to buy!

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

I was supposed to be Jessica.

My parents were expecting a girl all along.

Which makes total sense, considering how girlie I’ve always been:

I cry at movies. I’m ultra sensitive. I’m touchy feely. I don’t care about sports. I hate beer. I’m not macho. I love shopping. I’m obsessed with my hair. I have way too many shoes.

I’m the daughter they never had.
Still, I’m proud to be Scott every day of my life. I’m proud to be a man everyday of my life. Wouldn’t trade it for anything. Considering women are the most oppressed minority on the planet, I think I lucked out.

Besides, there aren’t as many branding possibilities with, “HELLO, my name is Jessica.”

Turns out, the name Scott actually translates to “painted warrior.”

Considering the tattoo, I’d say my parents made the right choice.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Isn’t gender strange?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “71 Things Customers Don’t Want to Hear You Say” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Publisher, Artist, Mentor
scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Never the same speech twice.

Now booking for 2011-2012!

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

My whole life, I never quite fit in.

I was always just a little different.

Not so different that nobody wanted to be friends with me. Not so different that I felt excessively entitled or self-righteously appointed. But different enough to feel like an alien wherever I went.

And then I moved to Portland.

The city where different is the default.
Everybody fits in – because nobody fits in. It’s so fantastically unique, so delightfully weird and so endearingly eclectic, that you can’t help but acknowledge and applaud people’s differences.

The place is so weird, I almost felt normal. That says a lot.

I remember my first day. I was riding the bus when a guy asked, “You’re not from around here, are you Scott?”

“How did you guess?”

“Nobody uses umbrellas here. When it rains, we either celebrate it or ignore it.”

That’s when I said to myself: “These are my people.”

I fell in love with the city. Had some of the greatest times of my life. Made lifelong friends I’ll never forget. And learned lessons that changed me forever. And although I only spent fourteen months there, the spirit of Portland will always remain under my fingernails.

You have to understand, I grew up in suburban St. Louis. I went to college in rural Ohio. So it was a nice change of posture to live in a community where accepting people’s differences is a given – but celebrating them is the gift.

Can you imagine if more places adopted that mentality?
Can you imagine if we stopped holding ourselves hostage by our intolerance?

Sadly, our society still operates on the outdated, close-minded cliché that the nail that sticks up should be hammered down. That being different is the enemy.

I don’t care how open we claim to be: We still actively avoid contact with people who are not like us because of a fear of social contamination.

It’s time to adopt a different philosophy about being different.

Not only that it’s acceptable – but also that it’s encouraged and edified.

Fit out.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How do you put yourself on equal footing with the people around you?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “31 Questions to Test Your Listening Skills” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Publisher, Artist, Mentor
scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Never the same speech twice.

Now booking for 2011-2012!

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

Learn more about Rod’s very cool show here.
LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What are you known for?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “8 Ways to Move Quickly on New Opportunities” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Publisher, Artist, Mentor
scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Never the same speech twice.

Now booking for 2011-2012!

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

This clip is from The Go Network on Vimeo!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Have you ever thought about hiring yourself?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “16 Ways to be the Best,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Publisher, Artist, Mentor
scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Never the same speech twice.

Now booking for 2011-2012!

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

Not to brag, but I hold the world record for wearing nametags.

Don’t act like you’re not impressed.

But as the world’s foremost expert, I am uniquely qualified to give an opinion on how nametags should be worn. Here’s my theory:

No last names. No company names. No logos. No titles. No acronyms. No designations.

First name only. Nothing else.
This levels the playing field. This restores the balance of power. This eliminates competition. This prevents pigeonholing. And this stops people from being better than others with a lesser tag.

By eliminating unnecessary labels, by stripping accumulated adjectives and by boiling people down to their human essence – their names – it’s harder to judge each other and easier to get to know each other.

I wonder how different our planet would be if we were willing to put values before vocation, humanity before statistics, personality before position and individuality before industry.

I wonder.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How do you put yourself on equal footing with the people around you?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “31 Questions to Test Your Listening Skills” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Publisher, Artist, Mentor
scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Never the same speech twice.

Now booking for 2011-2012!

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

The road less traveled isn’t just foggy – it’s lonely.

Whether you’re a writer, freelancer, artist, entrepreneur, or part of a mobile workforce, there are more people going it alone that every before in history.

Our culture encourages it, our technology enables it and our economy demands it.

Which is great for productivity and flexibility.

But we’re still human. And human beings are social animals.

Creativity without community, isn’t.
And don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t trade my job for anything on the planet.

The fact that I get to make my own schedule, make my own decisions, make my own money and make a measurable difference in the world – all while doing what I love – is an honor and a privilege.

But.

When the inevitable loneliness starts to creep in like a toxic mist, we need every ounce of our creative capacity to stay connected, stay supported and stay afloat. Otherwise the isolation will drive us insane, and will drive our businesses into the ground.

Thank god for the nametag. It keeps me connected. It sustains me. It’s my constant spark for human contact. And every day I get to interact with cool new people from all walks of life that I never would have met otherwise.

It’s my analog friend request.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s yours?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “58 Questions about Questions” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Publisher, Artist, Mentor
scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Never the same speech twice.

Now booking for 2011-2012!

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

If you want to reach the world.
If you want to make a name for yourself.
If you want to win with the people who matter most.

You have to use your hand, and you have to use your heart.

And I know what you’re thinking.

Great. Is he going to get all touchy feely now?

Yes.

That’s exactly what’s going to happen, because that’s exactly what people crave.

To feel like they’ve been touched.

How many of your people don’t feel touched?
How many of your people don’t feel at all?

AND JUST SO YOU KNOW: I’m not suggesting you start hugging everyone you meet.

Nor am I suggesting you formulate a touchpoint strategy for managing the customer experience that aligns with the brand promise. Excuse me while I vomit.

Being touchy feely is much bigger – and better – than that. It’s about leaving people feeling seen, heard and essential. Today we’re going to talk how to make yourself, your brand and your organization more touchy feely:
1. Give people the experience of psychological visibility. You look with the eyes, but you see with the heart. And if you want to assure that you leave people feeling seen, try these ideas. First: Instead of going out of your way to make people feel invisible, make a conscious effort to love, honor and acknowledge them. When they get you, give them all of you.

Second: While engaging with people, resist the urge to check your email. Stop looking over their shoulder to see if there’s somebody more important to talk to you. Just be with the people you’re with, right now. Third: When someone comes to you with their problems, understand that they’re not looking for advice – they’re looking for understanding. Don’t dispense answers when they’re looking for affirmation.

Nothing touches people more than your willingness to be a mirror. When was the last time you slowed down and noticed people?

2. Be open to all levels of intimacy. I recently read the classic article in Harvard Business Review that first called customer intimacy a “key value discipline.” Their research proved that organizations that align their entire operating model to serve that discipline are the ones who become market leaders. Are you pushing yourself relentlessly to sustain it? If not, you’ll never touch your people in the way they need to be touched.

After all, each of your relationships – from customers you’ve known since day one to prospects you’ve known since this morning – is an ongoing laboratory of learning how to love. And it’s more than memorizing a few pieces of personal information. Intimacy is about sharing vulnerability, showing feelings and showering acceptance. It’s about weathering storms together, experiencing meaningful connection and creating emotional closeness. What would be different if that described the relationships you had with your customers?

3. Slow down. You can touch what you can’t catch. And you can’t feel what you can’t follow. If you want others to have a warmer, richer experience when they’re around you, learn to pump the brakes. Shift into neutral if you have to. Otherwise you’ll continue borrowing from approachability to fund velocity. And whatever meager dividends remain will leave people feeling untouched.

A helpful question to ask throughout your day is, “Why am I rushing?” Odds are, you won’t come up with a good answer. You might not slow down right away. But this friendly mental disruption will create a newfound awareness. And before you know it, communicating with you will become a more relaxing experience. Remember: When people come into contact with you, it should be emotionally rewarding – not physically draining.

Haste doesn’t make waste – it makes people feel ignored. What elements of your daily routine could be slower?

4. Bring people center stage. I love hearing the word no. Not because it’s an opening to sell, but because it’s an opportunity to hear somebody’s story. Because sometimes that’s all people want – an audience. Someone to champion their humanity. Someone to gather with them and say, “I’m here. I’m with you. I’m part of this.”

The secret is: If you truly want to touch someone, it’s not enough to request their story. You also have to receive it, respect it and retell it. Otherwise they may as well be winking in the dark. That’s what I love about blogging: It provides a public forum where I can bring other people’s story center stage. Often without their knowledge, but never without their acknowledgment.

In my experience, this is the perfect way to use technology for getting touchy feely. As long as you treat people’s truth accurately and respectfully, they’ll never feel untouched. People can’t live without a story to tell. How often you handing them the microphone?

5. Hold up your homework. When my friends Laszlo and Kelly got married, they wrote their own vows. Their words were beautiful, romantic and heartfelt. Not a dry eye in the house. But the collective heart of the entire room stopped beating when Laszlo made the following announcement right after they kissed: “Ladies and gentleman, we’re going to take a ten minute break before the reception starts because, frankly, those vows took everything we had.”

And rightly so, too. Doing something that touching isn’t easy. But the lesson learned is: When something takes everything you have, tell people. Not to boast about how strong you are. But to offer validation that they are people worth caring about, showing up for and giving yourself away to. When was the last time you went out of your way to tell someone that you went out of your way?

REMEMBER: Every day our world becomes less humane in our treatment of each other.

I know touchy feely isn’t easy.
I know touchy feely isn’t for everybody.

But it sure beats avoidy ignory.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Who are you touching?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For a list called, “7 Ways to Out Experience the Competition,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Entrepreneur, Mentor
scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Sick of selling?
Tired of cold calling?
Bored with traditional prospecting approaches?

Buy Scott’s book and learn how to sell enable people to buy!

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

After four thousand days of wearing a nametag, I’ve learned more lessons about being an entrepreneur than I ever could have learned in college.

Straight from my column on monthly column on American Express Open Forum, here are a few to consider:
1. Interaction is the agent of human decision. Any time people decide to listen to, buy from, get behind, partner with or tell others about you, it’s probably because of the interaction they had with you. How they experienced you. How they experienced themselves in relation to you. And fortunately, the cost of interaction is approaching zero. Thanks to the Internet, we now have greater access to each other than ever before.

Brands are reaching users. Writers are reaching readers. Artists are reaching collectors. Leaders are reaching followers. But you don’t need a nametag. You need to be open to what can emerge from every interaction. You need to interact with people in praise of whatever they have to offer. You need to approach everyone you encounter with a spirit of acknowledgment. Because every time you interact with people, you make a choice.

A choice to engage with swift responsiveness, nonstop gratitude, unexpected honesty, exquisite playfulness and loving unfairness. Those aren’t just interactions – they’re social gifts. And they change people forever. Are you known for a unique way of interacting with the world?

2. The media is your customer. I once got an email from a television screenwriter. He wanted to pitch a network reality show that revolved around my nametag. Awesome. But I had to ask the crucial question. I had to find out why he picked me. Not for ego purposes, but for market research purposes. I wanted to know where the rock created the ripple so I could go throw more rocks.

“Television is about the personality and the message, somebody who would be fun to watch every episode. Viewers don’t care about talent and skill. They want to laugh, be entertained and have their imagination captured. And after doing a lot of research on potential, I didn’t like anyone else. But you – you remind me of me. And that’s why I reached out.”

Cool. So we did a few conference calls, got the lawyers involved, signed an option agreement – I even flew out to Hollywood to meet with a few network producers. Unfortunately, the screenwriter got an offer to become a lead a writer on Survivor, the highest rated reality show of the decade. Damn you, Jeff Probst!

And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed. But I wasn’t devastated. If anything, it was another glimpse into that whole world. It was an educational experience that taught me what the network wants. That’s one thing you learn about working with the media: You can’t get your hopes up. You can’t beat yourself up. And you can’t torture yourself waiting in limbo. Nor can you run around telling everyone you’re going to be on television.

The media is your customer, and you are an ocean under a fickle moon. You just have to keep saying to yourself, “It’s only a matter of time.” When it hits, will you be ready?

3. Enable the mystery. “I just have so many questions!” I get that a lot. When people find out I wear a nametag everyday, they’re instantly curious about a number of issues. And I’m happy to oblige. Comes with the territory. I once met a guy in a jazz club in Hell’s Kitchen. Noticing my nametag, he asked me if I had just come from an episode of The Price is Right. Good guess, but no. Even though I’ve always secretly wanted to be on that show. Just let me play one game of Plinko and I’ll be out of your way.

Anyway, the point is that people are enthralled by mystery. They never grow tired of things that invite constant interpretation. And your ability to fascinate them is a tremendous asset. Like Houdini, you have to emanate an aura of delightful unpredictability. You have leave the public always wanting more, wondering about your next move. Will you underestimate the profitability of mystery?

4. Reputational capital. The first interview I ever did was for Headline News. Three minutes. Five million people. Twenty-two years old. Yikes. I don’t remember much about my segment. I’m sure I rambled like a pro. But what I do remember was rushing home to watch the tape. And the moment that would be forever burned into my brain was noticing what CNN wrote on their lower third screen graphic: Scott Ginsberg, Name Tag Wearer.

And there it is. Four years of college. Thanks, mom and dad. Money well spent. But I learned something that day. You can’t outsource reputation. It’s not what’s in a name – it’s what after a name that counts. And if you don’t make a name for yourself, somebody will make one for you. Nametag Wearer. Sheesh. What would be written under your name?

5. Take a stand. I believe in having a point of view. Philosophies. Opinions. Perspectives. Theories. These things matter. These things make us uniquely human. They don’t have to be right or wrong, they just have to be ours. And it’s our responsibility to share them courageously and prodigiously. Otherwise we’re just decorations on the wall.

That’s what my friend Matt likes to remind me: You weren’t wearing a sticker – you were taking a stand. Damn right I was. I was taking a stand for my identity. I was taking a stand against anonymity. I was taking a stand in the name of approachability. When you do this, people notice. It draws them in. It teaches them how to treat you. And it reminds them that you’re a person with feelings and you demand to be heard.

Life’s too short to keep our doubts to ourselves, too important to keep our positions unknown and too beautiful to keep our conclusions quiet. Opinionated is the new black. Are you wearing it well?

REMEMBER: To be an entrepreneur is to take a risk.

You don’t need to wear a nametag – but you do need to stick yourself out there.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your nametag?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For a list called, “11 Ways to Out Google Your Competitors,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Publisher, Artist, Mentor
scott@hellomynameisscott.com

“I usually refuse to pay for mentoring. But after Scott’s first brain rental session, the fact that I had paid something to be working with him left my mind – as far as I was concerned, the value of that (and subsequent) exchange of wisdom and knowledge, far outweighed any payment.”

–Gilly Johnson The Australian Mentoring Center